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

Technical requirements

This book is designed to have a very low bar to get started. The only items that are needed to get started on your journey to mastering advanced PLC programming are a Windows computer and a free program called CODESYS. CODESYS is an all-in-one PLC development environment that contains a built-in simulator that can run PLC code without the need for physical hardware. CODESYS can be downloaded for free here: https://www.codesys.com/download.htmlhttps://us.store.codesys.com/.

To get CODESYS up and running, it is recommended to have the following specs:

  • Windows 8 or later (32/64 bit)
  • 12 GB free hard drive space
  • 8 GB of RAM

Installation of CODESYS is quite simple. All you have to do is follow the link, create an account, and follow the installation wizard. We’ll explore CODESYS a bit more later, but for now, all you need to worry about is downloading and installing the software.

All code examples for this book will be housed on GitHub. Although you don’t need a GitHub account to get the code down, it is recommended that you do create an account and download the GitHub desktop tool. As you’re working on examples throughout this book, you will be encouraged to put your spin on them. As such, GitHub will allow you to commit the code without fear of losing past iterations of it. The source code for this project can be found here: https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Mastering-PLC-programming/tree/master/Chapter%201.