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PLC Math Instructions

This document discusses PLC math instructions. It describes common arithmetic instructions like add, subtract, multiply and divide. An example is given to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius using individual instructions. The document also mentions that some PLCs support computation functions to directly enter equations in one instruction instead of multiple arithmetic instructions.

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112 views4 pages

PLC Math Instructions

This document discusses PLC math instructions. It describes common arithmetic instructions like add, subtract, multiply and divide. An example is given to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius using individual instructions. The document also mentions that some PLCs support computation functions to directly enter equations in one instruction instead of multiple arithmetic instructions.

Uploaded by

Instrumentation Tools
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Categories: PLC Tutorials

PLC Math instructions

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PLC Math instructions

The IEC 61131-3 standard specifies several dedicated ladder instructions for performing
arithmetic calculations. Some of them are shown here:

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As with the data comparison instructions, each of these math instructions must be enabled by
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an “energized” signal to the enable (EN) input. Input and output values are linked to each math
instruction by tag name.
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An example showing the use of such instructions is shown here, converting a temperature
measurement in units of degrees Fahrenheit to units of degrees Celsius. In this particular case,
In

the program inputs a temperature measurement of 138 deg F and calculates the equivalent
temperature of 58.89 deg C:

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well as a dedicated variable (X) used to store the intermediate calculation between the
subtraction and the division “boxes.”

Although not specified in the IEC 61131-3 standard, many programmable logic controllers
support Ladder Diagram math instructions allowing the direct entry of arbitrary equations.
Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) Logix5000 programming, for example, has the “Compute” (CPT)
function, which allows any typed expression to be computed in a single instruction as opposed
to using several dedicated math instructions such as “Add,” “Subtract,” etc. General-purpose
math instructions dramatically shorten the length of a ladder program compared to the use of
dedicated math instructions for any applications requiring non-trivial calculations.

For example, the same Fahrenheit-to-Celsius temperature conversion program implemented in


Logix5000 programming only requires a single math instruction and no declarations of
intermediate variables:

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Instrumentation, PLC, DCS, SCADA, Field Instruments, Analyzers and so on.
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Also Read : PLC Data Comparison Instructions


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Credits : by Tony R. Kuphaldt – under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License
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