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

Exploring wireframing

Wireframing is a simple yet vital concept for any type of UI development. Generally, this is a practice that isn’t carried out much in the automation world, but when it is, it can greatly benefit the overall HMI design. So, what is wireframing?

In short, wireframing is a design practice where you lay out UI/HMI designs on either paper or some type of rendering program before you start the development process. For example, a wireframe may look like Figure 11.2.

Figure 11.2 – Wireframe for mock HMI

Figure 11.2 – Wireframe for mock HMI

As can be deduced, this is a simple diagram of the mock HMI in Figure 11.1. However, in the diagram, there are labeled components such as the LEDs and so on.

Generally, you don’t have to wireframe in any particular software package as you can simply draw them out on paper or a whiteboard. You usually want to wireframe on a whiteboard or paper during things such as brainstorming sessions. If you’re using an...