What’s most popular?

[Paullys50]

I use whatever prevents a phone call at 3 am. Generally the maintenance guys can read ladder and trouble shoot the real "hardware" problem without me getting involved.

It also pays to understand which language the PLC is most efficient in processing, can make a difference depending on the process.

 

[userxyz]

Brzz

I think the best thing to do is learn them all and use what goes best for your needings.

I don't see myself writing a stepprogram of 500 steps (machine I did 2 years ago) in LAD. You'd become crazy.

When writing something with tables, databasing, batching in a PLC, then I would use SCL (ST), not some difficult coding in STL or LAD or whatever.

For step programs, S7-Graph is great, you're busy with the machine sequential process, less with the coding problems. In STL jumps have to be made, you're busy with coding and the possibility to make code errors.

Lad is great for basic start-stops and other simple logic.

Somebody told me once on PLCS:
It's better to know and not use it then not knowing.

 

[Bobbias]

It's better to know and not use it then not knowing.

I would completely agree with that. In fact, I would agree with that for anything in life. It's always better to know something and not have to use it than to come to a point where you need to know something, and don't.

 

[Caveman]

RLL Rules(I'm a tech.)
STL Drools(maybe that's why)

We had some step7 plc's that were programmed in stl.
I guess that is why I don't like Step7.

 

[LestatZA]

Looks like I'm one of the few that prefer STL.
Maybe it is because most my applications has lots of number crunching, and I find that doing complex calculations in ladder is just cumbersome.

 

[Dua Anjing]

I agree with Paul

I use whatever prevents a phone call at 3 am. Generally the maintenance guys can read ladder and trouble shoot the real "hardware" problem without me getting involved.

I'd much rather get a call like

" by the way we had a problem last night and we managed to get going again without any fuss, I can actually understand your code !"

than one like

"get your butt over here now that damn plc crashed and nobody's gota a #^@@!# clue !"

 

[OZEE]

I agree with Paul



I'd much rather get a call like

" by the way we had a problem last night and we managed to get going again without any fuss, I can actually understand your code !"

than one like

"get your butt over here now that damn plc crashed and nobody's gota a #^@@!# clue !"

+1 !!

And I'd also rather write more SIMPLE code than a little bit of complicated, indexed, indirect code that Bubba isn't gonna understand.

Especially when I end up getting to be Bubba a couple of years after I wrote the original code. (The moral of the story: Document, document, document! And KISS)

 

[Jeff23spl]

I agree with Paul



I'd much rather get a call like

" by the way we had a problem last night and we managed to get going again without any fuss, I can actually understand your code !"

than one like

"get your butt over here now that damn plc crashed and nobody's gota a #^@@!# clue !"

100% agree with you!! i prefer ladder logic but i mix with part of ladder grafcet and function bloc but i think pc programmer will preffer list because it is closer than what they know Basic and C

 

[KalleOlsen]

We make our funcion(-blocks) in the most suitable language, and tie it all together with CFC (S7 or PCS7). It's easier to get it right if you draw lines than writing (wrong) flagnames.

K