Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus .

Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López

Jennifer,.PLC
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Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

Farinango, Romi., Nicolas, Julia y López, Jennifer.
{A01367232,A01372872, A01379032}@itesm.mx
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus

​ The PLC has various attributes such as ease of

Abstract— parameters such as pressure, temperature, and flow. For
assembly, its small size, the possibility of storing the programs for example, PLC´s CPU stores and processes program data, but
later and quick use, the modification or alteration of said input and output modules connect the PLC to the rest of the
purposes, and so on, making its effectiveness fundamentally machine; these I/O modules are what provide information to
appreciated in processes where They produce needs such as
the CPU and trigger specific results. I/O can be either analog
reduced space, changing production processes, complex processes
that require centralized programming of the parts of the process. or digital. [6]

​ Current, circuit, resistance, voltage and stream.

Keywords— 4. Communication:
Communications modules are available for a wide range of
industry-standard communication network connections. These
I. N​OMENCLATURE allow digital data transfer between PLCs and to other systems
within the facility.
​PLC
PLC might also need to connect with other kinds of systems;
for example, users might want to export application data
II. W​HAT​ ​IS​ ​A​ P​ROGRAMMABLE​ L​OGIC​ C​ONTROLLER​ (PLC)
recorded by the PLC to a supervisory control and data
​ HICH​ A
AND​ W ​ RE​ I​ TS​ C​ OMPONENTS​ O
​ R​ P​ ARTS​.
acquisition (SCADA) system, which monitors multiple
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a ruggedized connected devices.[6]
computer used for industrial automation. These controllers can
automate a specific process, machine function, or even an 5. Communication Media and Protocols :
entire production line.[5] The most common communication media used are
copper-wire, coaxial, fiber-optics, and wireless. The most
The PLC can be used in other control-system areas and common “open” communication protocols are Ethernet,
industries like civil applications such as in washing machines, Ethernet/IP, and DeviceNet.
for controlling traffic signals and elevators, in the industries “Open” systems generally provide “plug and play” features in
like paper, for instance, a PLC controls and monitors the which the system software automatically recognizes and
production of book pages or newspapers in offset web communicates to any compatible device that is connected to it.
printing. the implementation of PLC facilitates interactions Other widely accepted open protocols are Modbus, Profibus,
with the user and day by day are easier to use. and ControlNet.[7]

The PLC receives information from connected sensors or 6. Redundancy :

input devices, processes the data, and triggers outputs based Many PLCs are capable of being configured for redundant
on pre-programmed parameters.[7] operation in which one processor backs up another.
For example, when the addition of a redundancy module is
The components of the PLC are: required to provide status confirmation and assertion control
1. Power supply module: between processors.[7]
The power supply converts facility electrical distribution
voltage, such as 230 VAC, 120 VAC or 125 VDC to signal
level voltage used by the PLC processor and other modules.[7]

2. Processor :
The processor module contains the microprocessor that
performs control functions and computations, as well as the
memory required to store the program. [7]

3. Input/Output (I/O) :
The input/output modules are responsible for connecting the
sensors and actuators to the PLC system to sense the different Fig 1. PLC rack configuration
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Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus . Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López
Jennifer,.PLC

ON and OFF before the power relay turns the motor ON, and
what if I want to control that? What do you do? More relays.
These relays are known as control relays because they control
the relays that control the switch that turns the motor ON and
OFF. I could keep going, but I think you get the picture of
how machines were controlled pre-PLC, and, more
importantly, I think you start to see some of the problems with
this system of electromechanical control via relays.

Fig 2. Example for PLC from industrial PCs.

