Jon Giardina
Omron Electronics Inc.
Schaumburg, Ill.

An existing OEM elevator controller is replaced with an Omron CQM1 PLC and an Omron IDM drive.

The numbers tell a tale of programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) firm entrenchment in control applications. For instance, hardware sales figures for 2001 show $80 million spent for open control (PCbased control), with $1.1 billion being spent on programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) solutions. Even as the trend is for both figures to grow by 2004, programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ) still have a sizable advantage over PCs.

Engineers these days are calling for networking capabilities. A programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ) are now low-cost dedicated controllers. They offer more processing power and have added networking capabilities with other programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ) through serial connections. A micro programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) has an Ethernet connection with optional DeviceNet or Profibus modules. So the total system is not just a stand-alone controller, but one that can network to bigger programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ). Also, increased processing speeds allow for any given programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) to do more. Because of these changes, the programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) remains a viable control option.

One trend is towards a so-called hybrid programmable logic controller ( PLCs ). These more common hybrid applications are challenging the capabilities of each control approach. Their number is growing because fewer applications are pure discrete or pure process installations. One example is a programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) on a board with sequence logic-controller functions. It plugs into a PC ISA slot and has the same programming and instruction set as a stand-alone programmable logic controller ( PLCs ). So if you already have a PC on the factory floor, you don't need to buy a programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) in a box, just the board that plugs into the PC. It has a separate power supply so that if the PC crashes, the programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) keeps running. The board also has its own I/O connectors.

Another type of programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) is an industrially hardened gateway device. It comes with a number of ports and can be loaded with a soft programmable logic controller ( PLCs ). It has Ethernet, DeviceNet, and serial communications and serves as a bridge between protocols on the factory floor between legacy systems and current systems. For instance, data from serial devices such as bar code scanners can be connected to the gateway and through the soft programmable logic controller ( PLCs ) program.

Programmable Logic Controller ( PLCs ): Motion Controller Information