There are two types of mechanical design for PLC systems.

A single box, or a brick

is a small programmable controller that fits all units and interfaces into one
compact casing, although, typically, additional expansion modules for inputs and
outputs are available. Second design type – a modular PLC – has a chassis (also
called a rack) that provides space for modules with different functions, such as
power supply, processor, selection of I/O modules and communication interfaces –
which all can be customized for the particular application.[22] Several racks can
be administered by a single processor and may have thousands of inputs and outputs.
Either a special high-speed serial I/O link or comparable communication method is
used so that racks can be distributed away from the processor, reducing the wiring
costs for large plants. Options are also available to mount I/O points directly to
the machine and utilize quick disconnecting cables to sensors and valves, saving
time for wiring and replacing components.[citation needed]
Some special processes need to work permanently with minimum unwanted downtime.
Therefore, it is necessary to design a system that is fault-tolerant and capable of
handling the process with faulty modules. In such cases to increase the system
availability in the event of hardware component failure, redundant CPU or I/O
modules with the same functionality can be added to hardware configuration for
preventing total or partial process shutdown due to hardware failure. Other
redundancy scenarios could be related to safety-critical processes, for example,
large hydraulic presses could require that both PLCs turn on output before the
press can come down in case one output does not turn off properly.

Programming

Example of a ladder diagram logic

Programmable logic controllers are intended to be used by engineers without a
programming background. For this reason, a graphical programming language called
Ladder Diagram (LD, LAD) was first developed. It resembles the schematic diagram of
a system built with electromechanical relays and was adopted by many manufacturers
and later standardized in the IEC 61131-3 control systems programming standard. As
of 2015, it is still widely used, thanks to its simplicity.[24]

As of 2015, the majority of PLC systems adhere to the IEC 61131-3 standard that
defines 2 textual programming languages: Structured Text (ST; similar to Pascal)
and Instruction List (IL); as well as 3 graphical languages: Ladder Diagram,
Function Block Diagram (FBD) and Sequential Function Chart (SFC).[24][25]
Instruction List (IL) was deprecated in the third edition of the standard.[26]

Modern PLCs can be programmed in a variety of ways, from the relay-derived ladder
logic to programming languages such as specially adapted dialects of BASIC and C.
[citation needed]

While the fundamental concepts of PLC programming are common to all manufacturers,
differences in I/O addressing, memory organization, and instruction sets mean that
PLC programs are never perfectly interchangeable between different makers. Even
within the same product line of a single manufacturer, different models may not be
directly compatible.[citation needed]

Programming device