Want to build a program Test station

I recently got hold of an extra slc500 plc. I want to build a test station so that I can test any program when I need to. Could someone who has done this before help me in giving me a parts list for what I need. Thank you.

Hi Carlos,

What do you have? the back plane? the cpu? the complete system and you need everything to play? if so how many slots and what cpu 500 501, 502, etc what cards do you have?

as you can see a few more details are needed, tell us exactly what you have and what you want to learn, analog? or just the basics

I don't see how you can build a test station to "test any program you need too". Maybe i'm missing something here.

Any test station you make is going to have whatever input devices you build it with, usually switches, buttons, etc. and usually lights for output devices. You can write specific programs for that setup and learn the basics that way.

I built this one for under $150. Got the plc and power supply on ebay for $125, the lights, boxes and switches for about$20. The rest of the stuff I dug out of the dumpster at work. It's cheap but functional.

To test any program you need the ability to change your set-up to the program.

Hard-wired methods are cumbersome, if you are going to be testing multiple projects then I would recommend purchasing simulation software.

We use PIC's.

PeterW said:

I would recommend purchasing simulation software.

Click to expand...

Hi Peter,

I would say get both (if you can), most people get a kick out of the real world lights flashing and making/breaking the I/O, if they are learning, then its nice to have the real issues of the PLC (no power, bad I/O, bad sw, etc) the things that realy happen

Yesterday lost OB1 in a S5, just running then it stop (well kind of)... I have no idea what happened, reloaded the program then it was fine, I only lost OB1 nothing else





plc_padawan,
Nice test station