Implementing a PLC Calibration Routine to Ensure Accurate Instrument Readings
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookFYIIssue 2 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control

Implementing a PLC Calibration Routine to Ensure Accurate Instrument Readings

Why Calibrate? Many applications call for a means to take accurate analog measurements. Force, pressure, electrical current, lengths, positions and other analog values that are measured must be done so with a degree of accuracy. Factory and lab personnel use calibration procedures to ensure that equipment is reading accurately. If the readings are not as…
Common Questions About Control Transformers
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookElectrical PowerIssue 2 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductTechnical Review

Common Questions About Control Transformers

What Is A Control Transformer? A control transformer is an isolation transformer designed to provide a high degree of secondary voltage stability (regulation) during a brief period of overload condition (also known as ‘inrush current’). Control transformers are also known as machine tool transformers, industrial control transformers, or control power transformers. How Do I Select…
Using Indirect Addressing in a PLC to Scale a Non-linear Analog Input Signal
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 2 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTech Thread

Using Indirect Addressing in a PLC to Scale a Non-linear Analog Input Signal

Indirect addressing, or pointer addressing as it is called with Koyo PLCs, is an addressing mode found in many processors’ instruction sets that specifies a register that contains the effective address. Accessing the operand requires two memory accesses – one to fetch the effective address and another to read or write the actual operand. Indirect…
PLC Technology and Application Tips
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 2 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLC SpeakingProductProgrammable Control

PLC Technology and Application Tips

Over the past ten years, AutomationDirect, formerly PLCDirect, has provided PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) products in many shapes, sizes, and I/O counts, and with a wide variety of features. Since PLCs were the products on which this company was founded, it is only natural to devote a column on the subject of PLCs in the…
How to Connect 3-wire Sinking & Sourcing Devices to PLC Input Modules
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 1 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTechnical Review

How to Connect 3-wire Sinking & Sourcing Devices to PLC Input Modules

When connecting a 3-wire field device to your PLC system, it is important to have a solid understanding of sinking (NPN) and sourcing (PNP) concepts. Sinking and Sourcing First, sinking and sourcing are only associated with DC circuits. DC circuits can conduct current in one direction only. This means that it is possible to connect…
HMIs and PC Control: Upwardly Mobile With Upscale Connections
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookCommunicationsIssue 1 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief

HMIs and PC Control: Upwardly Mobile With Upscale Connections

Remember when you had to be an artist to design HMI faceplates that resembled your process? Remember configuring your HMI software by filling in cryptic addresses and values, something resembling the Microsoft® Windows™ registry? Remember when your HMI was a dedicated system that only connected to a single process? Or when it was cool to…