Fig 3.Before the programmable controller
III. HISTORY OF PLC

T​
The Problem with Relays first Think about modern
he PLC or Programmable Logic Controller has factories, and how many motors and ON/OFF power switches
you would need to control just one machine. Then add on all
revolutionized the automation industry. Today PLCs can be the control relays you need and what you get is… Yes,
found in everything from factory equipment to vending machine control, but you also get a logistical nightmare. All
machines, but prior to New Year’s Day 1968 the these relays had to be hardwired in a very specific order for
programmable controller didn’t even exist. Instead what the machine to work properly, and heaven forbid if one relay
existed was a unique set of challenges that needed a solution would have an issue, the system as a whole would not work.
Before the days of the PLC the only way to control Troubleshooting would take hours, and because coils would
machinery was through the use of relays. Relays work by fail and contacts would wear out, there was need for lots of
utilizing a coil that, when energized, creates a magnetic force troubleshooting. These machines had to follow a strict
to effectively pull a switch to the ON or OFF position. When maintenance schedule and they took up a lot of space. Then
the relay is de-energized, the switch releases and returns the what if you wanted to change something? You would basically
device to its standard ON or OFF position. So, for example, if have to redo the entire system. It soon became clear that there
I wanted to control whether a motor was ON or OFF, I could were problems installing and maintaining these large relay
attach a relay between the power source and the motor. Then I control systems.
could control when the motor is getting power by either
energizing or de-energizing the relay. Without power, of The relay based control systems I created included
course, the motor would not run, thus I am controlling the anywhere from 50 to well over 100 relays. The electrical
motor. This type of relay is known as a power relay. There enclosures to house the controls would typically be six feet
could be several motors in one factory that need to be wide by four feet high, mounted near the machinery. Picture
controlled, so what do you do? You add lots of power relays. lots of wires bundled and laced together, connecting the
So factories started to amass electrical cabinets full of power relays, timers, counters, terminals, and other components, all
relays. But wait, what switches the coils in the power relays nice and tidy. Then picture after a few months or years the
same wiring, after many engineering changes and
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) F-LA-GE-05/1
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Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus . Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López
Jennifer,.PLC

troubleshooting, being out of the wire duct or unlaced; in experience with a PLC happened to be with one of Bedford
many cases wires were added in a crisscross, point-to-point Associates competitor’s solid state devices. The unit was
pattern to take the shortest route and amount of time to make programmed with a suitcase-sized programming device that
the change. We referred to the condition of these control required setting the instruction type and line address and then
enclosures as a rat’s nest; reliability suffered, along with an pressing a button to burn a fuse link open in a memory chip to
increase in difficulty during troubleshooting, or making set the logic path. Once the programming was completed and
additional operational engineering changes. tested, the PLC was able to perform the machine cycle
operation in a very reliable manner. Unfortunately the PLC
Fortunately, at that time, the concept of computer card rack was open in the rear with a mixture of 24 VDC and
control had started to make its way into conversations at large 120 VAC power and signals. It didn’t take much for an
corporations such as GM. According to Dick Morley, the electrician checking signals during troubleshooting to
undisputed father of the PLC, “The programmable controller accidently short the 120 VAC to the 24 VDC and take out the
was detailed on New Year’s Day, 1968.” entire PLC system. Being the first use of a PLC in a large
corporation, the failure doomed the use of PLCs at this
The programming look of the PLC required that it be manufacturing facility for a couple of years.”
easily understood and used by maintenance electricians and
plant engineers. As relay-based control systems evolved and Eventually Dick Morely spun off a new company
became more complicated, the use of physical component named Modicon and started to sell those first PLCs, the
location wiring diagrams also evolved into the relay logic Modicon 084 (named because it was prototype #84). It was the
being shown in a ladder fashion. The control power hot wire Modicon 084 that was presented to GM to meet its criteria for
would be the left rail, with the control power neutral as the its “standard machine controller.” Modicon started to sell the
right rail. The various relay contacts, pushbuttons, selector 084 with very limited success. As Dick Morley puts it, “Our
switches, limit switches, relay coils, motor starter coils, sales in the first four years were abysmal.” But nevertheless
solenoid valves, etc., shown in their logical order would form the company continued to learn and develop. Eventually,
the ladder’s rungs. It was requested that the PLC be Modicon would bring to life the controller that would change
programmed in this Ladder Logic fashion. the industry forever, the Modicon 184. Dick Morley writes
this about the 184: “The thing that made the Modicon
Company and the programmable controller really take off was
not the 084, but the 184. The 184 was done in design cycle by
Michael Greenberg, one of the best engineers I have ever met.
He, and Lee Rousseau, president and marketer, came up with a
specification and a design that revolutionized the automation
business. They built the 184 over the objections of yours truly.
I was a purist and felt that all those bells and whistles and stuff
weren’t “pure”, and somehow they were contaminating my
“glorious design”, Dead wrong again, Morley! They were
specifically right on! The 184 was a walloping success, and
it—not the 084, not the invention of the programmable
controller—but a product designed to meet the needs of the
marketplace and the customer, called the 184, took off and
made Modicon and the programmable controller the company
and industry it is today.”
The first PLCs had the ability to work with input and
Fig 4.The staircase logic
output signals, relay coil/contact internal logic, timers and
counters. Timers and counters made use of word size internal
Tom, our controls designer, recounts, “My experience in
registers, so it wasn’t too long before simple four-function
creating relay-based control systems, at that time, put me in
math became available. The PLC continued to evolve with the
the perfect position to be one of the first control system
addition of one-shots, analog input and output signals,
designers to use some of the very first programmable
enhanced timers and counters, floating point math, drum
controllers to replace relay-based control systems. My first
sequencers and mathematic functions. Having built-in PID
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) F-LA-GE-05/1
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Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus . Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López
Jennifer,.PLC

