Are PLCs culturally sensitive & politically correct (HUMOR/O.T.)

Are PLCs politically correct?
Are PLCs culturally sensitive?

For instance, in the USA, ladder electrical schematics and logic diagrams are typically written left-to-right. Not so in some parts of the world (top-to-bottom, right-to-left).

In other ways, perhaps the instruction mnemonics are potentially funny or comical in another culture. (I once did a job in Brazil, and my employer's company initials, when spoken locally, made for a funny joke).

And, finally, who has possibly found other funny aspects of this very serious work, like using a TIMER data type tag name of 'BU' and then using the timer timing tag somewhere in logic.

I've always had a bit of heartburn when trying to explain RS485 networks. I wish there was a better way than to explain it than to be a Master / Slave control system. If there are multiple Masters there could be a problem but that there is the ability to many slaves. Anybody have a better solution?

When there are two devices and one tracks the actions of another I like 'leader / follower'. For a communication network 'initiator / responder' gets the idea across quicker than 'client / server' or 'master / slave'

One of my sparkies is from india so his english and the way he says things is kinda funny. We have had buckets of laughs getting him into the U.S. electrical terminology. He laughs at my southern accent as well.

He came to me one day when he was trying to make some edits to an old plc 5 program and asked me when I have some time could I explain to him how the FUBAR bit instruction works.

Some guy put this in to quasi disable some code years back and that is how he documented it. I had to then explain what FUBAR meant and it's U.S. military origins.

jdbrandt said:

And, finally, who has possibly found other funny aspects of this very serious work, like using a TIMER data type tag name of 'BU' and then using the timer timing tag somewhere in logic.

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Heh!

It's been a while, and I don't recall specifics, but I'm quite certain that my co-workers and I have left some of these little "Easter Eggs" in PLC program documentation over the years.

You've gotta be careful when abbreviating "Analogue", I've seen many programs over the years "PUMP_ANAL_OUT"....

randomFire said:

You've gotta be careful when abbreviating "Analogue", I've seen many programs over the years "PUMP_ANAL_OUT"....

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Along the same lines, albeit OT, but made me laugh anyway..

Susan Boyle recently launched a new album...

A party was organised...

The twitter feed.... @susanalbumparty

One of my favorites is the ladder logic in RonBeaufort's sig line.

daba said:

Along the same lines, albeit OT, but made me laugh anyway..

Susan Boyle recently launched a new album...

A party was organised...

The twitter feed.... @susanalbumparty

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That's brilliant....made me laugh, shows that when you are writing it yourself, you miss the obvious. Imagine spending 7 years doctoring yourself to the highest level, only to have someone read your name as "TheRapist"...

But isn't it widely accepted that all programming is done in English? Take BASIC, VB, HTML, any DB program (most of which are designed and created by the US) and all other genres. Take aside the fact the the comments may be in Hebrew, reading right to left...the coding is always done by someone who knew from the beginning that you have to know and code in English.

At least that was true in the early days, before the invention of GUIs, when the coding was done from a flashing cursor. I guess these days it is becoming more user friendly for those who prefer to do things in their own language.

As a retired StarWars fan, I was amused in the 1980's when I started using Siemens S5 and I encountered another Obi-wan.

Hi Liam, your only down the road from me in little old Ireland. We still have 3 S5s in action with the old PG handheld & PG laptop programmers! Terrified of them going south on us. Autologic did the software back in the day & I've found a couple of Star Wars references hidden in there! "If conv. will not start, use the force". "Reset you will press".

We use top to bottom schematics. I once had to refurbish a huge mimic panel for a kilning system handling 1000ton batches of malt barley. It was 40yrs old, more like antique restoration. The drwgs were top to bottom, in tatters & folded...& folded...& folded! When layed out on the floor they were over 10ft long. I called them the dead sea scrolls! Crazy stuff.

We're taught to turn top to bottom schematics on their side to convert to PLC logic. Personally, I don't need that visual aid to build an I/O list, but I can see how US schematics make more sense that way.

Question - who designed the first left to right ladder logic platform?

Geospark said:

Question - who designed the first left to right ladder logic platform?

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I suspect that it was probably Modicon with their "4 node ladder" programming back around 1970. There were a few PLC's around before that but they were all programmed in some sort of assembler language.

Alternate masters

RRobbins said:

I've always had a bit of heartburn when trying to explain RS485 networks. I wish there was a better way than to explain it than to be a Master / Slave control system. If there are multiple Masters there could be a problem but that there is the ability to many slaves. Anybody have a better solution?

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Yes, we have ministers from 6 parties in our government. They made mistakes each their own turn. Also, we have 2 parties in opposition and they check the protocol.
We have property to do co-operation with 6 parties -from communist to conservative with greens- when some one-party countries can't do it itself.

Ps. EU is the best instance solve the problems what our membership have caused!