Chapter 3:

PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER

(PLC)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Noh Ahmad

Dept. of Control and Mechatronic Eng.,
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Topic 4 : PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROL

Introduction and brief history of PLC controls. IEC 1131
compliant Programmable logic controllers (PLC):
Application for sequence control in simple process
control systems; programming examples of PLC starting
from simple command to advance command.

Hard-wired Control
Relay as main components
Any modification in control program
involves re-wiring of the circuit
Cumbersome and difficult to modify
when production requirement changes
regularly
Difficult to maintain because any small
problem in design could be a major
problem in terms of tracing and rewiring
Mechanical Relays and switches failed
regularly (coil failure, contact wear and
contamination, etc.)
Difficult to diagnose problems and
replace relays and switches
Consumed a lot of power

PLC Advantages
Easily programmed & reprogrammed
High reliability and
flexibility
Capable of performing
complex mathematics
functions
Less wiring
Wiring between devices
and relay contacts are
done in the PLC program
Easier and faster to make
changes

Trouble shooting aids

make programming easier
and reduce downtime
Reliable components make
these likely to operate for
years before failure

PLC
Definition by IEC 1131 (PLC standard):
A digitally operating electronic system,
designed for use in an industrial environment,
which uses a programmable memory for the
internal storage of user-oriented instructions
for implementing specific functions such as
logic, sequencing, timing, accounting and
arithmetic, to control through digital or analog
inputs and outputs, various types of machines
or processes.
Special features:
1. Rugged and are designed to withstand vibrations, temperature, humidity
and noise
2. The interfacing for input and output is part of controller
3. Easily programmable and primarily use logic and switching functions

PLC Origin
- Developed to replace relays in the late 1960s
- Costs dropped and became popular by 1980s
- Now used in many industrial designs

PLC Leading Brands

AMERICAN

EUROPEAN

JAPANESE

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Allen Bradley
Gould Modicon
Texas Instruments
General Electric
Westinghouse
Cutter Hammer
Square D
Siemens
Klockner & Mouller
Festo
Telemechanique
Toshiba
Omron
Fanuc
Mitsubishi
7

PLC Applications

Manufacturing / Machining

Food / Beverage

Metals

Power

Mining

Petrochemical / Chemical

PLC Sizes
1. SMALL

- it covers units with up to 128 I/Os and

memories up to 2 Kbytes.
- these PLCs are capable of providing
simple to advance levels or machine
controls.

2. MEDIUM

- have up to 2048 I/Os and memories up

to 32 Kbytes.

3. LARGE

- the most sophisticated units of the PLC

family. They have up to 8192 I/Os and
memories up to 750 Kbytes.
- can control individual production
processes or entire plant.

Advantages of PLC over Relays

Features

Hardwired Relay

PLC

Reliability

Low

High

Size of controller

Bulky

Compact

Programming

Time consuming

Easy

Flexibility

Re-wiring required

Re-programming
required

Cost

Expensive

Less expensive

Maintenance

Poor

Minimum

Fault finding & trouble

shooting

Difficult

Easy to identify and

repair

Power consumption

High

Low

Major Components of a PLC

POWER
SUPPLY

I M
N O
P D
U U
T L
E

PROCESSOR

From SENSORS
Pushbuttons,
contacts,
limit switches, etc.

PROGRAMMING
DEVICE

O
U
T
P
U
T

M
O
D
U
L
E

To OUTPUT
Solenoids,
contactors,
alarms, etc.

The Guts Inside

The PLC mainly consists of a CPU, memory areas, and
appropriate circuits to receive input/output data.
Consider the PLC to be a box full of hundreds or thousands of
separate relays, counters, timers and data storage locations.

Major Components of a Common

PLC
POWER SUPPLY
Provides the voltage needed to run the primary PLC
components

I/O MODULES
Provides signal conversion and isolation between the
internal logic- level signals inside the PLC and the fields
high level signal.

13

Major Components of a Common

PLC
PROCESSOR
Provides intelligence to command and govern the activities
of the entire PLC systems.

PROGRAMMING DEVICE
Used to enter the desired program that will determine the
sequence of operation and control of process equipment or
driven machine.