(Proportional-Integral-Derivative) functionality was a huge signals are then converted into the appropriate signals
advantage for PLCs being used in the process industry. for the actuator signals. At the end of each cycle the
Common sets of instructions evolved into fill-in-the-blank PLC starts a new cycle.
data boxes that have made programming more efficient. The
ability to use meaningful Tag Names in place of PLC´s model are programmed with one of the following
non-descriptive labels has allowed the end user to more clearly standard programming languages:
define their application, and the ability to import/export the
Tag Names to other devices eliminates errors that result when 1. Ladder Diagrams :
entering information into each device by hand. Used primarily for logic (Boolean) operations and is easily
understood by electricians and control technicians. This is the
As the functionality of the ​Pro​grammable Logic most commonly used language.
Controller evolved, programming devices and
communications also saw rapid growth. The first 2. Function Block Diagrams :
programming devices were dedicated, but unfortunately the Used primarily for intensive analog control (PID) operations
size of suitcases. Later, handheld programming devices came and is available only in “high-end” PLC’s.
into the picture, but soon were replaced with proprietary
programming software running on a personal computer. 3. Sequential Function Chart :
Automation Direct’s DirectSOFT, developed by Host It Used primarily for batch control operations and is available
Engineering, was the first Windows-based PLC programming only in “high-end” PLC’s.
software package. Having a PC communicating with a PLC
provided the ability to not only program, but also allowed 4. Structured Text :
easier testing and troubleshooting. Communications started It is Used primarily by PLC programmers with a computer
with the MODBUS protocol using RS-232 serial language background and is supported only in “high-end”
communications. The addition of various automation protocols PLC’s. [7]
communicating over RS-485, DeviceNet, Profibus, and other
serial communication architectures have followed. The use of V. ​ AIN A
PLC M ​ PPLICATIONS I​ N T​ HE A
​ UTOMATION P​ ROCESS O
​ R
serial communications and the various PLC protocols also IN​ I​ NDUSTRIAL​ C
​ ONTROL​.
allowed PLCs to be networked with other PLCs, motor drives, The use of the PLC occurs mainly in those installations where
and human to machine interfaces (HMI). Most recently a process of maneuver, control, signaling, etc. is necessary.
EtherNet and protocols such as EtherNet/IP (for Industrial The application of the PLC covers, therefore, from industrial
Protocol) have gained tremendous popularity.[3] manufacturing processes of any kind to industrial
transformations, control of facilities and others.

IV. P​RINCIPLE​ M​ANUFACTURERS​ ​AND​ ​PLC​ ​MODELS​. There are several examples in which the PLC can perform
The principle manufactures work is cyclically: machine maneuvers that involve production in an industry
● First step: Each cycle begins with internal PLC such as:
maintenance work such as memory control, • Industrial furniture and wood machinery.
diagnosis, etc. • Machinery in the process of gravel, sand and cement.
● Second step: Is updating the entries. The entry • Machinery in the plastics industry.
conditions of the SMs are read and become binary or • Complex machine tools.
digital signals. These signals are sent to the CPU and • Assembly machinery.
stored in the memory data. • Transfer machines
● The third step: After the execution of the user, which
has been sequentially loaded into memory (each Similarly, the PLC is in charge of installation maneuvers such
instruction individually). During program execution, as:
new output signals are generated. • Air conditioning and heating installations.
● The last step is updating the outputs. After the • Security facilities.
execution from the last part of the program, the • Storage and transport facilities.
output signals (binary, digital or analog) are sent to • Bottling plant facilities.
the signal modules from the memory data. These • Installations in the automotive industry
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) F-LA-GE-05/1
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Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus . Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López
Jennifer,.PLC

• Installation of thermal treatments.

