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

In this chapter, we explored debugging. Debugging is something that is overlooked by developing programmers and is a skill that is often learned by trial and error. The main takeaway from this chapter is that debugging is a skill much like coding and you have to practice it to hone it. As we have seen, much like the way software development is a process, so is debugging.

Many different tools and techniques can be used to help debug programs. However, the greatest tool that a developer has at their disposal is critical thinking. As we practiced with the state machine, you don’t always need tools such as debuggers. Though they are widely used tools that you should master, it is oftentimes just as effective to use print debugging and deductive reasoning to troubleshoot code. In short, as we move forward with an in-depth look at variables, it is important to note that you will continue to use debugging.