LogixPro

The Batch Mix Lab

Exercise #1 -- Filling the Batch Mixing Tank

From the Simulations Menu at the top of the screen, Select the Batch Mixing
Simulation.

Using your knowledge of PLC counters, design a program to meet the following
requirements:

o When the Start switch (I:1/0) is pressed, pump P1 will be energized and
the tank will start to fill. The pulses generated by Flowmeter 1 should be
used to increment a counter.

o When the count reaches a value where the tank is approximately 90% full,
the pump is to be shut-off and and the control panels FULL light is to be
energized.

o The filling operation is to halt immediately if the stop switch is pressed.

o While testing, utilize the "Reset Simulation" and the "Reset Timers and
Counters" entries in the Simulations menu to re-start your program.
 To make it a little easier to see what is happening with the counter, you might want
to add the following rung to the end of your program.

If correctly entered, the TOD (To BCD) instruction will take the integer value in the
counters accumulator, convert it to Binary Coded Decimal, and then move (copy)
this BCD value to the control panel LED display (O:4). The TOD instruction can be
located in the Compute/Math group of instructions in the Edit Panel. Be sure to
alter the Source entry to match the counter number you are using.

Exercise #2 -- Emptying the Batch Mix Tank

Modify your program so that it meets the following additional requirements:

o The mixer will run for 8 seconds once the tank is full.

o When the mixing is complete, drain pump P3 is to be started and the tank
is to be drained. Flowmeter 3 will be employed to decrement the existing
counter, and draining will be allowed to continue till the counters
accumulator reaches zero.

o Once the tank is empty again, pressing the Start switch will cause the
sequence to repeat.

Exercise #3 -- Continuous Operation

Modify your program so that the filling and emptying sequence will repeat
continuously once it has been started by the initial pressing of the Start switch.

o Ensure that the RUN light is energized when the mixer or either pump is
running.
o The STANDBY light should light and the process should halt when the
Stop button is pressed.
o The process should restart where it left off if the the Start button is pressed
following a Stop.
 Getting Started
with
RSLogix & LogixPro

LogixPro - Setting the Standard in PLC Training

If you are New To PLCs then Please Read This.!

LogixPro allows you to practice and develop your RSLogix programming skills where and
when you want. It replaces the PLC, ladder rung editor, and all the electrical components
that have until now, been required to learn RSLogix. It doesn't however, replace
instructors, texts, tutorials or PLC documentation manuals etc. which are so
essential when learning about PLCs and RSLogix. Think of LogixPro as a Word
Processor which will allow you to practice your literary skills after you are familiar with the
meaning of words and how they are spelled. If you're not comfortable with what a PLC is
and how it operates then please review this page first: PLC Training - How to Get Started

The LogixPro Screen

The most commonly used elements of LogixPro are displayed below. The Edit
Panel provides easy access to all the RSLogix instructions and they may be simply
dragged and dropped into your program.

Once your program is ready for testing, clicking on the "Toggle Button" of the Edit Panel
will bring the PLC Panel into view. From the PLC Panel you can download your program
to the "PLC" and then place it into the "RUN" mode. This will initiate the scanning of your
program and the I/O of your chosen simulation.

Editing Your Program

If your familiar with Windows and how to use a mouse, then you are going to find editing a
breeze. Both Instructions and Rungs are selected simply by clicking on them with the left
mouse button. Deleting is then just a matter of hitting the Del key on your keyboard.

Double Clicking (2 quick clicks) with the left mouse button allows you to edit an
instruction's address while right clicking (right mouse button) displays a pop-up menu of
related editing commands.

Click on an Instruction or Rung with the left mouse button and keep it held down and you
will be able to drag it wherever you please. Let go of it on any of the tiny locating boxes
that you will see, and the Instruction or Rung will cling to it's new home. Isn't Windows
Grand!

Debugging Your Program 

If you take a look at the PLC Panel you'll notice an adjustable Speed Control. This is not a
component of normal PLCs, but is provided with LogixPro so that you may adjust the
speed of the simulations to suit your particular computer.

When the simulation is slowed, so is the PLC scanning. You can use this to good effect
when trying to debug your program. Set the scan slow enough and you can easily monitor
how your program's instructions are responding. This capability may not be typical of real
PLCs, but for Training Purposes, you will find that it is an invaluable debugging tool.

RSLogix Documentation

Be sure to check out the entries listed under "RSLogix/LogixPro Reference Documents &
Links" on the lower half of the LogixPro Index page. Also, if you have the space on your
hard drive, then seriously consider installing the "AB SLC® Instruction Set Reference
Manual". An installation program has been provided which will integrate this Manual into
the LogixPro Help menu and give you high speed access to the wealth of information it
contains.

Where To Go Next

The LogixPro Student Exercises are designed to familiarize you with the fundamentals of
RSLogix programming. The exercises should be tackled in the sequence listed and the
steps and directions of each exercise should be followed closely. In some cases, you may
guess correctly, that there are simpler ways to accomplish a task that we assign. Just
remember however, that making your life simpler is not our primary goal. We want you to
learn, and that sometimes means having you do things the hard way at times.

If you run into problems with the exercises or LogixPro itself, remember that this is still
relatively new material and software. Don't waste too much time trying to figure out some
program action that seems amiss. Just email us, and we'll do our best to either fix or
explain the problem.

....Enjoy!