better late
Member
I just finished writing my first program! Well PLC program anyway.
I used to do a little programming when I was a kid working thru manuals on my old computers. (TI994a and then Atari1200XE) Have I dated myself?
In high school I took every programming course they had and aced them all, even though my smart but ADD addled brain caused me to "just get by" in other classes. (C's and B's were doable with no effort so why not)
Got married young and went to work right out of high school. I was able to do a little programming at my first job, but after 4 years they closed down and I went to work at a factory where I would spend the next 24 years. I did go to college in the middle of that tenure and got a degree in Data Communications. I had planned a career change, but I couldnt afford the pay cut.
A few years ago things changed at the old factory, and I had to look elsewhere. I wound up working as a maintenance tech in a different industry.
I made their top grade this last year, and have learned a lot. We have controls positions there, but there is not much turnover. Still, Ive been wanting to move in that direction. We are expected to be proficient in multiple disciplines, and I am.
I wanted to do something on my own to try and learn. I learn best when I can get my hands on something and pick it apart. I scoured Ebay and managed to make a test rack of sorts using an SLC500. I got a hold of some software and got to the point where I can make things happen.
So far, I have a red light, an air solenoid and a prox.
My first program lights the lamp when the prox is triggered, counts the trigger, after 5 triggers it energizes the solenoid thru a relay, holds it on for 5 seconds (during which time it effectively ignores further prox triggers) then releases, then starts counting prox triggers again.
Sounds simple, but it put a big smile on my face! Best part was working out the bugs along the way, trying to make it do what I wanted it to.
I want to add some more inputs and outputs, and just make nonsense here on my bench. Just for fun.
Cheers!
I used to do a little programming when I was a kid working thru manuals on my old computers. (TI994a and then Atari1200XE) Have I dated myself?
In high school I took every programming course they had and aced them all, even though my smart but ADD addled brain caused me to "just get by" in other classes. (C's and B's were doable with no effort so why not)
Got married young and went to work right out of high school. I was able to do a little programming at my first job, but after 4 years they closed down and I went to work at a factory where I would spend the next 24 years. I did go to college in the middle of that tenure and got a degree in Data Communications. I had planned a career change, but I couldnt afford the pay cut.
A few years ago things changed at the old factory, and I had to look elsewhere. I wound up working as a maintenance tech in a different industry.
I made their top grade this last year, and have learned a lot. We have controls positions there, but there is not much turnover. Still, Ive been wanting to move in that direction. We are expected to be proficient in multiple disciplines, and I am.
I wanted to do something on my own to try and learn. I learn best when I can get my hands on something and pick it apart. I scoured Ebay and managed to make a test rack of sorts using an SLC500. I got a hold of some software and got to the point where I can make things happen.
So far, I have a red light, an air solenoid and a prox.
My first program lights the lamp when the prox is triggered, counts the trigger, after 5 triggers it energizes the solenoid thru a relay, holds it on for 5 seconds (during which time it effectively ignores further prox triggers) then releases, then starts counting prox triggers again.
Sounds simple, but it put a big smile on my face! Best part was working out the bugs along the way, trying to make it do what I wanted it to.
I want to add some more inputs and outputs, and just make nonsense here on my bench. Just for fun.
Cheers!
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