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

Introducing SOLID programming

When first introduced to SOLID programming, I was incredibly confused about its purpose. My young, inexperienced self simply could not fathom that OOP did not ensure quality code. After all, as long as you’re following proper OOP principles, you should be producing quality code, correct? Well, the answer to that is “Wrong.” Quality code stems from well-architected code. Essentially, a quality program is a program where things can be easily added or removed, bugs can be easily found, and code can be easily changed without the risk of breaking other code. This is where SOLID comes into play. SOLID programming is a set of general rules that, when followed, will drastically improve the quality of your program’s architecture.

So, what is SOLID programming? SOLID programming is a set of five object-oriented design (OOD) principles. SOLID is the brainchild of Rober C. Martin, a.k.a Uncle Bob. In short, Uncle Bob devised five principles...