14

Major Components of a Common

PLC
Programming Device:
Industrial Terminal (Allen Bradley)
Program Development Terminal (General Electric)
Programming Panel ( Gould Modicon)
Programmer (Square D)
Program Loader (Idec-Izumi)
Programming Console (Keyence / Omron)
15

Major Components of a Common

PLC
Programming Device Types:
Hand held unit with LED / LCD display
Desktop type with a CRT display
Compatible computer terminal

16

I/O Module
The I/O interface section of a PLC connects it to external
field devices.
The main purpose of the I/O interface is to condition the
various signals received from or sent to the external input
and output devices.
Input modules converts signals from discrete or analog
input devices to logic levels acceptable to PLCs processor.
Output modules converts signal from the processor to
levels capable of driving the connected discrete or analog
output devices.
17

I/O Module
DC INPUT MODULE
IS NEEDED TO:
Prevent voltage
transients from
damaging the
processor.
Helps reduce the
effects of
electrical noise

USE TO
DROP THE
VOLTAGE
TO LOGIC
LEVEL

FROM
INPUT
DEVICE

Current
Limiting
Resistor

OPTOISOLATOR

Buffer,
Filter,
hysteresis
Circuits

TO
PROCESSOR

18

I/O Module
AC INPUT MODULE
IS NEEDED TO:
Prevent voltage
transients from
damaging the
processor.
Helps reduce the
effects of
electrical noise

CONVERTS THE AC
INPUT TO DC AND
DROPS THE
VOLTAGE TO LOGIC
LEVEL

FROM
INPUT
DEVICE

Rectifier,
Resistor
Network

OPTOISOLATOR

Buffer,
Filter,
Hysteresis
Circuits

TO
PROCESSOR

19

Input Connections

20

I/O Module
DC / AC OUTPUT MODULE
IS NEEDED TO:
Prevent voltage
transients from
damaging the
processor.
Helps reduce the
effects of
electrical noise

FROM
PROCESSOR

TTL
Circuits

OPTOISOLATOR

Amplifier
RELAY
TRIAC
XSISTOR

TO
OUTPUT
DEVICE

21

Output Connections

DC Output Wiring
Connections

AC Output Wiring
Connections

I/O Circuits
1. Pilot Duty Outputs
Typically are used to drive high-current electromagnetic loads e.g.
solenoids, relays, valves, and motor starters.
These loads are highly inductive and exhibit a large inrush current.
Pilot duty outputs should be capable of withstanding an inrush current of
10 times the rated load for a short period of time without failure.
2. General - Purpose Outputs
Usually low-voltage and low-current and are used to drive indicating
lights and other non-inductive loads.
Noise suppression may or may not be included on this types of
modules.
3. Discrete Inputs
Used to sense the status of limit switches, push buttons, and other
discrete sensors.
Noise suppression is of great importance in preventing false indication
of inputs turning on or off because of noise.
23

I/O Circuits
4. Analog I/O
Circuits of this type sense or drive analog signals.
Analog inputs come from devices, such as thermocouples, strain gages,
or pressure sensors, that provide a signal voltage or current that is
derived from the process variable.
Standard Analog Input signals: 4-20mA; 0-10V
Analog outputs can be used to drive devices such as voltmeters, X-Y
recorders, servomotor drives, and valves through the use of
transducers.
Standard Analog Output signals: 4-20mA; 0-5V; 0-10V
5. Special - Purpose I/O
Used to interface PLCs to very specific types of circuits such as
servomotors, stepping motors PID (proportional plus integral plus
derivative) loops, high-speed pulse counting, resolver and decoder
inputs, multiplexed displays, and keyboards.
This module allows for limited access to timer and counter presets and
other PLC variables without requiring a program loader.

24

Discrete Input
A discrete input also referred as digital input is an input that is either ON or
OFF are connected to the PLC digital input. In the ON condition it is referred to
as logic 1 or a logic high and in the OFF condition maybe referred to as logic o
or logic low.

NO Momentary PB
NC Momentary PB
NO switch
NC switch
NO contact
NC contact

IN

OFF
Logic 0

PLC
Input
Module
24 V dc

IN

OFF
Logic 1

PLC
Input
Module
24 V dc

26

Analog Input

An analog input is an input signal that has a continuous signal.

Typical inputs may vary from 0 to 20mA, 4 to 20mA or 0 to 10V.
Below, a level transmitter monitors the level of liquid in the tank.
Depending on the level Tx, the signal to the PLC can either
increase or decrease as the level increases or decreases.
Level Transmitter

Tank

IN

PLC
Analog
Input
Module

Digital Output
A discrete output is either in an ON or OFF condition.
Solenoids, contactors coils, lamps are example of devices
connected to the discrete or digital outputs.
Below, the lamp can be turned ON or OFF by the PLC output.

OUT

PLC

Lamp
Digital
Output
Module

28

Analog Output
An analog output is an output signal that has a continuous signal.
Typical outputs may vary from 0 to 20mA, 4 to 20mA or 0 to10V.

