New to PLCs, Question on Automation Direct DL05

I am about to use a PLC for the first time to do a small lab task, and we have ordered an AD DL05 with 8 DC inputs and 6 relay outputs.

The unit won't even be in my hands for another 2 days so I've been trying to learn in advance how to use it, and I have some questions that I couldn't clearly answer with the 500+ page PDF manual.

If anyone knows these answers, I'd find it very helpful! They should be basic questions.

1. Am I correct in assuming that if I use an input like X0 to perform an operation to LD a constant K=1 to the accumulator, and OUT it to a V register location, then if input X0 is just momentarily triggered, this operation will occur, and will happen each time X0 is re-asserted? (when X0 is de-asserted, it should have no impact on the accumulator load operation because it's not like a device that you turn "off", right?) Basically I'm trying to do something like preset a memory register any time X0 is closed.

2. Regarding the V registers, I couldn't clearly tell from the manual WHAT Vregisters are available for user application - I will need a total of 4 work registers that I will pre load with constants to use as flags and later reset to 0 to clear the flags, but looking at the memory map I had no idea what I could use, I'm afraid if I choose something arbitrarily it will get corrupted by other PLC operations...any ideas on what V locations I can use?

Welcome to AD PLCs. Question 1. Yes, as far as I know and from the informaton given. 2. Look at page 4-26, this is the start of the memory map table. It list all the Vmem location alog with how and what they are used for. "Data Words V1200-7377"

Hope this helps,
Micheal

I was looking at the Data Words section of the memory map before on page 4-28 as you listed. I wasn't sure if it meant we can use this freely without risk since it says "None specific, used with many instructions".
I thought there may be some instructions that use these locations for work space...

jpenney said:

1. Am I correct in assuming that if I use an input like X0 to perform an operation to LD a constant K=1 to the accumulator, and OUT it to a V register location, then if input X0 is just momentarily triggered, this operation will occur, and will happen each time X0 is re-asserted?

Click to expand...

If you mean that it will load the value for every plc scan that X0 is on. Then yes you are right. If you wanted the load to happen for just one scan then you would need to use a transitional contact (shortcut keys shift, f2 or shift, f3) and the address X0 in the contact.

jpenney said:

2. Regarding the V registers, I couldn't clearly tell from the manual WHAT Vregisters are available for user application - I will need a total of 4 work registers that I will pre load with constants to use as flags and later reset to 0 to clear the flags, but looking at the memory map I had no idea what I could use, I'm afraid if I choose something arbitrarily it will get corrupted by other PLC operations...any ideas on what V locations I can use?

Click to expand...

The addresses Xtreme gave you will keep you out of trouble. (V1200- V7377)

jpenney said:

I was looking at the Data Words section of the memory map before on page 4-28 as you listed. I wasn't sure if it meant we can use this freely without risk since it says "None specific, used with many instructions".
I thought there may be some instructions that use these locations for work space...

Click to expand...

To illustrate what "specific" means:
Looking at the top of page 4-28 you will see, for example, Input points X0-X377 uses "V" memory addresses from V40400-V40417.
Now that is a "specific address allocation" that can only be used for "INPUTS" and no other instructions.
I am not familiar with the "work space" memory, maybe someone will cover that. My guess is that it isn't a part of any memory that is user accessable.