Resources for learning Structured Text

Does anybody know of any good resources for learning the Structured Text programming language? Free resources are best of course, but other kinds are ok too. Thanks!

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The only resources I'm able to find a fairly brief explanations published by PLC manufacturers in their product's instruction manuals. Is there really no comprehensive definition of the language? Maybe a Structured Text equivalent of the Kernighan and Ritchie ANSI C book? How do people learn Structured Text?

SirCumference said:

How do people learn Structured Text?

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I bought the IEC 61131-3 specification. It assumes you already know to program but it does have examples.

At least part of the problem is that even though there is an ST "standard," most manufacturers have added their own extensions, or changed the implementation. IEC 61131-3 "compliance" basically only states that the manufacturer must document all deviations from the standard. When it comes to compliance, some vendors push the envelope by adding lots of extra features, and some lag back and only implement the parts they want. In the end, nobody can agree, and the standard mostly sits irrelevant.

Most people learn the structured text for their favorite/current PLC platform, and then when they go to learn a new type of PLC, they learn how SLC is different. It's the same way most PLC's use ladder a little bit differently. The problem is that the little differences can drastically change best practices.

If you want to buy the comprehensive ST standard, you can do so from the IEC.

If you want a book for the Siemens version of ST, called SCL, then books by Hans Berger are your best bet. You can also get them from your local Siemens Rep.

Get yourself a copy of CoDeSys. It's free. The ST is excellent and it's got a built in simulator.

Perhaps this book can help "PLC Controls with Structured Text (ST): ISBN: 978-87-4300-241-3

Tom8940

Please stop trying to push your book... this thread is 4 years old

If anyone is looking for help with beginning ST then they should watch the videos by Evan, they are free and are great, I think there are about 15 in ST

https://www.youtube.com/user/Evan5659/videos

I think learning C would help. While programming Plc's (which I think most is still done in ladder), there are times when "ST" would make a better routine.

But you need to look at the complete industry, will there be HMI's, Database's, IIOT Devices, because all of these device may require some type of programming language
to get the job done.

I do a ton of Macro writing in the HMI world and this code is very close to C, when dealing with Database interface that usually requires a little C or Python scripting.

I think if you learn C, are at least become acquainted with it any other language will fall into place.

Good Luck

geniusintraining said:

Tom8940

Please stop trying to push your book... this thread is 4 years old

If anyone is looking for help with beginning ST then they should watch the videos by Evan, they are free and are great, I think there are about 15 in ST

https://www.youtube.com/user/Evan5659/videos

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Thanks for your response,

The book is primarily composed to be used at the 2-year Full-Time Higher education AP Graduate in Automation Engineering and the Part-Time Higher education AP Degree in Automation and Operation in Denmark.

Please note that at the AP Graduate in Automation Engineering education level videos can help you, but the students must have higher level than that


Tom

Ok, I understand, sorry

I cannot delete my messages and my profile

Tom8940 said:

Ok, I understand, sorry

I cannot delete my messages and my profile

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Not a problem at all... you are welcome to stay around and join in helping people that are in need of programming/automation help, we all need help from time to time and we all help each other so im sure you can help us and im sure a lot of people will be using your book

Welcome to the site :site:

Any basic tutorial / book about Pascal programming language will help to learn ST, the syntax, the structure of code and even the declaration of variables is similar to Pascal.