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

How the SDLC applies to HMIs

Sadly, HMI development is often less rigorous than PLC software, which, as we have established, gets little attention compared to physical hardware. However, as we have stated in the past, the HMI will be the focal point of the software for the end user. If the HMI is not a quality HMI, the machine will run the risk of being pushed to the wayside. As such, it is important to follow the SDLC even with HMI development.

In my opinion, the design phase is of the most importance. You will usually design the layout of the HMI during the design phase. The design phase is usually the make-or-break phase of the SDLC and in terms of HMI development, even more so. As we will see in the next section, a very important part of the HMI design is wireframing, which is a technique used to create a layout of the HMI before you try to build it. Due to the nature of HMIs, you will want to be in contact with the customer/end user during the design phase.

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