Getting Back in the Game

I have been out of the direct programming world for about 2 decades. For my own benefit more than anything else I would like to get back to some degree of proficiency.
I am retired so I do not have access to any hardware or working control systems.
What would the experts suggest?
I could build a trainer but would still be in need of software and the purchase is not practical. Plus I would be mostly on my own which does not sound like a great place to start.
We have a local vocational school with a manufacturing maintenance program.
So much has changed on the communications side of things I really do not know where/how to start.
I am not brand specific at all. AB is dominant in my area however. (I know; shocker)
Thanks for any suggestions.

I really like the Automation Direct Productivity series. Gives you tag based programming, lots of comms options, & free software.

The starter kit is just over $300.
Starter Kit

The PLC industry seems to have not found a way or intelligence to make the canonical heroin-dealer* model now common many other industries.

Several OEMs have freebie software and simulators. E.g. a quick check of The Google found this, which includes the Do-more mentioned earlier. As with everything Allen-Bradley, you may be able to do it better but never more expensive, still there are the freebies RSLogix Micro Starter Lite with RSEmulate 500, and CCW with a built-in simulator. Micro Starter Lite and CCW can even program a few real PLCs that can be had for one or a few C-notes from eBay a.k.a. fleaBay.

That may not help with a lot of other more important skills (e.g. hardware configuration; communications; HMIs), but you can practice programming.

AdvancedHMI is excellent for developing HMIs in a PC, but I suspect projects in the industry more often OEM HMI hardware.

* Give away hardware and/or software, sell consumable product/subscription (cell phones, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.).

The free Allen Bradley Micrologix software comes with an emulator. I've used it for teaching.
https://instrumentationtools.com/download-rslogix-plc-software/

CodeSys or TwinCAT both are free. Hassle free, full versioned development software. Download and install. Write, run, and debug PLC code (any language) right on your laptop in minutes. No hardware needed. We have it installed on a spare laptop for training Co-Ops.

TwinCAT XAE download

Maybe also since its been two decades is to understand the differences between a tag based plc versus a data table plc.

Its important to know what the differences are in my experience and effects the programming.

If I'm retired I would be working on video games or my plan for world domination, not programming PLC.

Jim3846 said:

Maybe also since its been two decades is to understand the differences between a tag based plc versus a data table plc.

Its important to know what the differences are in my experience and effects the programming.

Click to expand...

Nope, bits are bits; don't get hung up on naming conventions (although they can be useful).

Jmobile from Exor will run for a while in demo and give you a simulator for HMI's will talk to all sorts of PLCs, Codesys can run locally on a PC and give you a Realtime softPLC

Beckhoff (TwinCat 2 &3) & CodeSys both do full versions that will run on PCs and do softPLC.

NodeRed can do Userinterfaces and comms

Microsoft Azure Cloud and Amazon AWS cloud can give you access to cloud machines and SQL databases etc and these are all available though FreeTeir options or PAYG.

Arduino can give you access to Microcontrollers and can link to MQTT and Node Red and do loads with relays and sensors (C programming).

Raspberry PI, good cheap Linux Platoform with access to GPIO and will run nodeRed / MQTT , home automation etc, Codesys (if you buy a license)

Siemens 1200 range Cheap and good starter Kits as about £400 last time I checked
MicroLogix from Allen Bradely - Similar to Siemens Starter Kits

Then you have WAGO which is a Beckhoff or CodeSys PLC that will take IO on the side. .....

Thats before we get to HMIs and Scada......

dvcochran said:

What would the experts suggest?
I could build a trainer but would still be in need of software and the purchase is not practical. Plus I would be mostly on my own which does not sound like a great place to start.
We have a local vocational school with a manufacturing maintenance program.
So much has changed on the communications side of things I really do not know where/how to start.
I am not brand specific at all. AB is dominant in my area however. (I know; shocker)
Thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

We sell trainers www.plccable.com but if your budget is a concern then why not build your own? Automation Direct has the Click series thats cheap, we sell one for under 200 so you can build one even less if you have the time, AB has the Micro800 line and both of them the software is free and you can find used parts on ebay.

Side note: if you want to make a few bucks give me a call or send me a PM, I am looking for help in writing lessons for the 800 series, I can supply the hardware then its not cost out of your pocket and you can write the lessons/exercises as you learn.

Best of luck!
Mark