Free PLC Programming tool

dormat

Member
Join Date
Sep 2005
Location
Tel Aviv
Posts
1
I'm going to develope a PLC (The hardware board with all the IO etc.).
I'm going also to write the software that run inside that PLC.
I'm looking for a PLC programming software for the PC that I can write PLC software. I need this software to save the file inside the PC (in any format - I can convert it - even compile it to my needs).
I'm looking not for a simple software but for profesional look - with many option - but free !!
It will be helpfull if this software also support simulation.

Thanks,
Doron
 
I've got to do this before anyone...

dormat said:
I'm going to develope a PLC (The hardware board with all the IO etc.).
There are major companies that employ thousands of engineers to do this.

dormat said:
I'm going also to write the software that run inside that PLC.
See comment above.

dormat said:
I'm looking not for a simple software but for profesional look - with many option - but free !!
The holiday season is only three months away. Put it on your list. Hope you have been nice, not naughty.

dormat said:
It will be helpfull if this software also support simulation.
May as well ask for even more for free! Tell your supplier that you're willing to pay double for the simulator ($0 times 2 = $0)

Good luck on this one. (And I thought I had a good sense of humor...)
 
Doron,

Why would you want to develop a PLC?

As Jimmie mentioned, there are many manufacturers...many large manufacturers already doing this.

There are products in the market that should meet your application requirements.

To find a company that would give you their programming software with a simulator to use with your product for $0 is not a realistic expectation.

We give our software away to our customers, but it is used in conjunction with our embedded PLCs.

If you were to design your own controller and use a third part programming software package, you will have to design your operating system (firmware) around their pneumonics and compiler. Not any software package will work with any controller. Case in point, each PLC available on the market today has its own proprietary programming software...even different products from the same company. Example - there are different programming packages (that are not compatible) for Micrologix, Control Logix, SLC and PLC-5.

You might want to post your requirements and see what is already available on the market. You may be reinventing the wheel.

Are you willing to spend the time developing a product that may or may not work, that may or may not be a marketable product, when something may already exist? There is not much new under the sun when it comes to PLCs that hasn't already been done in one configuration or another.

If you are able to find that company that will work with you...power to you. I hope all works out for you.

God Bless,
 
dormat said:
I'm going to develope a PLC (The hardware board with all the IO etc.).
I'm going also to write the software that run inside that PLC.
I'm looking for a PLC programming software for the PC that I can write PLC software. I need this software to save the file inside the PC (in any format - I can convert it - even compile it to my needs).
I'm looking not for a simple software but for profesional look - with many option - but free !!
It will be helpfull if this software also support simulation.

Thanks,
Doron

Ok, I just got to ask..................WHY ???
Why would you waste your time doing this?
Why would you expect anyone to provide you with 'professional' look software for free?
To some extent I can understand the fascination with this idea but the practicalities of it are...........IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE!

You're almost re-inventing the wheel my friend, just because you can.

Good luck (y)
 
Don't let the negative views prevent you from doing this project. And make sure you post to this forum when you have finished your project. Invention is a personal thing not the work of a corporation. If you have the inspiration and the staying power, go for it.

Good Luck!

P.S. I can't offer you any advise on how to build your own PLC and write all the firmware, programming software, simulator, etc.
 
With all due respect to Ushidayo and Dormat, this is a PLC forum, not an inventor or "mad professor" forum.

The people in here are wonderful. But, we are engineers. We solve problems. Distinct and well-defined problems. We're wonderfully generous of our time and willing to share our expertise to relative strangers from all over the world. (Even though a lot of you use some weird voltages, not to mention frequencies.)

And in here we use PLC's. Existing, tried-and-true PLC's. Like A-B, Siemens, etc.

If Dormat wants to play with circuits that do what PLC's happen to do and can find the tools for free, good for him.

I just don't think that is the intent of this forum.
 
Jimmie_Ohio said:
With all due respect to Ushidayo and Dormat, this is a PLC forum, not an inventor or "mad professor" forum.

The people in here are wonderful. But, we are engineers. We solve problems. Distinct and well-defined problems. We're wonderfully generous of our time and willing to share our expertise to relative strangers from all over the world. (Even though a lot of you use some weird voltages, not to mention frequencies.)

And in here we use PLC's. Existing, tried-and-true PLC's. Like A-B, Siemens, etc.

If Dormat wants to play with circuits that do what PLC's happen to do and can find the tools for free, good for him.

I just don't think that is the intent of this forum.

I agree.
 
Jimmie,

Thank you for clarifying what I already suspected. I shall quickly plug myself into a standard voltage and frequency to purge my optimism.