• Sugar industry facilities. VII. C​ONCLUSIONS​.
Romi
In the automotive industry, the application of the PLC can It can be seen that a PLC are digital electronic
perform: devices that were investigated in 1969 to replace the circuits
• Assembly chains, welding, paint booths, etc. of electromechanical relays (relays), switches and other
• Machine tools: lathes, milling machines, drills, etc. components commonly used for the control of systems that,
Chemical and petrochemical plants the PLC is in charge of: unlike the old circuits, a PLC allows reprogramming. , they
• Process control (dosing, mixing, weighing, etc.). consume little power, they occupy comparatively very little
• Electrolytic baths, pipelines, refining, wastewater treatment, space, etc. Furthermore, it facilitates the handling of the
etc. machinery when carrying out a process in an organized way,
since it is only programmed from the controller and the
In metallurgy, the PLC can control: controller sends the signals to the machines. so that they do
• Furnaces, rolling, casting, welding, forging, cranes, the process reducing losses or defects of the product.On the
In the food industry the PLC is capable of: other hand it is recommended to use a controller in the
• Packaging, packaging, bottling, storage, bottle filling, etc. industry since it is a great benefit to use it, the only two
In litter bins and lumber mills the PLC is able to control: disadvantages are simple or rather they can be eliminated
• Processes, sawing machines, production of conglomerates since the training can be obtained in the universities or
and laminates, etc. technological institutes before working in any industry . And
second, if the factory manager wants a controller for each
In power production the PLC can achieve control: machine to be reduced in space, economics and maintenance, I
• Power plants, turbines, fuel transportation, solar energy, etc. recommend that you make a good investment in a good “PLC”
In the manufacture of tires, the PLC is responsible for: controller.
• Boiler control, cooling systems, presses that vulcanize the
tires.
Julia
• Control of the machines for the assembly of the covers,
Programmable Logic controllers (PLC) are widely
rubber extruders.
used in daily life, we find them in traffic lights, washing
• Control of rubber mixing machines.[2]
machines, computers among many others, the process
VI. A​DVANTAGES​ ​AND​ ​DISADVANTAGES​ ​USING​ ​PLC​. automatization facilitates activities and that also makes them
more efficient. Currently, maintaining the automated industry
Advantages of PLCs
as much as possible has helped to grow economically and
• Reduction in the cost of labor, since by automating tasks, the
offer better quality while at the same time having very little
human being begins to become an essential element.
• Easy installation, in addition to taking up little space and the interaction between the machine and the user. The impact of
possibility of managing multiple equipment simultaneously the automation in the industry is realised more now than ever
thanks to automation. in this field of communications and manufacturing of all
• There is better monitoring of processes, which makes fault types.
detection quick.
• Savings in additional costs such as operation, maintenance Jennifer
and even energy. Through this research, I was able to realize that the
PLC is a very great tool, since it can help to facilitate
Disadvantages of PLCs processes or industries with limited space or complex
• The main disadvantage is that qualified personnel are processes that require centralized programming to achieve the
required to handle these devices, which implies not only a objectives, for example. example. As always, there are
relatively high cost, but also the difficulty of finding it. advantages and disadvantages, but always an important
• Another disadvantage is that multiple details must be taken consideration in the application of a PLC is the future growth
into account so that the operation goes perfectly, both in of the system. PLCs are modularly designed and therefore
production and in the programming code. [3] expandable to meet the needs of the industry. It is important
that the application of a PLC can consider the benefits of
future expansions.
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) F-LA-GE-05/1
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Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, Mexico State Campus . Farinango Romi, Nicolas, Julia, López
Jennifer,.PLC

VIII. ANNEXES

IX. REFERENCES

[1] Automation Direct. (NA). History of the PLC. March 17,2020, de Type
and select from dropdown... Library.Automationdirect.com Sitio web:
https://library.automationdirect.com/history-of-the-plc/
[2] MacroPLC, www.macroplc.com/aplicaciones/.
[3] "Advantages and Disadvantages of PLCs (Programmable Logic
Controller) - Industrial Machinery, Automation and Machinery
Manufacturers News." Industrial Machinery Manufacturers Blog, 24
Mar. 2015, www.fabricantes-ma
Maquinaria-industrial.es/ventajas-y-desventajas-de-los-plc-controlador-l
ogico-programable/.
[4] Ravi, A. (2013). The Principle of Programmable Logic Controller and its
role in Automation. Web site:
http://ijettjournal.org/volume-4/issue-3/IJETT-V4I3P250.pdf
[5] Unitronics. (NA). Definition of "PLC". Web site:
https://unitronicsplc.com/what-is-plc-programmable-logic-controller/
[6] Dave. (2019). PLC Working Principle with Industrial Applications. Web
site:
https://www.watelectrical.com/industrial-applications-of-programmable-logic-
controller/
[7] Inst tools. (NA). Components of PLC. Web site:
https://instrumentationtools.com/components-of-plc/

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) F-LA-GE-05/1