talked to a PLC engineer, but somethings doesn't understand

zmarcoz

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I talked a PLC engineer yesterday. He mentioned many names.Since I don't have background, could you please tell me the relation between those names?

1. controllogix 5000, Rslogic 5000 <== Are they the same?
2. Wonderware & inturation?? (Not sure spelling) are graphical interface
3. Allen Bradley is to program PLC only, does not have graphical interface?
4. ifix, fix32 what are they?


thanks
 
RSLogix 5000 is Rockwell's software that programs the Control Logix line of PLCs.
Wonderware is operator interface software.
Allen Bradley (Rockwell) has graphical operator interface software called RSView.

Why didn't you ask the person you were talking to yesterday to explain himself more clearly?
ifix and ifix32 are operator interface software packages from Intellution (owned by GE) that compete with Wonderware and RSView.
 
talked to a PLC engineer, but some things don't understand

well, don't feel lonesome ... we've ALL met PLC engineers like that before ...

ControlLogix (yes, officially one of the letter L's really IS supposed to be a capital in the middle of it) ... with or without the 5000 on the end, the term ControlLogix refers to the actual physical hardware system of ONE TYPE of PLC ... all together, the ControlLogix system usually turns out to be a gray box about the size of a loaf of bread ...

the PLC's processor (the "thinking" part of the system) is about the size of one THICK slice of bread ... you'll probably see a little key sticking out the front of the processor ...

most of the other THICK slices of bread (all plugged into a "chassis" or "rack") are things like input and output modules ...

basic idea: a PLC is a COMPUTER ... but where most computers have a keyboard for an input device, the PLC has input modules ... you wire up sensors, and buttons, and switches to the screws on the input modules ... the PLC processor sees those devices go ON and OFF ...

going further: where most computers have a screen for an output device, the PLC has output modules ... you wire up motors, and solenoid valves, etc. to the screws on the output modules ... the PLC processor controls those motors and other devices and makes them go ON and OFF at the appropriate times ...

the processor (the "brain" slice) has to have a program inside it to tell it what to do ... some human (for better or for worse) writes the program to tell the processor how to control the plant's machinery ...

the program usually looks like a wiring diagram full of little pictures that LOOK like schematic symbols for switches and relay coils ... since it looks sort of like a "ladder" the programming is usually referred to as "ladder logic" programming ...

now we're up to RSLogix5000 ... that's the software that you need in order to write the program for the ControlLogix system ... you buy a copy and load it onto your own personal computer – and hook up some sort of cable to the PLC processor ...

the RSLogix5000 software screen (on a GOOD day – with a helpful tailwind) will show you what's going on inside the PLC processor while it's operating (we call this connection with the processor "going online")

... besides engineers and programmers, "real people" such as maintenance technicians will often go online with the processor when it's suddenly necessary to troubleshoot the plant's machinery at 3:00 o'clock in the morning to find out why the main money-making pump won't come on ...

now let's talk about Wonderware and Intellution and iFix and fix32 ... all of these are generally called HMI software packages ... HMI stands for "Human Machine Interface" ... an older term MMI stood for "Man Machine Interface" – but awhile back the feminists decided that wasn't politically correct anymore ...

basically the HMI software allows Bubba the operator to push a button on a computer screen – and control the plant's machinery ... basic idea: Bubba pushes a picture of a START button on the computer screen – and that makes the HMI software tell the PLC processor that it's time to start the pump ... (the communication takes place over a cable between the HMI computer and the PLC processor) ...

in simplest terms, instead of wiring up a real physical electrical button to the PLC, we can just draw a picture of a button on the HMI screen – and let Bubba push on that ...

in case you're wondering, yes, Bubba the operator COULD go over to the RSLogix5000 programming software and use THAT to start the pump ... BUT ... Bubba could also use that same "programming" software to totally mess up the software ... we PLC people NEVER let the operators (even the ones that are smarter than us) mess around with the PLC's programming ...

so ... the operator gets to use the HMI software – and the programmers set up the HMI screens to carefully control what Bubba is allowed to do ... (all of this is "in theory" of course) ...

