getting the horse before the cart ...
Greetings
[email protected] ...
and welcome to the forum ...
let me follow up on the advice from my distinguished colleague geniusintraining ...
this is just a suggestion based on what you’ve posted so far ... rather than tackling the PLC end of things first, I recommend that you concentrate on the real-world inputs and outputs instead ...
plan of attack: figure out what type of motors, pumps, actuators, sensors, switches, etc. you’re going to need to make this project work ... I’d separate that into at least two lists ... one for your “right-now-getting-started” tasks ... and another for your “final-all-the-bells-and-whistles” version ... again, just concentrate on what physical HARDWARE it’s going to take to pull this project off - and NOT on the controller - and NOT on the programming software ...
then once you’ve got your list(s) of hardware together, the next step is usually to make an “I/O listing” ... specifically, how many 120VAC inputs - and outputs - you’re going to have to deal with ... also how many 24VDC inputs - and outputs ... how many 4-20mA analog signals ... how many and what type of linear positioners - linear transducers - etc. - etc. ... once you’ve got that “this-is-all-the-stuff-I-need-to-hook-up-to-my-controller” list together, then post everything that you can about your project here on the forum ... the guys here will be glad to help you decide what brand and type of controller will best meet your needs ... and also exactly what type of software you’ll need to program it ...
basically the “big-picture” idea is this ... pretend that YOU are the controller ... what types of input signals (and how many of them) would YOU have to “look at” in order to adequately control your system? ... also what types of output signals (and how many of them) would YOU have to “drive” in order to adequately control your system? ... now once you know the answer to those questions, THEN you’re ready to start specifying - and purchasing - and programming - the controller ...
now to answer one of your specific questions:
I bought an AB Micrologix 1000 ...
this sounds woefully inadequate for some of the “final-version” tasks that you mentioned ... it MIGHT get you started on the “rock-bottom” end of things, but if I adequately understand your project, you’re certainly going to have to “upgrade” somewhere along the way - probably sooner rather than later ... if I were you, I’d bite the bullet and put this nifty little item on the shelf for some other smaller project ...
I have downloaded RSLogix 5000 v15 demo
sorry ... the RSLogix5000 software will NOT work with the MicroLogix platform ... for that little processor you’ll need RSLogix500 ... but I recommend that you do NOT go out and buy anything else just yet ... at least not until you have a much better idea of how much controller “horsepower” you’re eventually going to need ... and we can’t really decide much about THAT until we know more about WHAT you’re going to have to control ...
hope this helps ... good luck with your project ...
PS edit ... I see that my colleague mellis (also distinguished) has just posted while I was typing away ...
(Yeah, I know it seems unnecessarily confusing.)
I'll certainly go along with that - 100% ...