News Blogs

The Difference Between PLC and RTU

November 14, 2022

It’s safe to say that we all benefit from process automation in some shape or form, whether we realize it or not. Many of the products and systems that we rely upon to feed our families, get us to and from work, and allow for a restful Sunday afternoon are made possible by process automation. More often than not, the devices that drive these processes will either be a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU).

Variable Frequency Drives: Basics and Common Applications of VFDs

September 01, 2022

Electric motors are used in multiple applications of our everyday lives but require the right amount of electrical energy to provide optimal torque and speed. To control these motors, Variable Frequency Devices (VFD), are used to convert AC current into DC current from the power supply. In this article we will look at how these devices work, and how they are important

Important Differences between PLC and DCS

May 17, 2022

One of the most common questions in industrial control and automation systems is “what’s the difference between a PLC and a DCS? In order to fully understand the difference between these two systems, we must look at the history of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and break down their internal components.

Discrete vs. Analog I/O: What's the Difference?

December 01, 2021

When it comes to learning the foundations of PLC programming, it can be as easy as flicking on and off a switch. That’s the main difference between discrete and analog I/O modules! Discrete signals are simply on or off, whereas analog signals vary.

SCADA System: What is it and How it Works

November 18, 2021

When we think about technologies which have revolutionized industrial automation, we often think about a specific piece of hardware we interact with, rather than the software behind the scenes. For factories and manufacturing plants, the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) dramatically improves efficiency and control; yet it’s the SCADA software which runs all the operations smoothly.

The Importance of PLCs in Manufacturing

November 15, 2021

The common definition one would find on Wikipedia describes a PLC or Programmable Logic Controller as the following: “ A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial computer that has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, machines, robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of programming, and process fault diagnosis.

The Basics of Ladder Logic

November 03, 2021

One of the top 5 most popular types of PLC programming languages is ladder logic. But what makes it so popular, and what does it take to master the language? Ladder logic is a programming language and one of the first languages that was ever used for PLCs or programmable logic controllers.

5 Tips on How to Reduce Scan Time Using Ladder Logic - Part 2

July 20, 2021

In part 2 on how to reduce scan using Ladder Logic, we will examine the remaining three of our five general tips on how to minimize PLC scan cycle time with ladder logic programming. We will provide examples of each case as we did for the first two tips we discussed in Part 1 of this blog.