another question that you had: Rockwell is a BIG company (think along the lines of General Motors) ... Rockwell owns Allen-Bradley – another company (think along the lines of Chevrolet) ... Allen-Bradley makes and sells many different types of PLCs (and other types of automation equipment) ... in addition to ControlLogix, there's the older PLC-5 platform, the less-powerful SLC-500 platform (often pronounced "Slick-500"), many types of MicroLogix platforms (even smaller systems), and the CompactLogix platform, and so on, and so on – forever ...

well, I'm now out of typing time ... here's a suggestion if you want to know more ... click the link below my signature and go to the Sample Lessons page of my website ... there you'll find eleven YouTube lessons that might be interesting to you ... watch just the first three IN ORDER and see if that helps ... you'll see some of the pieces of the puzzle (such as the input and output modules and the processor) fit together ... there aren't any HMI software screens there – but there's enough to give you a very basic idea of what PLCs are – and what they do ...

then come back and post some more questions ...

CAUTION: this type of stuff can be addictive ... if you get bitten by the bug sometimes you'll see the sun coming up outside – and suddenly realize that you've been happily programming away ALL NIGHT LONG ...

I hope this helps ... and welcome to the forum ...

DISCLAIMER: this was all written to answer basic BEGINNER LEVEL questions ... there are NUMEROUS exceptions to all of this ... but we've all got to start somewhere ... be merciful ... at least the OP isn't asking about a "one button flip-flop" rung ... yet ...
 
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well, don't feel lonesome ... we've ALL met PLC engineers like that before ...

ControlLogix (yes, officially one of the letter L's really IS supposed to be a capital in the middle of it) ... with or without the 5000 on the end, the term ControlLogix refers to the actual physical hardware system of ONE TYPE of PLC ... all together, the ControlLogix system usually turns out to be a gray box about the size of a loaf of bread ...

the PLC's processor (the "thinking" part of the system) is about the size of one THICK slice of bread ... you'll probably see a little key sticking out the front of the processor ...

most of the other THICK slices of bread (all plugged into a "chassis" or "rack") are things like input and output modules ...

basic idea: a PLC is a COMPUTER ... but where most computers have a keyboard for an input device, the PLC has input modules ... you wire up sensors, and buttons, and switches to the screws on the input modules ... the PLC processor sees those devices go ON and OFF ...

going further: where most computers have a screen for an output device, the PLC has output modules ... you wire up motors, and solenoid valves, etc. to the screws on the output modules ... the PLC processor controls those motors and other devices and makes them go ON and OFF at the appropriate times ...

the processor (the "brain" slice) has to have a program inside it to tell it what to do ... some human (for better or for worse) writes the program to tell the processor how to control the plant's machinery ...

the program usually looks like a wiring diagram full of little pictures that LOOK like schematic symbols for switches and relay coils ... since it looks sort of like a "ladder" the programming is usually referred to as "ladder logic" programming ...

now we're up to RSLogix5000 ... that's the software that you need in order to write the program for the ControlLogix system ... you buy a copy and load it onto your own personal computer – and hook up some sort of cable to the PLC processor ...

the RSLogix5000 software screen (on a GOOD day – with a helpful tailwind) will show you what's going on inside the PLC processor while it's operating (we call this connection with the processor "going online")

... besides engineers and programmers, "real people" such as maintenance technicians will often go online with the processor when it's suddenly necessary to troubleshoot the plant's machinery at 3:00 o'clock in the morning to find out why the main money-making pump won't come on ...

now let's talk about Wonderware and Intellution and iFix and fix32 ... all of these are generally called HMI software packages ... HMI stands for "Human Machine Interface" ... an older term MMI stood for "Man Machine Interface" – but awhile back the feminists decided that wasn't politically correct anymore ...

basically the HMI software allows Bubba the operator to push a button on a computer screen – and control the plant's machinery ... basic idea: Bubba pushes a picture of a START button on the computer screen – and that makes the HMI software tell the PLC processor that it's time to start the pump ... (the communication takes place over a cable between the HMI computer and the PLC processor) ...

in simplest terms, instead of wiring up a real physical electrical button to the PLC, we can just draw a picture of a button on the HMI screen – and let Bubba push on that ...

