For many, blockchain is synonymous with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, although blockchain technology is the basis for cryptocurrencies, it has many more applications than digital currency. Some have stated that blockchain has created the’ internet of value’ while others tout it as the one thing that will change the way we transact with each other forever. While these statements may be true, many people today don’t fully grasp what it is or how it works. Below we shed some light on blockchain technology. Bitcoin Blockchain was invented by a person, or group of people, known as Satoshi Nakamoto , who released Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, in 2008 and described it as the first purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash. Bitcoin is reliant upon blockchain technology which, when broken down to its component parts – distributed files, cryptography, and openness – is nothing new. What is new is the use of these parts in unison. Essentially, blockchain is a computer...
Add-on instructions are generally a small, tested, pocket of code that the user wants to reuse multiple times in program(s). This tutorial will go into best practices of add-on instructions, how the add-on instructions work, and it will go through creating a custom add-on instruction. There are some best practices for add-on instructions, which are listed below. Testing: Add-on instructions cannot be changed online so make sure whatever instruction the program is using is tested and will work in a production environment. Again, add-on instructions cannot be changed online. Single Level: It is good practice to write only a single level of add-on instructions, meaning that you should not have add-on instructions within add-on instructions, even though it is possible. Naming: It is good practice to name add-on instructions with a consistent prefix. For example, “ao\_IO\_DigitalOutput” would be an add-on instruction for a digital output. When add-on instructions have a consistent prefix...
There are a few different methods of programming for a Control Logix processor, listed here in the order of most common to least common: Ladder Logic (Most common, Preferred) Function Block Diagram Sequential Function Charts Structured Text In this tutorial, I will go over the different methods and describe how they work. Hopefully, the differences between programming methods will be clear. Each method has its own instruction set. Some are very similar between methods but some instructions are only available in one method versus the other. For example, the PIDE instruction, which is called “Enhanced PID” is only available inside the function block diagram method. In a Control Logix PLC, combinations CAN be used in conjunction with each other. The different routines can access the same tags regardless of method, meaning that a function block diagram can access the same tags as a ladder routine. It is good practice to use one method of programming, but if a different instruction is only...
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 too fancy with ladder logic; rather, the graphical program is meant to represent a facsimile of a wiring diagram for traditional relay logic. Relays were used, and still are, to control various systems and these control systems are often very complicated. Engineers needed a way to represent the complicated arrangements and relationships in a relay control system, so the ladder logic representation was developed to make things clear. You will find schematic diagrams for relay racks written out using ladder logic notation to this day. The popularity and longevity of ladder logic notation can be traced to its ease of use. Ladder logic is easy for...
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 cause other types of control equipment to fail. The most common task for PLC is taking input from sensors and activating or deactivating the outputs according to the inputs. They are also well suited for timing control, for systems like lights or motors. Allen-Bradley offers PLCs in all shapes and sizes from the MicroLogix series for small applications to systems like the ControlLogix for high-performance applications. PLCs are generally housed in an enclosure to further protect the devices. When designing the control system you should pay attention to the dimensions of the PLC and how it is properly mounted. All Allen-Bradley PLCs offer convenient rack or rail...
A PLC or Programmable Logic Controller is an electronic or computer device used for industrial control systems. PLCs run a program that manages inputs and logically turns outputs on/off to obtain the desired control. This article will cover the general structure of a PLC program. PLC programming An instruction or job order is formed by two main parts: operation and function. The function is the complement of the operation and is divided into symbol and parameter. The operation determines the CPU’s job or the kind of instruction that it must execute, and the function determines the address. The address, in turn, indicates where the CPU should execute the instruction of elements such as counters, timers, I/O, and internal marks. Basic examples of instructions are: LD: (4C) Loads the line LDN: (42) Negation of the operation LD AND: (41) AND logic ANDN: (44) Negation of the operation AND OR: (4F) OR logic To write a program, other kinds of instructions called service instructions are...
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 with machines, though in actuality automation refers to the integration of machines into a self-governing system. As automation becomes more prevalent, human workers are challenged to assimilate their robot counterparts and expand their skillsets into realms beyond what has ever been required in their chosen professions. At the same time, businesses across the global manufacturing sector must thoughtfully adopt automation in a manner which creates maximum value for their organizations. Jacquard Loom – Image credit: Northampton Silk Project According to Mikell P. Groover , author of “Automation, Production Systems, and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing” , automation grew from mechanization, which is the replacement of human or...
