The most important thing about learning to program PLCs is understanding ladder logic. Unlike other computer languages, ladder logic is graphical, meaning that the program is literally drawn out rather than typed. This can be confusing to programmers who come from a background in traditional languages, such as C or C++. You don’t get anything…
Anytime automation is required in any system or process, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is often the most ideal solution. There are many things to consider when selecting a PLC for a given task or tasks. PLCs are best suited to rugged environments where there may be excessive dust, metal swarf, or moisture that could…
From looms to robots, humanity is in constant pursuit of ways to enhance lives with machines. Though the term “automation” was coined in the automotive manufacturing industry back in the 1940’s, it has become applicable to nearly every sector of the global business economy. Its definition is too-often misconstrued as the replacement of human workers…
Terms like analog and digital are something we’ve heard about during our school days, and in terms of electronics, these two terms play a huge role. A signal can be either analog or digital, and the differences between them can sometimes be huge. The main difference is that when operating with analog signals there are…
In an electrical circuit, we always encounter either a circuit breaker or a fuse. Many people, even with all available info on the internet, mistake a fuse for a circuit breaker or vice versa. The common thing about these two is that they both protect electrical circuits from overloads. These overloads are usually mitigated by…
In music and everyday life, a tone represents a harmonic sound that sounds good to our ears. The noise, however, is the disharmonic sound that’s everything but desirable. When it comes to the electricity, we can only identify with the noise, as it’s something that can cause you a lot of trouble. This noise is…