in case you're wondering, yes, Bubba the operator COULD go over to the RSLogix5000 programming software and use THAT to start the pump ... BUT ... Bubba could also use that same "programming" software to totally mess up the software ... we PLC people NEVER let the operators (even the ones that are smarter than us) mess around with the PLC's programming ...

so ... the operator gets to use the HMI software – and the programmers set up the HMI screens to carefully control what Bubba is allowed to do ... (all of this is "in theory" of course) ...

another question that you had: Rockwell is a BIG company (think along the lines of General Motors) ... Rockwell owns Allen-Bradley – another company (think along the lines of Chevrolet) ... Allen-Bradley makes and sells many different types of PLCs (and other types of automation equipment) ... in addition to ControlLogix, there's the older PLC-5 platform, the less-powerful SLC-500 platform (often pronounced "Slick-500"), many types of MicroLogix platforms (even smaller systems), and the CompactLogix platform, and so on, and so on – forever ...

well, I'm now out of typing time ... here's a suggestion if you want to know more ... click the link below my signature and go to the Sample Lessons page of my website ... there you'll find eleven YouTube lessons that might be interesting to you ... watch just the first three IN ORDER and see if that helps ... you'll see some of the pieces of the puzzle (such as the input and output modules and the processor) fit together ... there aren't any HMI software screens there – but there's enough to give you a very basic idea of what PLCs are – and what they do ...

then come back and post some more questions ...

CAUTION: this type of stuff can be addictive ... if you get bitten by the bug sometimes you'll see the sun coming up outside – and suddenly realize that you've been happily programming away ALL NIGHT LONG ...

I hope this helps ...

DISCLAIMER: this was all written to answer basic BEGINNER LEVEL questions ... there are NUMEROUS exceptions to all of this ... but we've all got to start somewhere ... be merciful ... at least the OP isn't asking about a "one button flip-flop" rung ... yet ...



So when's the other chapters for PLC's for Dummies expected. 🤾
 
Why didn't you ask the person you were talking to yesterday to explain himself more clearly?
Nah, don't waste your time. People who don't bother to talk at audience-level will not explain it any better the second time around.
 
Nah, don't waste your time. People who don't bother to talk at audience-level will not explain it any better the second time around.

Plus it's not obvious what zmarcoz would really need to know based on his involement. Maybe the engineer knows something WE don't.

We've all talked to people who don't want to hear about the pregnancy, they just want to see the baby. And who knows how many folks have asked how "that" works, then have their eyes glaze over two minutes into the answer--because they have no real clue what you're talking about.

If zmarcoz is involved in the "process", all the above is for not, and yes, further questions may be in order. I've found conversations with engineers usually lead to more questions than answers--and it amazes me how many words they can use to get me to that point.

Luckily, as I said above, Ron used just the right amount of words so that the OP and his engineer can both understand.
 
I don't know zmarcoz – but I've walked more than a mile in his shoes ...

my best guess is that our new member zmarcoz just happened to see a PLC dude working on a system and thought it looked interesting ... I figure that he asked some questions – but didn't quite understand all of the answers ... maybe he Googled "PLCs" – ended up here – and joined the forum looking for more information ...

maybe ... but regardless ...

I had some spare time in between projects – so I knocked out what I hope was useful information ...

I just hope that our new member wasn't put off by the following comment:

So when's the other chapters for PLC's for Dummies expected.

I'll assume that remark was meant for ME (not for zmarcoz) as something like a gentle "rib" over my personal tendency to "run off at the keyboard" while trying to give simple answers to simple questions ... I'm just afraid that zmarcoz might not be as impervious to that sort of "ribbing" as I am ... hopefully he didn't assume that the "dummy" reference was meant for him ...

.

please_thanks.jpg
 
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So how do you explain the difference between the PLC program running and the machine running? I ran into this early in my career with a customer's project manager (last project before he retired) who just couldn't grasp the concept. The answer has finally come to me: PLC running = turn on VCR / DVD / BlueRay player. Machine run = push the Play button. 🙃
 
I am Curious
I have heard of Mechanical, Electrical, aeronortical and Even Process Engineers - BUT PLC engineer
Is that a builder of raw PLC's From circuit board level.
OR a self glorified programmer?
 

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