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

Summary

This chapter has explored HMIs. HMIs are pivotal pieces of software for any automation project. With the rise in power and drop in the cost of computing, HMIs are now permanently ingrained in the automation world. In short, you cannot be an automation programmer without knowing what an HMI is and how to develop one.

To the end user, the HMI will make or break the machine, they will gauge the quality of your machine based on the HMI. If the HMI is well designed and laid out, they will see the machine as better quality as opposed to a machine with a poor layout. In short, I always tell young automation programmers that the customer doesn’t care about the hardware or PLC software; what they care about is how easy the machines are to operate and the key to that is a quality HMI.

As such, we have explored what HMIs are and how they are made. We have also explored different ways to develop HMIs and the difference between HMIs and SCADA packages. Lastly, we learned how...