When choosing the type of input or output module for your PLC system, it is very important to have a solid understanding of sinking and sourcing concepts. Use of these terms occurs frequently in discussion of input or output circuits. It is the goal of this post to make these concepts easy to understand, so you can make the right choice the first time…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightDrivesEducation/DIYEnergy/UtilitiesHMIIndustryIssue 29 - 2014Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent SpotlightVariable Speed Drives
People's Choice for a Cost-Effective and Energy-Efficient Solar-Powered Home
UrbanEden, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s entry to the Solar Decathlon 2013, is a concept home consisting of four connected indoor and outdoor spaces that create a unique
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 29 - 2014Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOnline OnlyPLC SpeakingProductProgrammable Control
Do-more Designer Gets More Amazing!
Do-more Designer is the full-featured programming tool for the Do-more CPUs that can be downloaded for FREE. That’s the entire Do-more programming package, NOT a demo version, for FREE. The software package already includes outstanding features such as a Project Browser, Data View, Trend View, PID View, Debug View, and a built-in simulator that creates…
It’s been over a year since the Do-more PLC joined the AutomationDirect family, and it has proven to be one of the best PLC values in the automation industry. We have gotten overwhelming positive feedback from our customers on this amazing product. Here is a list of 10 game changing advantages that customers are enjoying…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookFYIIssue 28 - 2014Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control
Do-more H2 or Do-more T1H: How to choose
Which is better? A DirectLOGIC style Do-more or the new Terminator I/O style Do-more? The incredible power of the Do-more processor is now available in the popular Terminator I/O form factor. Functionally, both units have identical Do-more engines, so how do you know which one is better for your application? The answer is … It…
+Tech TopicsApplicationAutomation NotebookData CollectionIssue 28 - 2014Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief
DataWorx with Do-more PLC support
AutomationDirect has partnered with BizWareDirect for several years, supplying DataWorx data collection and monitoring software for compatible DirectLOGIC programmable logic controllers (PLCs), Productivity3000 and WinPLC controllers. Previously, it had been necessary to purchase an OPC/DDE server and write code, or buy an HMI package, to collect data from AutomationDirect controllers. BizWareDirect’s data collection software makes…
We have added several exciting products since our last edition of the Automation Notebook. Here are some highlights about some of those new products including: Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers for Enclosure Cooling, Ultrasonic Liquid Level Sensors and Transmitters, NITRA® NFPA Cushioned Pneumatic Air Cylinders, FC Series Potentiometer and Bipolar Signal Conditioners, 30mm FW Series Photoelectric Sensors and more. Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData System MonitoringEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 27 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions
Switching to Do-more Saves Time
Almost 14 years ago, I converted the controls in my 80KW hydro electric plant, located in the mountains of western North Carolina, from custom micro-controller cards I developed while at Georgia Tech to the DirectLOGIC DL205 PLC with a D2-260 CPU. In 2013, it was time to make some upgrades to the plant by adding…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData System MonitoringEducation/DIYFacilitiesIndustryIssue 27 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightTest and Measurement
Students help Manufacturing Center See AND Do More
When the mechatronics students at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) in Hickory, North Carolina, went looking for a suitable project to challenge their recently acquired PLC and HMI skills, they didn’t have to go far. The Problem The college’s Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) in nearby Conover needed a way to monitor the status of a…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 24 - 2012Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief
Ease of Motion with Do-more PLC and the H2-CTRIO2
Part of the vision for the Do-more PLC control engine was to make maximum use of Host Engineering’s next generation High Speed Counter and Pulse Output module, the H2-CTRIO2. Pairing this new module with a Do-more CPU creates a solid motion control package that is easier to use than its predecessors while offering more flexible…