Simulations¶

Every simulation, its inputs and outputs as the PLC sees them (canonical addresses; the mnemonic notation shows them as Local:<slot>:I.Data.<point>). Choose one in the Simulations menu.

I/O panel¶

Menu key io.

Generic I/O trainer: 2 input cards of switches, 2 output cards of lamps, 4 BCD thumbwheels on %IW4 and a 4-digit BCD display on %QW4.

Silo¶

Menu key silo.

Silo filling line: boxes ride a conveyor, stop under a hopper, fill, move on.

I/O: %I0.0 Start (NO pushbutton) %I0.1 Stop (NC pushbutton) %I0.3 Prox sensor (box under the hopper) %I0.4 Level sensor (box full) %I0.5 / %I0.6 / %I0.7 Selector A / B / C %Q0.0 Conveyor motor %Q0.1 Fill solenoid %Q0.2 Run lamp %Q0.3 Fill lamp %Q0.4 Full lamp Idle input word is 0022h: Stop is NC (closed) and the selector rests on A.

Traffic lights¶

Menu key traffic.

Intersection with two traffic directions, crosswalk buttons and two cars.

I/O: %Q0.0 Red A %Q0.1 Amber A %Q0.2 Green A %Q0.3 Walk (crossing A) %Q0.4 Red B %Q0.5 Amber B %Q0.6 Green B %Q0.7 Walk (crossing B) %I0.0 Crosswalk button A %I0.1 Crosswalk button B %I0.2 Car waiting at A %I0.3 Car waiting at B Car A drives along road A (lights %Q0.0-%Q0.2), car B along road B (%Q0.4-%Q0.6). A car stops at its stop line unless its light is green; on amber it keeps going if it is already close to the line. Two cars inside the junction at the same time is a crash.

Tank level¶

Menu key tank.

Tank level process: an analog loop to control with on/off or PID.

Water enters through a pump (on/off) or a proportional inlet valve (0-10 V) and leaves through an outlet whose opening the user sets (the disturbance). The level is measured 0-100 % and sent as 0-10 V; a setpoint knob sends 0-10 V on a second analog input.

Digital I/O (slot words, like the other simulations): %I0.0 Start (NO pushbutton) %I0.1 Stop (NC pushbutton) %I0.2 High level switch (level >= 90 %) %I0.3 Low level switch (level <= 10 %) %Q0.0 Pump (fixed flow) %Q0.1 Run lamp %Q0.2 High alarm lamp Analog: AI0 level (0-10 V = 0-100 %), AI1 setpoint knob (0-10 V), AO0 inlet valve (0-10 V = 0-100 %).

Two tanks¶

Menu key two_tanks.

Two tanks in series: an analog process for two loops or a cascade.

Water enters the upper tank 1 through a proportional inlet valve (or an on/off pump), flows down into tank 2 through a proportional transfer valve, and leaves tank 2 through an outlet whose opening the user sets (the disturbance). Flows through the valves fall with the square root of the level above them, as in a real gravity-fed tank.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Tank 1 high (>= 90 %) %I0.3 Tank 2 high (>= 90 %) %I0.4 Tank 2 low (<= 10 %) %Q0.0 Feed pump (fixed flow) %Q0.1 Run lamp %Q0.2 Alarm lamp Analog: AI0 tank 1 level, AI1 tank 2 level, AI2 setpoint knob (0-10 V = 0-100 %); AO0 inlet valve, AO1 transfer valve (0-10 V = 0-100 %).

Garage door¶

Menu key garage.

Garage door: a motor that opens and closes a sectional door, end-of-travel switches, a safety photo-eye across the doorway and a flashing warning light.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Open button (NO) %I0.1 Close button (NO) %I0.2 Stop button (NC) %I0.3 Open limit (door fully up) %I0.4 Closed limit (door fully down) %I0.5 Photo-eye beam clear (TRUE when nothing is in the doorway: fails safe) %Q0.0 Motor up %Q0.1 Motor down %Q0.2 Warning light %Q0.3 Courtesy light The door travels 0-100 % in 10 s. A car parked in the doorway is hit if the door reaches 30 % while closing on it.

Batch mixer¶

Menu key mixer.

Batch mixer: fill with two ingredients, mix and heat, then drain the batch.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Low level (>= 5 %) %I0.3 Middle level (>= 50 %) %I0.4 High level (>= 90 %) %Q0.0 Valve A %Q0.1 Valve B %Q0.2 Mixer motor %Q0.3 Heater %Q0.4 Drain valve %Q0.5 Batch done lamp Analog: AI0 temperature, 0-10 V = 0-100 °C.

A good batch: ingredient A up to the middle level, ingredient B on top up to the high level, mixed at least 5 s and at 50-60 °C before it is drained. Every drained batch is graded.

Elevator¶

Menu key elevator.

