Power System Protection Lab

30104426

Start/stop circuit
 Introduction
• A very useful Ladder Logic Programming Pattern is the
Start/Stop Circuit. This pattern is an extension to the Sealed in
Coil pattern and is similar to the State Coil. However, where the
State Coil is “trigger dominant” (i.e. the Trigger condition takes
priority over the Break Condition), the Start/Stop Circuit is “stop
dominant”
• Like the Sealed in Coil, the Run coil will always revert to a de-
energized (off) state if the PLC is turned off, or if the ladder logic
program is reset. That’s a useful property because when starting
up the machine we likely want motors, etc., to be in the off state
until the logic decides to start them.
• The inputs to this circuit are the “Start” and “Stop” conditions. You could imagine
both are momentary buttons on an operator screen that are on while the operator is
actually pushing the button. If the operator pushes the Start button, then the Run coil
will turn on, and it seals itself in until the operator pushes the Stop button. The reason
that this pattern is “stop dominant” is that we want the Stop condition to take priority
over the Start condition in the case where both signals are active. Imagine a case
where the Start condition was stuck on for some reason. At least the operator could
stop the motor, etc., by holding the Stop button on until they can turn the machine off
with the main switch. Here’s an example timing diagram:
• This makes more sense if you imagine that Start and Stop are physical buttons wired into inputs of the PLC.
In that case we would normally wire the Start button using a “normally open” contact (so pushing the Start
button turns the input on) and we would wire the Stop button using a “normally closed” contact (so pushing
the Stop button turns the input off). Normally open contacts can and do get welded in the “on” position
sometimes, and making the Stop button take priority over the Start button makes even more sense. In this
case, the logic looks slightly different:
• The reason the buttons are wired this way is so that if the wire to the Stop button
becomes disconnected or power to the Stop button is lost, then the machine will act as if
the Stop button has been pressed, and the motor, etc., will stop. This is presumably a
safer condition than allowing the motor to continue running without the ability to stop
it.
Start-stop, push-button circuit.

START button energizes "M" relay coil.

"M" contacts maintain the circuit.

STOP button breaks the circuit.

• The relay circuit is a basic stop-start, push-button circuit with overload
protection.
• In the circuit, no current can flow to relay coil M because the normally
open START button and the normally open contact are controlled by
relay coil M.
• When the START button is pushed, current flows through the relay coil
and normally closed overload con tact to the power source. When
current flows through relay coil M, the contacts connected parallel to the
START button close. These contacts maintain the circuit to coil M when
the START button re leases and returns to its open position.
• The circuit will continue to operate until the STOP button is pushed and breaks
the circuit to the coil. When the current flow to the coil stops, the relay de-
energizes and contact M reopens. Since the START button is now open and
contact M is open, there is no complete circuit to the relay coil when the STOP
button is returned to its normally closed position. If the relay is to be restarted,
the START button must be pushed again to provide a complete circuit to the
relay coil.
• The only other logic condition that can occur in this circuit is caused by the motor
connected to the load contacts of relay M. Assume the motor is connected in
series with the heater of an overload relay. When coil M energizes, it closes the
load contact M. When the load contact closes, it connects the motor to the 120
volt AC power line.
 References
• http://www.industrial-electronics.com/ind-mtr-cntrl_052.html
• http://www.contactandcoil.com/patterns-of-ladder-logic-
programming/startstop-circuit/
Done by :
• Tamara Ayman Khashman
• 31702020020

Instructor Name:
Eng. Esraa Mousa