In an increasingly connected world, consumers, businesses, and governments are presented with unprecedented access to data. What they do with that data depends on the questions they wish to ask and the technological capabilities available to produce answers. As the ability to generate insights from data evolves at an increasingly rapid pace, both technology and humans will grow smarter and more empowered. For any study, confidence in the outcomes and conclusions is directly tied to the size and quality of the dataset. Thanks to increasing worldwide digitization and Internet-connectedness, nearly every person on the planet creates mountains of data ripe for study. Entities on the receiving end of these large swaths of data find themselves in possession of a rich, albeit unwieldy, source of market insights. The definition of this “Big Data” evolves as the digital landscape transforms. Think of it not as a thing, but as a concept. In that context, Big Data encompasses all of the...
Deloitte , a private UK company made up of a collection of international firms, has released the results of their 2017 Global Robotics Survey , for which they surveyed 400 professionals representing a panorama of industries across the globe. The aim of this third annual call for responses was to gather information about the growing trend of implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Their findings are predictive of a fast approaching, permanent change in the world’s business landscape, as corporations continue to invest in RPA and work through the struggles of scale. RPA technology Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a type of technology that is becoming rapidly prevalent in global industries. This type of technology is designed to free human workers from repetitive tasks. Though the term is often used interchangeably with words like “robotics”, “robots” or “bots”, it specifically refers to software robots, not those that perform physical tasks. RPA technology uses business logic...
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 infinite possibilities, whereas digital (discrete) signals operate in a finite realm where the possibilities are limited. So, what is an analog signal? What is a digital signal? What are the key differences? You’ll learn all that at more in this tutorial! Electronic signals here are basically time-varying variables. The signals contain some sort of information and the varying quantity in electrical engineering is either current or voltage. More often than not, it’s voltage. All in all, a signal represents a change of voltage or current over time. Signals are all around us. A signal from your Wi-Fi receiver, a Bluetooth signal, an infrared signals, a signal from the radio...
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 disrupting the continuity of the current. So, since both the circuit breaker and fuse essentially do the same thing, do we really need both of them? If so, which one is better, and why? We’ve done our best to answer these questions in this article. Fuse – en.wikipedia.org A fuse is something we all have in our houses and buildings, whether it is a commercial or residential building. While there are several types of fuses, the most common one is made of metal and is plugged into a central fuse box. The metal wire inside the fuse is enclosed in ceramic or metal casing, which is then mounted into a central fuse box, located at the place where the wiring passes...
Servo systems are now well-known for their use in CNC machining, robotics, and factory automation. The servo technology is further expanded with the manufacturing of servo drives, used for powering electric servomechanisms. Despite being an excellent option for industry use, we also have these VFDs (Variable-Frequency Drives) which tend to be used a lot as an alternative for servo drives, given their energy-saving potential. Since both of these are widely used in industry and manufacturing processes, it’s important to point out some of the differences between them and in which situations is one better than the other. To do that, we’ll first need to see what are VFDs and servo drives and then compare the crucial differences. A servo drive is an integral part of a servo system that consists of a motor, a controller, a feedback device, and of course – a servo drive. Simply put, a servo drive is a part of the servo system that receives a particular command from a control system, amplifies...
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 sometimes called ‘electromagnetic interference’ and can disrupt the normal workflow of your measuring instruments such as sensors, for example. Despite the fact that it doesn’t sound too critical or scary, you’ll still need to protect your electrical devices from the noise. Luckily for you, we’re going to explain what exactly is noise and how you can prevent it. Simply put, the electric noise is a disturbance in an electric that causes changes in voltage or current. As we’re talking about the unwanted disturbance, its pattern is often random, sporadic, and can’t be foreseen. When the electric noise occurs, we can always notice a sudden, yet a short increase of voltage or current...
A multimeter is something that we’ve all seen but many still don’t know how to use it. Checking your electronic system for faults was never this easy – simply grab your multimeter, set it to a required value and start measuring voltage, resistance, and current. Nowadays, you can find multimeters for less than 10 bucks and even this cheap piece of hardware can come in handy when you need to fault-chek your battery or any other device. But, measuring voltage, resistance, and current is something that’s vastly different, even for your multimeter. When you don’t understand how a multimeter works, you can end up with a blown fuse. This means that your multimeter uses different techniques for measuring these 3 different variables. Trying to measure a certain value in a way that’s used for measuring a different value will cause your multimeter fuse to blow. Well, as we said earlier; it blew as a result of misusing its functions. The multimeter comes with two inserts for positive leads. One...