Elevator for three floors: hall and car buttons, floor sensors, a door with limits and a safety edge, overtravel limits at both ends of the shaft.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0-%I0.2 Hall call floors 1-3 %I0.3-%I0.5 Car buttons floors 1-3 %I0.6 %I0.7 %I1.0 Car at floor 1, 2, 3 %I1.1 Door open limit %I1.2 Door closed limit %I1.3 Door safety edge clear (TRUE unless someone is in the doorway) %I1.4 Top overtravel OK %I1.5 Bottom overtravel OK (TRUE unless the car passed the end) %Q0.0 Motor up %Q0.1 Motor down %Q0.2 Door open %Q0.3 Door close %Q0.4-%Q0.6 Position lamps floors 1-3 The car travels a floor in 3 s, the door opens or closes in 2 s. A call is served when the door opens at its floor.

Bottle line¶

Menu key bottles.

Bottle line: a conveyor carries empty bottles past a filler, a capper and an inspection station with a reject pusher. Every fifth bottle gets a bad cap from the capper and must be rejected.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Bottle at the filler %I0.3 Bottle full %I0.4 Bottle at the capper %I0.5 Bottle at inspection %I0.6 Bottle at inspection is good %Q0.0 Conveyor %Q0.1 Fill valve %Q0.2 Capper press %Q0.3 Reject pusher %Q0.4 Run lamp A bottle stops under a station only if the conveyor stops while the station's sensor sees it.

Sorting conveyor¶

Menu key sorter.

Sorting conveyor: boxes of three heights pass two light beams that measure them, then three pushers send each box into the bin for its size.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Box at the measuring point %I0.3 Low beam blocked (medium or large box) %I0.4 High beam blocked (large box) %I0.5 %I0.6 %I0.7 Box in front of pusher 1, 2, 3 %Q0.0 Conveyor %Q0.1 Pusher 1 (small) %Q0.2 Pusher 2 (medium) %Q0.3 Pusher 3 (large) %Q0.4 Run lamp Boxes arrive in the order small, large, medium, medium, small, large, …; a box that reaches the end of the belt falls off.

Pick and place¶

Menu key pick_place.

Pick and place: a two-axis pneumatic arm moves parts from an infeed to a tray with a vacuum gripper.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Arm at pick side (horizontal retracted) %I0.3 Arm at place side (horizontal extended) %I0.4 Arm up %I0.5 Arm down %I0.6 Part waiting at the pick point %I0.7 Vacuum OK (a part is held) %Q0.0 Horizontal cylinder: extend %Q0.1 Vertical cylinder: down %Q0.2 Vacuum %Q0.3 Cycle lamp Each cylinder takes 1 s from end to end. Moving sideways while the arm is down knocks things over.

Parking garage¶

Menu key parking.

Parking garage: entry and exit barriers with car detectors, a car counter and a FULL sign. Ten spaces.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Car waiting at the entry %I0.1 Car passed the entry barrier (beam) %I0.2 Car waiting at the exit %I0.3 Car passed the exit barrier (beam) %I0.4 Entry barrier up %I0.5 Exit barrier up %Q0.0 Raise entry barrier %Q0.1 Raise exit barrier %Q0.2 FULL sign %QW4 Free spaces on the display (BCD) Cars arrive from the "Car arrives" and "Car leaves" buttons, or every few seconds with "Traffic". A barrier rises in 1 s and stays up while its output is on.

Pump station¶

Menu key pumps.

Pump station: a sump fills with an inflow you set; two pumps empty it. They should take turns (equal running hours), the second one helps when the level keeps rising, and a failed pump is replaced by the other.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Reset alarm (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Low level (>= 15 %) %I0.3 Start level (>= 50 %) %I0.4 High level (>= 75 %) %I0.5 Overflow alarm level (>= 95 %) %I0.6 Pump 1 fault %I0.7 Pump 2 fault (TRUE when the pump's protection tripped) %Q0.0 Pump 1 %Q0.1 Pump 2 %Q0.2 Alarm lamp Analog: AI0 level, 0-10 V = 0-100 %.

Room climate¶

Menu key hvac.

Room climate: temperature with a heater and a cooler (analog), a fan they need, an outside temperature and a window that can be opened.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 System on (NO) %I0.1 System off (NC) %I0.2 Window open %I0.3 Airflow (fan running) %Q0.0 Fan %Q0.1 Heating lamp %Q0.2 Cooling lamp Analog: AI0 room temperature 0-10 V = 0-50 °C, AI1 setpoint knob 0-10 V = 0-50 °C, AO0 heater 0-10 V = 0-100 %, AO1 cooler 0-10 V = 0-100 %. Heating or cooling without the fan overheats the coil; heating and cooling together wastes energy.

Washing machine¶

Menu key washer.

Washing machine: lock the door, fill, wash turning left and right, drain, spin, unlock.

Digital (slot words): %I0.0 Start (NO) %I0.1 Stop (NC) %I0.2 Door closed %I0.3 Door locked %I0.4 Water present (level >= 10 %) %I0.5 Water full (>= 80 %) %I0.6 Drum stopped %Q0.0 Door lock %Q0.1 Fill valve %Q0.2 Wash left %Q0.3 Wash right %Q0.4 Spin %Q0.5 Drain pump %Q0.6 Done lamp A good wash: the clothes turn in water at least 10 s each way, the water is drained before the spin, the spin lasts at least 5 s, and the door unlocks only once the drum has stopped.