PROGRAMMABLE

LOGIC CONTROLLERS
(PLCS)
HELENA SULLIVAN

PLTW CIM-CTI 2015

WHAT IS A PLC?

an industrial computer control

system that continuously
monitors the state of input
devices and makes decisions
based upon a custom program
to control the state of output
devices [AMCI]

WHAT IS A PLC?
o simplified computer
which can handle routine
tasks

o flexible in how it
interfaces with inputs
and outputs to the real
world

o designed to survive in a
rugged industrial atmosphere

o easy to program

WHAT IS INSIDE A PLC?

CPU executes the programs entered

and communicates with other devices

Source: [AMCI]

PLC INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

Source: [AMCI]

1) Input Scan
Detects the state of all input
devices that are connected to the
PLC
2) Program Scan
Executes the user created
program logic
3) Output Scan
Energizes or de-energize all output
devices that are connected to the
PLC.
4) Housekeeping
This step includes communications
with programming terminals,
internal diagnostics, etc...

PLC PROGRAM ROUTINE

Source: [AMCI]

PLC PROGRAMMING SAMPLE

XOR SYMBOL LOGIC

LADDER LOGIC

SAME
OUTPUT
COLUMN

EVOLUTION OF INPUTOUTPUT PROCESS VS.

USING A PLC

HISTORY OF PLCS

First co
mmerc
ial PLC
w a s ca
lled M
ODICO
084
N

HISTORY OF PLCS, CONT.

MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR

Odo Josef Struger

Worked at ALLEN BRADLEY
(HQ in Milwaukee, WI)
1958-1997

Created acronym PLC

50 patents, 40 technical
papers

HISTORY OF PLCS, CONT.

MAJOR
MANUFACTURERS

RESOURCES:

AMCI : Tech Tutorials : What Is A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)? (n.d.).

Retrieved from
http://www.amci.com/tutorials/tutorials-what-is-programmable-logic-controller.asp
The History of the PLC. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.barn.org/FILES/historyofplc.html
PLC Timeline | PLCdev. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.plcdev.com/plc_timeline
Segovia,V.R., & Theorin,A. (2012, June 15). History of Control History of PLC and
DCS. Retrieved from
http://www.control.lth.se/media/Education/DoctorateProgram/2012/HistoryOfControl/V
anessa_Alfred_report.pdf
Using Ladder Logic for Gray Code Conversion | PLCdev. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.plcdev.com/using_ladder_logic_for_gray_code_conversion
What is a PLC. Who uses them and what for? (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.machine-information-systems.com/PLC.html