But seriously, Dormat posted a question that is relevant to him on forum that covers the subject area that he is interested in. Not everyone in the world speaks English as their first language, just because he is not fluent, do not assume he is ignorant.
 
I am not sure I understand what is being asked for. The processor in a PLC uses machine language, since machine language is strictly binary the more readable assembly language or a high level language may be used. There are differences in the machine codes with different processors that have to be known. There are numerous free versions of PLC programming software but they are all developed to work with a specific brand of PLC. The differences are not just in the code but also in the communication connection and protocol used.

To build/design a PLC you will need to know the type of processor and obtain the development code for developing programming software for it.

I do not understand why there would be a problem with attempting to build/design a PLC, there were not 1000's of engineers that created the first one.

Technically I am also in the early stage process of designing a PLC. I have a long way to go but since I am in college it should be developed by the time I need a "project" for engineering. I am looking into using FPGA. Altera http://www.altera.com/ Xilinx http://www.xilinx.com/ and Lattice Semiconductor http://www.latticesemi.com/ are the leaders in FPGA with development tools available on their websites.

I am weak in programming with assembly or higher level languages so before I can fully devlop the system I will have to learn more. The hardware is easy, developing it properly is time consuming.

Why build something that is already available? Why did James Watt redesign Newcomens steam engine, why did Henry Ford build cars....because you can. ONE person in some cases can do more than a 1000.
 
ushidayo said:
But seriously, Dormat posted a question that is relevant to him on forum that covers the subject area that he is interested in.
This forum does not focus on building PLC's from scratch.

ushidayo said:
Not everyone in the world speaks English as their first language, just because he is not fluent, do not assume he is ignorant.
Any legitimate PLC problem posted in any resemblance of English (well-spoken or not) is welcome here. And I never assumed he was ignorant. His post is just not relevant to this forum for the reasons stated.
 
Dormat,

Your PLC will probably need an operating system, search the web for "real-time operating system" or "RTOS" there could be open source software that might suit your needs.
 
This forum does not focus on building PLC's from scratch.
Who say's? The title says PLCs so anything relevant to PLCs should be applicable, by your rule drive, electronic etc type questions should not be allowed. The main topic is PLC but the forum is frequented by engineers, developers etc so who better to ask then people in the field...there are people here that do design controllers.

Why reinvent the wheel???? If the wheel had not been re-invented we would not have rubber tires for our cars.
 
I still stand by what I said earlier. I believe that this forum is to solve problems on established, commercially marketed PLCs. I frequent another PLC forum that in fact is organized by manufacturer. There is no "home grown" section.

I'm not trying to stifle anyone's ingenuity. I just don't think this is the place for inventors.

Dormat could try Google-ing "programmable logic controller development". I did and got a lot more information at the "machine code" level. This site was neat:
http://www.searcheng.co.uk/selection/control/Articles/IEC61131/main.htm

I think I speak for the majority of the forum. We tend to use (and have our unique problems with) the generally distributed products of the more mainstream major manufacturers.

I'll be the first to admit, without Thomas Edison, we'd all be watching TV by candlelight.
 
Jimmie,

That isn't entirely true. You are fairly new to the forum. There have been many questions, opinions, rants, that have been posted that were not specifically related to PLCs or the devices they control.

Being able to post any type of question, whether PLC related or not is what makes this forum so dynamic...not to mention the personalities that frequent and contribute to the site. If it was only PLCs, it would get pretty static, pretty quickly.

Ron,

The real issue wasn't about building a controller...it can be done and will continue. The real issue was what he was asking for. Someone giving him free programming software with a simulator that he can utilize with his product...no strings attached. We aren't nearly the size of Rockwell, who has their own division just for software products, but even with the size we are, required an enormous amount of engineering for our latest programming software. And that was someone who knew what they were doing. Throw in the operating systems, which contains some 300 pages of programming code per controller. This is no small task. Then you have to create a compiler that actually works.

If Doron is able to do so, my hat is off to him. All I am saying, is that many don't know what level of involvement is required.
 
/agree with Stephen above

But something that people here seem to be overlooking... The PLC Hardware is trivial. Seriously. You could use a PIC controller to implement an entire PLC should you want, just add buffers for I/O, a power supply, and a clock.

I/O hardware is trivial to design and build.

So, what is it that makes a PLC a PLC? Not the 'LC' part, but the 'P'rogrammable part. The OS and the Software used to represent, design, and eventually compile logic is what 'Makes' a PLC. Not the hardware.

What the OP is asking for is the most difficult, and the single most distinguishing, part of the entire PLC package.

That is NOT going to come cheap. For ideas, and some samples, and maybe some inspiration though, check out http://www.puffinplc.org/
 

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