DMT 353/3 – Programmable

Logic Controller (PLC)

PLC System

Mohd Khairul Md Kamil

School of Microelectronic Engineering
Brief PLC History
• The PLC was invented in response to the needs of
the American automotive industry.
• Before the PLC, control, sequencing, and safety
interlock logic for manufacturing automobiles was
accomplished using relays, timers and dedicated
closed-loop controllers.
• The process for updating such facilities for the
yearly model change-over was very time consuming
and expensive, as the relay systems needed to be
rewired by skilled electricians.
• In 1968 GM Hydramatic (the automatic transmission
division of General Motors) issued a request for
proposal for an electronic replacement for hard-
wired relay systems.
Brief PLC History
• The winning proposal came from Bedford Associates
of Boston, Massachusetts.
• The first PLC, designated the 084 because it was
Bedford Associates eighty-fourth project, was the
result. Bedford Associates started a new company
dedicated to developing, manufacturing, selling, and
servicing this new product: Modicon, which stood for
MOdular DIgital CONtroller.
• One of the people who worked on that project was
Dick Morley, who is considered to be the "father" of
the PLC.
• The Modicon brand was sold in 1977 to Gould
Electronics, and later acquired by German Company
AEG and then by Schneider Electric, the current
owner.
 Disadvantages of Classic control
panel
1. Large amount of work
required connecting wires
2. Difficulty with changes or
replacements
3. Difficulty in finding
errors; requiring
skillful/experienced work
force
4. When a problem occurs,
hold-up time is indefinite,
usually long
Introduction
• What is PLC?
PLC is 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
Definition

A formal definition of a PLC comes from the

National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA):
A digitally operating electronic apparatus which
uses a programmable memory for the internal
storage of instructions for implementing specific
functions such as logic, sequencing, timing,
counting, and arithmetic to control, through
digital or analog input/output modules, various
types of machines or processes.
PLC Overview
• A PLC has many "input" terminals, through which it
interprets "high" and "low" logical states from
sensors and switches.
• It also has many output terminals, through which it
outputs "high" and "low" signals to power lights,
solenoids, contactors, small motors, and other
devices lending themselves to on/off control.
• In an effort to make PLCs easy to program, their
programming language was designed to resemble
ladder logic diagrams.
• Thus, an industrial electrician or engineer
accustomed to reading ladder logic schematics
would feel comfortable programming a PLC to
perform the same control functions.
In a traditional
system, all control
devices
are wired directly to
each other ..
Input Output

In a PLC system, all

control devices are
wired to the PLC..

Input Output
 Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Eliminates much of the hard wiring that was
associated with conventional relay control circuits.

The program takes

the place of much
of
the external wiring
that would be
required
for control of a
process.
Example
• Lets say that two push buttons, PB1 and PB2, are
connected to a PLC. Two pilot lights, PL1 and PL2, are
also connected to the PLC.
• The way these devices are connected now pressing push
button PB1 turns on pilot light PL1 and pressing push
button PB2 turns on pilot light PL2.
• Lets say that you want to change this around so that PB1
controls PL2 and PB2 controls PL1.
• In a traditional system, you would have to rewire the
circuit so that the wiring from the first push button goes
to the second pilot light and vice versa.
• However, because these devices are connected to a PLC,
making this change is simple - small change in the
control program.
Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Increased Reliability: Once a program has been written
and tested it can be downloaded to other PLCs.

Since all the

logic is
contained
in the PLC’s
memory,
there
is no chance
of making a
logic wiring
error.
 Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• More Flexibility: Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
can provide system updates for a process by simply sending
out a new program.

It is easier to
create and change
a program in a PLC
than to wire and
rewire a circuit.
End-users can modify
the program in the
field.
Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Lower Costs: Originally PLCs were designed to replace
relay control logic. The cost savings using PLCs have
been so significant that relay control is becoming
obsolete, except for power applications.

Generally, if an application
requires more than about
6 control relays, it will
usually be less expensive
to install a PLC.
 Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Communications Capability: A PLC can communicate
with other controllers or computer equipment.

They can be networked

to perform such
functions
as: supervisory control,
data
gathering, monitoring
devices and process
parameters, and
downloading
and uploading of
programs.
Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Faster Response Time: PLCs operate in real-time which
means that an event taking place in the field will result in an
operation or output taking place.

Machines that process

thousands of items per
second and objects
that
spend only a fraction of
a second in front of a
sensor require the
PLC’s
quick response
capability.
Advantages of a PLC Control
System
• Easier To Troubleshoot: PLCs have resident diagnostic
and override functions that allows users to easily trace and
correct software and hardware problems.

The control
program
can be watched
in
real-time as it
executes to find
and fix problems
PLC Size Classification

Size I/O Count

Micro Up to 32
Small 32 up to 128
Medium 128 to 2048
Large 1024 to 4096
Very Large 2048 and
above
PLC “product” Classification

Manufacturer PLC
Siemens Simatic
Mitsubishi FX0
Rockwell MicroLogix
General Electric VersaMax
Omron CPM1A
Others PLC Brands

• Others well known PLC brands are ABB Ltd.,

Koyo, Honeywell, Modicon, Allen-Bradley, Tesco
Controls and Panasonic (Matsushita)
Q&A