I was hoping some SDopers may be in the EE field, for one. I was wondering what course(s) I would need to gain some knowledge of PLCs? And, what socities or associations for EEs or manufacturing can I contact to see what seminars they may be offering? (Note: I have a strong background in industry)
Thanks,
Jinx
IAAnEE, but controls is not my field. According to my alma mater, you need to take a few classes in control theory and microprocessor system design before you take the specific PLC class. Here is the EE course listing. Of course, it’s going to depend on where you take the classes, but I imagine any university will have roughly the same prerequisites. Then again, if you’re that type of person, you could probably find a good book and teach yourself. You’d need a lab to play with the hardware, though…
The biggest EE society is the IEEE. Their site has a conference search. Also, you may want to check out your favorite PLC manufacturer/distributor. They will often hold seminars about new products, etc. It might be a bit over the head of a rookie, but it’s worth a look.
Good luck!
It used to be that Allen Bradley had the US and Siemens had the rest of the world, but the two giants used to be fairly pricey too, which opened up the market for a whole bunch of smaller guys like Modicon, GE, and Honeywell. You might want to look on their web sites to see what kind of training is available.
I know that Modicon has a trial version of their Concept software that works in simulation only, which would be fine for teaching yourself how to program one fo their PLCs. Once you learn ladder logic on one PLC it’s fairly trivial to move to another PLC. Allen Bradleys are probably the most complicated just because of all of the different data types and the way it organizes things by files (which is a good thing for keeping your own sanity while programming and to protect your data).
I don’t know if the other manufacturers have trial versions of their software available, but it definatley wouldn’t hurt to check.
Also, if you’ve never had any kind of course on logic you might want to take one. I don’t see where microprocessor theory really would help, but a course in control systems would probably do some good.
Well, for the record the vast majority of PLC programmers that I’ve known (programmers, NOT controls engineers) were high school graduates or associates – no engineering degrees. One or two bona fide controls engineers I know fall into this category, too.
Here’s how I distinguish the two – programmers generally work for job shops and make less than controls engineers! Truthfully there’s a lot more to it, and “controls” is a lot more than just programming a PLC.
I’m more or less self-taught on PLCs with no formal logic background, but a very strong, self-taught computer programming background. While they don’t translate perfectly, the point is if you know how a computer works, PLCs are no problem. Later, then, you can wait for your employer to send you to training to “fill in the gaps” (such as all of your DeviceNet/ControlNet/RIO configurations and so on).
I find Allen-Bradleys to be easier than the Modicon, since the scan cycle is completely obvious – left to right on each rung from top to bottom. If you come to Modicon after being completely immersed in A-B, the differenc WILL sting you!
Good luck, and have fun, and don’t forget to learn about ABB/GM Fanuck/Kawasaki robots while you’re at it!