LECTURE 04

PLC Input and Output Devices

 Objectives
• At the end of this lecture trainees should be
able to;
✓Identify the PLC input devices
✓Identify PLC out put devices
✓ Describe the I/O PLC devices
✓ Elaborate the functions of PLC I/O devices
 Introduction
One of the important section of PLC is the I/O
modules. The modules are used to interface I/O
signals to and from the controller device
Electrical noise, such as spikes in the power lines
or load kick-back would have serious impact on
a PLC's internal circuits since its CPU operates at
very low voltages levels.
• This is where the (I/O) portion of a PLC plays a
critical role. The I/O, both inputs and outputs,
protects the CPU from electrical noise.
• The I/O section is where status signals are
filtered to remove noise, validate voltage
levels, and CPU decisions are made and put
into operation.
• The PLC Inputs provide their status to a
storage area within the CPU and outputs are
driven from similar stored status in the CPU
 Input module Section
• Forms the interface by which input field
devices are connected to the controller
• The term ‘’field’’ and ‘’real world’’ are used to
distinguish the actual external devices that
exist and must be physically wired into the
system.
Input module
 PLC Input devices
An input device is a piece of computer hardware
equipment used to provide data, and control
signals to an information processing system
(IPS). The input devices includes;
• Switches and push buttons
• Sensing devices
• Limit switches
• Proximity sensors
• Photoelectric Sensors
 PLC Input devices …
• Condition sensors
• Vacuum switches
• Temperature switches
• Level switches
• Pressure switches
 Input device details
1. Push buttons
Push buttons are the ones that you will usually
see as START or STOP buttons in a PLC control
system. It operates by either MAKING contact
(Make) or by BREAKING contact (Break).
Hence, pushbuttons are divided into two
categories:
Normally open or Normally closed.
Input switches
Normally open (NO)
• Normally open push buttons, when connected
to the circuit, normally make an OPEN circuit.
• In this scenario, the current can NOT flow
through the switch, as there is no electrical
continuity.
• Pushing the button will make its metal
contacts touch with each other, closing the
connection between the two connected
terminals and hence allowing the current to
pass.
 Normally closed (NC)

When a Normally closed push buttons is connected to the circuit, it SHORTS

the connected terminals. In this scenario, current can already flow through
the switch.

This means that if you connect a normally closed push button to a circuit, the
circuit will turn on immediately because there is electrical continuity already.
 2. Selector Switch
• Selector switches are still manually operated
switches, however instead of being normally
open or closed, there are more than two
contacts to select from.
• The usual example is found in electric fans,
where you can select a number that then
dictates the speed of the fan’s motor.
• This process actually selects a varying load for
the motor in order to control its speed.
 3. Limit Switches

Limit switches, as the name implies, change state when a

predetermined limit is reached. These are actually useful in automation
because you can set a limit (using the limit switch) where a specific
process stops.

There are also different types of limit switches which allow us to choose
the physical quantity to limit in our control system design.
 Limit switch cont..

3.1.Temperature Limit Switch

Also called Thermostat, the temperature limit switch is used to detect

temperature changes in the system.
They can also be Normally Open and Normally Closed, depending on what
type is used.

This dictates the actual Industrial application that it can be used in—whether it
be an overheating prevention, or even just maintaining a certain temperature
of materials.
 Limit Switch…

3.2. Pressure Limit Switch

Pressure switches are most commonly used in containers where the pressure of
liquids or gases is crucial.

They change their state whenever a liquid or gas in a tank reaches a high
enough pressure. Again, they can either be Normally Open or Normally Closed
switches.

When the pressure inside a tank increases to a high amount, the difference
between the atmospheric pressure and the pressure inside will make the fluid
(liquid or gas) inside “try to escape”. Using pressure limit switches allow us to
prevent that scenario.
 Limit Switch…

3.3. Level Limit Switch

Level switches—more commonly called Level Sensors, are used to

control the height of a liquid inside a container, usually a tank.

They are most commonly used in conjunction with inlet and outlet
valves in a liquid level control system, or in a heating and mixing
application.
 4. Proximity Sensor
• Proximity Sensors, in PLC automation, are
usually used in detecting the presence or
absence of objects made of varying materials.
They do so WITHOUT making contact.
Sometimes they are called “proximity
switches” because the output is binary, HIGH
or LOW—just like a switch.
 5. Reed Switch
• The reed switch consists of two ferromagnetic
material sealed in glass or plastic. The two
materials do not initially touch each other, but
when a magnetic field from either a
permanent magnet or an induced one (from a
current-carrying coil) is placed near the reed
switch, the switch closes and makes electrical
continuity.
• It works by electromagnetic principles
• For PLC automation, this can be perfectly used
for notification or alarm systems where doors
are involved
• For example, when a room only allows
authorized personnel to enter, opening the
door will light up a bulb or sound an alarm in
the security guard office to indicate that there
is someone opening that door
 5. Photoelectric Sensors
• Photoelectric sensors use a light emitting
diode as an emitter, and usually
phototransistors or photodiodes at the
receiver side.
• Basically, when the light (usually infrared)
from the emitter’s LED hits the receiver, the
sensor changes state from LOW to HIGH.
 6. Ultrasonic Sensors
• Ultrasonic Sensors uses sound waves and their
reflection in order to detect the presence of
an object.
• Obviously, objects that absorb sound are
incapable of being detected by ultrasonic
sensors
 7. Displacement/Position Sensors
• A displacement sensor measures the distance
between a specified reference point and the
location of the target object.
• Usually, these are used in fabrication to attain
higher precision levels. Hence, these sensors
are undoubtedly analog, because they give off
a range of values.
 Functions of Input Module
The input module of PLC does four main
functions.
• Input module interface receives the signal
from process devices at 220 V AC
• Converts the input signal to 5 V DC that can be
used by PLC
• Isolate or prevent PLC from undergoing
fluctuation
• Send signal to the output end i.e. the PLC
 Input module sections
• There are two main sections in the input
module namely the power section and the
logical section.
• Both sections are electrically isolated from
each other.
• Initially push button is closed. So, 220 V AC
supply is given to the bridge circuit.
• The bridge rectifier is used to convert the AC
signal into DC and Zener diode is used to
provide low voltage supply to LED.
• When the light from LED falls on the
phototransistor, it works in the conduction
region. Finally, a 5V DC supply is given to the
processor
 Output Module Section
• Forms the interface by which output field
devices are connected to the controller
• PLC employs an optical isolator which uses
light to electrically isolate the internal
components from the input and out put
terminals
Output field devices
 Out put devices
• An output device is any piece of hardware
used to communicate the results of data
processing carried out by an IPS, and translate
the information into an understandable form.
• The output module of PLC works similarly to
the input module but in the reverse process. It
interfaces the output load and processor.
• So here the first section would be logic session
and the power section comes next
PLC Output Module
 Out put device
• Valves
• Motor starters
• Horns and alarms
• Stack lights
• Control relays
• Pumps
• Printers
• Fans