Book Image

Mastering PLC Programming

By : Mason White
Book Image

Mastering PLC Programming

By: Mason White

Overview of this book

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a new feature of PLC programming that has taken the automation world by storm. This book provides you with the necessary skills to succeed in the modern automation programming environment. The book is designed in a way to take you through advanced topics such as OOP design, SOLID programming, the software development lifecycle (SDLC), library design, HMI development, general software engineering practices, and more. To hone your programming skills, each chapter has a simulated real-world project that’ll enable you to apply the skills you’ve learned. In all, this book not only covers complex PLC programming topics, but it also removes the financial barrier that comes with most books as all examples utilize free software. This means that to follow along, you DO NOT need to purchase any PLC hardware or software. By the end of this PLC book, you will have what it takes to create long-lasting codebases for any modern automation project.
Table of Contents (25 chapters)
1
Part 1 – An Introduction to Advanced PLC Programming
6
Part 2 – Modularity and Objects
10
Part 3 – Software Engineering for PLCs
14
Part 4 – HMIs and Alarms
19
Part 5 – Final Project and Thoughts

Libraries — Write Once, Use Anywhere

Usually, when code is developed by a third party, it is shipped as a library. In CODESYS, a library is precompiled code that is designed to augment your code. In traditional programming, libraries are everywhere and are the backbone of most projects. In short, libraries offer a way to interface with unique hardware or add advanced functionality to a project without you having to worry about developing code for it.

Libraries are everywhere. If you ever wondered how Android and iPhone devices talk to hardware such as glucometers, household robots, and so on, the answer is libraries. You will not be able to function as a programmer without understanding libraries. Without libraries, you will not be able to talk to custom hardware, such as motor drives, encoders, and so on. In short, you will be very limited in what you can do as a programmer if you don’t know how to use libraries.

In this chapter, we will explore the following:

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