Electric to pneumatic transducer

OUT

PLC

0 to 10V

Analog
Output
Module

Supply air

Pneumatic control valve

29

PLC Operation
Read all field input devices via the
input interfaces, execute the user
program stored in application
memory, then, based on whatever
control scheme has been
programmed by the user, turn the
field output devices on or off, or
perform whatever control is necessary
for the process application.
This process of sequentially reading
the inputs, executing the program in
memory, and updating the outputs is
known as scanning.
While the PLC is running, the scanning
process includes the following four
phases, which are repeated
continuously as individual cycles of
operation:

PHASE 1

Read Inputs
Scan
PHASE 2

Program
Execution
PHASE 3

Diagnostics/
Comm
PHASE 4

Output
Scan

PLC Operation (Cont.)

Phase 1 Input status Scan

A PLC scan cycle begins with the CPU reading the status of its inputs

Phase 2 Logic solve / program execution

The application program is executed using status of inputs

Phase 3 Diagnostic / communications

Once the program is executed, the CPU performs diagnostics and communication
tasks

Phase 4 Output status scan

An output status scan is then performed, whereby the stored output values are sent
to actuators and other field output devices. The cycle ends by updating the outputs.

As soon as Phase 4 completed, the entire cycle begins again with Phase 1 input scan.
The time it takes to implement a scan cycle is called SCAN TIME. The scan time
composed of the program scan time, which is the time required for solving the control
program, and the I/O update time, or time required to read inputs and update
outputs. The program scan time generally depends on the amount of memory taken by
the control program and type of instructions used in the program. The time to make a
single scan can vary from 1 ms to 100 ms.

Ladder Diagram (LD)

Commonly used
programming method for
PLC
Easy to understand since it
resembles the hardwired
ladder diagram
Programming using
PCs/laptops or hand-held
console
Off-line programming on
PC/laptop for subsequent
down-loading onto the PLC
is possible

Ladder Diagram (LD)

Know Your PLC

Know Your PLC

PLC Setup

List of parts:
1. OMRON CPM2A PLC
2. RS232 Serial Cable
3. UC-232A USB-to-Serial Converter
4. CX-Programmer Software

OMRON CPM2A PLC Trainer

Expansion
Port

Power
Cable

Output
Lamps

Switch
Selector

CPM2A
PLC
Input
Sockets
Output
Sockets
RS232
Port

Input Switches

CPM2A I/O Addresses

0CH
0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

0.09

0.10

0.11

COM

1CH
1.00

1.01

1.02

1.03

1.04

1.05

1.06

1.07

1.08

1.09

1.10

1.11

OMRON CPM2A
11.00 COM

11.01

COM

11.02 11.03

COM 11.04 11.05 11.06

11.07 COM

11CH
10.00 COM

10.01

COM

10.02 10.03

COM 10.04 10.05 10.06

10.07 COM

10CH

Connection to PLC

Response

Command

USB-to-Serial Conv.

RS-232 Cable
CPM2A PLC

OMRON CPM2A PLC

OMRON CPM2A PLC

OMRON CPM2A PLC

OMRON CPM2A PLC

OMRON CPM2A PLC

Example: DOL Starter

NC Momentary PB2 Switch
NO Momentary PB1 Switch
The process:
When PB1 is momentarily pressed, motor M is switched ON
When PB2 is momentarily pressed, motor M is switched OFF
The state diagram:

Start
ON

OFF
M

Start
ON

OFF
M

The process:
When PB1 is
momentarily
pressed, motor
M is switched
ON
When PB2 is
momentarily
pressed, motor
M is switched
OFF

Boolean logic equation

Example: DOL Starter

Boolean logic equation:

Ladder diagram:
24 V

0V

PB1

PB2
ON

ON

H/W
M
ON

How to implement this Ladder

Diagram using OMRON CPM2A PLC?

S/W

Hardware Implementation
+

NO PB1_ON

24 V DC

NC PB2_OFF

0CH
0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

0.09

0.10

0.11

COM

1CH
1.00

1.01

1.02

1.03

1.04

1.05

1.06

1.07

1.08

1.09

1.10

1.11

OMRON CPM2A
11.00 COM

11.01

COM

11.02 11.03

COM 11.04 11.05 11.06

11.07 COM

11CH
10.00 COM

10.01

COM

10.02 10.03

COM 10.04 10.05 10.06

10.07 COM

10CH
CONTACTOR

MOTOR

L
~ 240 V AC
N