Learning topics
From PLC programming fundamentals to commissioning, robotics and deciding whether automation pays off, each with clear theory, diagrams and a practice test with explained answers.
Boolean logic for PLCs
AND, OR, NOT, De Morgan and why a stop button is wired normally closed.
The PLC scan cycle
Process image, cycle time and the mistakes only people who do not understand it make.
Ladder logic (LAD) in TIA Portal
Contacts, coils, set/reset, edges, timers and counters.
Structured Text (SCL)
IF, CASE, loops and reusable blocks in Structured Text.
GRAFCET and sequences
Steps, transitions, branches and how to implement them in a PLC.
Good vs bad PLC programming
Structure, names, comments and the mistakes that give away a badly made program.
Industrial communications
PROFINET, Modbus, IP addressing and network troubleshooting.
Commissioning with the programmer
Checking inputs and outputs, forcing and troubleshooting with the programmer on the phone.
Industrial robotics
Types of robot, coordinate systems, safety and cobots.
Systems integration: is automation worth it?
How to decide whether automation pays off for a company: costs, savings, risks and alternatives.