To Plcs

Introduction
to
PLCs
Introduction
to
PLCs
SECOND EDITION
Jay F. Hooper
Carolina Academic Press

Durham, North Carolina
Copyright © 2006
Jay F. Hooper
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 1-59460-331-6
LCCN 2006932360
Carolina Academic Press

700 Kent Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
Telephone (919) 489-7486
Fax (919) 493-5668
www.cap-press.com
Printed in the United States of America

Contents
Preface ix
Foreword xi
1 Overview 3
An Origin Story 3
The Four Parts of a PLC 5
PLC Symbols 7
PLC Terminal Numbers 7
PLC Logic Symbols 8
2 Hardware 13
Input Rack 13
Output Rack 15
Different Voltage Levels 15
Current Drains 16
Terminal Diagrams 16
Seven General Rules 18
General Rule #1 18
General Rule #2 19
3 Programming Basics 23
Inputs and Outputs 23
The IO Scan 24
General Rule #3 25
Branching 26
General Rule #4 27
Gates 27
Symbols on Terminal Diagrams 28
4 Basic Logic 29
AND and OR 29
NOT 31
OUT 31
v
vi Contents
NAND and NOR 31

Logic in Everyday Speech and in the PLC 32
General Rule #5 33
5 Ladder Logic 37
Control Relays 37
Contactors and Motor Starters 38
Two-Wire (Automatic) Control Circuits 38
Three-Wire (No-Voltage Protection)
Control Circuits 39
Open vs. NO and Closed vs. NC 40
Photo Eyes and Proximity Detectors 42
Mechanically Interconnected Switches 43
6 Counters 45
Count Up and Count Down Counters 45
General Rule #6 45
Preset, Reset, and Accumulated Values 45
Enable and Done Bits 47
Example of a Light Chaser Circuit 48
7 Timers 55
Timer On Delay (TON) 55
Timer Off Delay (TOF) 55
One-Shot Timer 56
Preset, Reset, Accumulated Values,
and Time Units 58
One-Shot Timed Contact 60
8 Sequencers 61
Sequencer Symbol (SQO) 61
Sequencer Output Table 62
File, Mask, Destination, Control, Length,
and Position Values 64
Example of a Light Chasing Circuit 66
9 Math Functions and

Analog Inputs and Outputs 71
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and
Division Functions 71
Contents vii
Less Than, Greater Than, and Equal To

Functions 72
Analog Inputs and A-to-D Conversion 72
Analog Outputs and D-to-A Conversion 73
Example of a Deadband Circuit 73
General Rule #7 76
Appendix A 79
Symbols in the Electrician World 79
Symbols in the Electronic World 90
Logic 92
Appendix B 95
Exercises 99
Selected Solutions 103

Preface
This book is inte nded for the people wo rking on
and doing the day to day troubleshooting on the fac-
tory floor, and those interested in learning how PLCs
work. The material in this book is presented in a for-
mat so that someone with no prior knowledge of PLCs
(just some motor control, electronic, or computer ex-
posure) can be successful in developing a good under-
standing of the issues and concepts involved in the
workings of PLCs.
Although the examples use AB type numbering, the
text is or iented to a middle of the road approach t o
understanding PLCs, regardless of the specific type of
PLC that you use.
This book grew out of a course designed to get peo-
ple from a wide variety of educational backgrounds
(machine fixers and electricians through engineers) up
to speed on PLCs. Almost any large or expensive piece
of equipment these days co mes into the workplace
with a PLC attached. Close to 100% of ads for mainte-
nance mechanics, control electricians, and manufac-
turing engineers require PLC knowledge.
While some generalizations have been made in the
text, they are for the purpose of enhancing the overall
understanding of the PLC material presented.
Jay F. Hooper
Greensboro, NC
ix
Foreword
This introductory book on PLCs is oriented to the
line mechanic and the electrician working on the fac-
tory floor. It is directed to their world view (series and
parallel). However, I have included logic circuit equiv-
alents from the computer world and the e lectronic
world (AND, OR, NOT, NOR NAND, etc.) in an Ap-
pendix for Chapter 4.
The book does not go into the design of PLCs or the
design of PLC systems as this would be beyond the
scope of an introductory book.
The material presented would be most useful as a
text for community college courses (both curriculum
and continuing education) for electrical programs, in-
dustrial systems programs, or industrial maintenance
programs. It would also be highly useful as a lab man-
ual for four year college or university electrical, elec-
tronic, or systems courses.
Trouble shooting of PLC programs and problems is
usually acc omplished in labs. Software glitches are
usually handled on a vendor specific basis and hard-
ware glitches (using volt-ohm meters, etc.) is usually
covered in a prerequisite course such as motor controls
or during on the job training.
The various aspects of this approach ha ve been
thoroughly tested over a wide range of audiences over
the past dozen years.
Jay F. Hooper
Greensboro, NC
xi

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Introduction

Carolina Academic Press

Carolina Academic Press

Printed in the United States of America

NAND and NOR 31

9 Math Functions and

Less Than, Greater Than, and Equal To

Selected Solutions 103

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