How to expand my basic programming skills?

Hi people.

I have been with my current employer for the last 9 months on which I have had some basic exposure to PLC programming. I am at that point where I have read the PLC manual (Mitsubishi FX series) and understand most of the special functions and their operation in the ladder lenguage. I can program very basic logic like to turn outputs depending on the inputs. I know my skills are very basic and I would like to expand my knowledge but I do not know how to do this. Can you give me advice? I know people tells me to practice...but practice what? I am only familiar with the Mitsubishi software, is there a book with examples, tips, techniques that I could buy?

Thanks

Read this : http://www.eod.gvsu.edu/~jackh/books/plcs/

He uses allen bradley in his examples but its easy to use mitsu instead.. Learn about state based design and such and you will become a better programmer..

Take a look at this site. The trainers are small PLCs prewired to switches and lamps. The simulations are "virtual machines". You program the PLC to control the actions of the simulation. There is a Mitsubishi FX version.

http://www.plctrainer.net/PLCTrainers.htm
http://www.plctrainer.net/HMISimulators.htm

Bara: thanks for the link. It is very informative.

Steve: The simulator sounds like interesting option. Is there anything else you could tell me about the simulator?

Hang around.

Seriously, right here is a good place to practice. When you see a question try and solve it using your PLC knowledge. Then compare how you did with other answers. If you feel confident enough in your solution, post it - even if its a question of how to do such and such on an AB PLC, and you're posting the solution based on your Mitsubishi knowledge - a good solution can usually be converted easily enough.

Steve: The simulator sounds like interesting option. Is there anything else you could tell me about the simulator?

Click to expand...

Let's say you have a PLC on your desk with some switches wired to the inputs and some lamps wired to the outputs. I wrote the simulations in response to the question, "What do I do after I make the lights blink"?

Each simulation is a VB application that communicates serially with your PLC and mimics the operation of a machine. When the PLC turns on an output that is supposed to represent a motor starter, the simulation turns on the signal that represents an auxiliary contact from that starter. When the PLC turns on an output that is supposed to represent a solenoid valve that extends a pneumatic cylinder, the simulation first turns off the "Retracted" limit switch and later turns on the "Extended" limit switch. There are a total of seven simulations; two pick & place mechanisms, two tank fill applications, an elevator, a compressor with lead/lag pumps, and a traffic light.

Find a way to use a PLC as a hobby.

I learned to program by writing drivers for my 8 inch floppy disks for my CP/M 80 system. Then I wrote an Othello ( game ) program. When I applied for my first job there was no doubt I could program and became software mangager in less than 6 months.

When I interview people I always ask if people use computers as a hobby.

I think it is good to be exposed to a number of different programming languages because it widens your view of what programming is. However, you really don't have time to learn but one or two very well.

PLCs are just a tool. You should learn how to use different tools. It is the underlying universal programming techniques that are important.

Write a communication program in C#.
Buy a Rabbit Semiconductor processor and use if for a small embedded project.

Don't rush, don't expect anything to be easy, take your time. There is no way you are going to learn what best here know in a few years. This is a marathon project that never ends.

PLC Programming - An Adventure

This is a never ending adventure. Every machine, every program design, every conversation, every design team ... all are a little different. Each one leads you down a different path. Everyday I stress my old brain because I am a converterd electrican. Most of these guys are engineers. Sometimes the talk is above my skill level but they will dig right in there and help you out of a ditch in a heart beat. This forum is like a brotherhood.

Do a lot of reading and research. This is a never ending learning process as well. I'm been in the game a long time and every day I try to read a technical manual or white paper on some device to pick up a little more knowledge.

elitheei said:

This is a never ending adventure. Every machine, every program design, every conversation, every design team ... all are a little different. Each one leads you down a different path. Everyday I stress my old brain because I am a converterd electrican. Most of these guys are engineers. Sometimes the talk is above my skill level but they will dig right in there and help you out of a ditch in a heart beat. This forum is like a brotherhood.

Do a lot of reading and research. This is a never ending learning process as well. I'm been in the game a long time and every day I try to read a technical manual or white paper on some device to pick up a little more knowledge.

Click to expand...

Very well said....

When I interview people I always ask if people use computers as a hobby.

Click to expand...

good one

Once you have the inputs to outputs the next step I would study are the various timers. after that I would study the encoder scaling parameters then work your way to PID controls. The above advise is very handy and once you go through Jack Hughes book posted above changing from one software to the other becomes much simpler with regards to ladder

Thank guys, I will follow all your advices. I have been in the industry for about 8 months now and I guess I can't expect to be an expert like many of you. I do try to read many manuals and I do read a lot of post here in the forum to get familiar with different situations.

Peter Nachtwey said:

I learned to program by writing drivers for my 8 inch floppy disks for my CP/M 80 system. Then I wrote an Othello ( game ) program. When I applied for my first job there was no doubt I could program and became software mangager in less than 6 months.

Click to expand...

I recently scored an 8-bit logic analyzer that runs off of CP/M. Woot!

Peter Nachtwey said:

When I interview people I always ask if people use computers as a hobby.

Click to expand...

Sure, Warcraft, Neverwinter Nights, Harpoon... Is that what you meant?

Peter Nachtwey said:

Buy a Rabbit Semiconductor processor and use if for a small embedded project.

Click to expand...

Or an AVR Butterfly, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than the Rabbit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVR_Butterfly
http://www.smileymicros.com/

Read the Wiki first, you can get the butterfly for about $20 using the Atmel links.

And for anyone following up to this point, get yourself a JTAG programmer as well. It's just a matter of time before you write over your bootloader.


Enjoy.

rootboy said:

Sure, Warcraft, Neverwinter Nights, Harpoon... Is that what you meant?

Click to expand...

The last student that worked at Delta that put a priority of Warcraft III over doing something useful didn't get asked back the next summer. I like playing games but I have interests in many difffernt areas.

Or an AVR Butterfly, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than the Rabbit.

Click to expand...

I like the AVR too. I don't bother to keep up on the latest development kits for 8 bit machines because were use PowerPCs and DSPs.

and for anyone following up to this point, get yourself a JTAG programmer as well. It's just a matter of time before you write over your bootloader.

Click to expand...

Yes, get a development kit that at least has a JTAG port.

Hi XIO
you can visit this useful site
www.scantime.co.uk