Teaching AB PLC myself and ask your tips

Hi,
I am a college student on industrial instrumentation program.
Learned Schneider PLC programming at school and trying to extend it to Allen Bradley which is the most prevalent one to my understanding.

Having managed to set my own little free system with RSLogix 500 and Advanced HMI, I would appreciate your tips on following questions:

1. RSLogix 500 vs 5000
Is the 500 a viable way to teach myself? Asking because it seems obsolete and 5000 is the most common..

2. RSLogix 500 Programming Examples
I wanted to study as many examples and understand the logics and functions. Where could I get them from? is there a book with such contents?

Thanks in advance.

I believe that starting with RS500 is a great way to learn Rockwell Allen Bradley PLC's. RS5000 has many similarities, so the transition isn't too hard.
What I/O do you have on your system?

I found this today, but I have no idea how useful it is.


http://www.thelearningpit.com/lp/doc/index.html


Here is another interesting approach:


http://www.contactandcoil.com/patterns-of-ladder-logic-programming/




It is amazing how often the [Sealed In Coil] comes into play.

Logixpro from thelearningpit is worth every penny and is IMO honestly one of the best learning tools.

RSLogix 500 and the processors supported by it will still be in wide use 20 years from now. Mark it down. So, yes, it is useful to learn.

You can download sample code here:
http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?/files/category/2-plc-sample-code/

jaden said:

I believe that starting with RS500 is a great way to learn Rockwell Allen Bradley PLC's. RS5000 has many similarities, so the transition isn't too hard.
What I/O do you have on your system?

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Hi, thanks. I do not have any physical module and relying on emulator and advancedHMI to simulate I/O's.

+1 maxkling, learning pit, logixpro rs500 based and PLCLogix rs5000 based, is the best PLC learning software with animation, its fantastic and worth the cost.
There is plenty of codes to download on this site, look at the top tool bar. Anything from lance01(Mr 10,000 poster himself) is a great example of how to code.

kohhm75 said:

Hi, thanks. I do not have any physical module and relying on emulator and advancedHMI to simulate I/O's.

Click to expand...

I got a MicroLogix 1100 on eBay for $125. They are usually Buy It Now for 200-300USD, but you can make an offer, and sometimes you will get it.

drbitboy, was that the $125 brick?

PLCnovice61 said:

drbitboy, was that the $125 brick?

Click to expand...

Nope, that one worked. The $75 purchase was the brick, and the eBay process worked and I got my money back.


Btw, I saw a couple of ML1100s that did sell for offers of $70-80; maybe they were for parts.

I have seen them for sale cheap with the statement that an output or two is not working. Usually that is the relay inside has failed. The output will still light up when energized so for training uses, it will work.



Ive purchased a few ML 1000's with that issue and replaced the defective relays inside to make it fully working.



The free version of Rslogix will work with the 1100 series.



If you want to experiment with a cheap HMI panel, take a look at the Cmore Micro panels at AutomationDirect. The software is free and you can find one for under $300.


Mike

The only RSlogix 500 programs I do anymore are for rewrites or updates to older machines. I use Studio 5000 for mostly new. The big reason is that if the project is viable in the micrologix line, there are much more economical choices out there for small machine PLC's. I understand that some customers demand it, but I haven't had that issue on the ML line for 5 plus years. If they insist on AB then I just use a compactlogix, the price variance on a entry level compactlogix to a ML is really not that much. Firmware and rev management is much easier when it is all under one software package. Ive always felt that RSlogix 500 was very clunky to use.

To answer your original question, in most industries, if its AB its going to mostly be 5000 moving forward. If you maintain alot of ML then start at 500. If you dont then learn on 5000 if you can. I will also say it is easier to learn 500 first then switch to 5000 VS going form 5000 to 500.

if you can ask any question in regards to a program operation, AND you do not have the answer, that's the first thing that will happen in front of the customer or at his facility.


so if you can ask a question, you better have an answer.
james

I finally got some free time.


For any given homework assignment or task at work, you must consider these instructions as the customers specifications.
1. read the specifications several times.
2. write down your understanding of what you read in a step by step fashion.
3. review what you wrote down and see if it makes since, modify if necessary.
4. step through your notes again this time, you are the one following the instructions.
In other words, you are the plc. Write down on paper the events you are doing.
For example, turn on hydraulic motor 1, write down hydraulic motor 1 on. If a sensor is needed, write that down.
5. continue through the instructions. When you turn off the motor, mark a line thru it.
6. go through your instructions with all the sensors, motor aux. contacts, outputs documented. Modify if necessary.
7. repeat step 6 until no changes are made.
8. Try to group your data words into some organized fashion. The more programs you write, the more organized you become
9. write the plc program using your notes.
10. install the program and leave in program mode if possible so you can to debug your i/o
11. Question for you, when is a machine and plc the most dangerous and why?
When it’s first powered on – when power is first applied to a machine, you don’t know
How things are wired. When you energize the plc outputs, you don’t know how things
are wired. When the plc is put into run mode the first time, it will do what you told it to do,
NOT what you wanted it to do.
12. debug the program.
13. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!! You may remember things today, but in 5 years and hundreds of programs later, you won't
remember, so DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
14. MAINTENANCE is your best friend or your worst enemy.
if you work with them and find out what they can do, write the program where they can
trouble shoot the program. they will be able to fix the problem and everyone will be happy.
BUT
if you write the program to where you are the only one who understands what is going on,
maintenance can't fix the issue, the machine is down, production is down, management hears about
it, your boss hears about it, then you hear about it - rewrite the program or else.
you get calls all hours of the day and night.
this still holds true, a machine can cost a billion dollars, but it's not worth 10 cents if
maintenance cannot trouble shoot the issue and fix the issue.
everyone has their own style of programming and you must develop your own way as well.
this is the best advice I can give anyone.
of others has more / better suggestions, feel free to post.


james