It can be difficult to work with various measurement units when programming a PLC, but there are a number of techniques you can employ to make the process easier.
- Choose a standard unit of measurement:
One method of streamlining the procedure is to select a common unit of measurement for all of your inputs and outputs. You may choose to employ metric measures, such as metres, kilogrammes, and degrees Celsius, for all of your sensors and actuators, for example.
Depending on the application and the sector of business you are involved in, you must select a standard unit of measurement. Here are some typical illustrations of common units of measurement for various kinds of sensors and actuators:
- Length: meters (m), centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), inches (in), feet (ft), yards (yd)
- Weight/Mass: kilograms (kg), grams (g), pounds (lb), ounces (oz)
It’s critical to pick a unit that is accepted across your sector and is acceptable for the measurement being made. Making use of a common unit of measurement can also help to guarantee the compatibility of your programme with other hardware and applications.
- Use conversion factors:
Conversion factors can be used to convert data from sensors or actuators that utilise distinct measurement units to values in a common unit. For instance, you may convert a sensor’s reading of temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius using a conversion factor.
Before employing conversion factors, it is important to make sure the units are compatible. For instance, in order to convert a value in metres to a value in pounds, the value must first be converted to a suitable unit, such as kilogrammes. Making ensuring the conversion factor is implemented appropriately in the PLC programme is also essential to preventing output mistakes.
- Define Conversion Factors: For each sensor or measurement unit you’re using, start by establishing conversion factors. The raw data, which is often collected via sensors, should be related to the necessary engineering units by means of these variables.
- Create Variables: Create variables in your PLC programme to hold both the original sensor data and the transformed values. Depending on the range and accuracy of the measurements, assign the proper data types to these variables.
- Use scaling:
Another technique for changing the sensor’s raw input value to the desired output value is scaling. For instance, scaling enables you to translate a sensor’s millimeter-based distance data into metres for your output.
Before employing conversion factors, it is important to make sure the units are compatible. For instance, in order to convert a value in metres to a value in pounds, the value must first be converted to a suitable unit, such as kilogrammes. Making ensuring the conversion factor is implemented appropriately in the PLC programme is also essential to preventing output mistakes.
- Create custom functions:
If you need to do complex calculations requiring several units of measurement, you may construct custom functions in your PLC (programmable logic controller) programming software to simplify the process. The fact that these routines may be reused throughout your programme makes working with different units of measurement easier.
Custom functions might be helpful for conducting computations unique to a certain application or for encapsulating sophisticated logic. By dividing the code into reusable components, they can also assist in making the PLC programme more modular and simpler to maintain.
Employing different measurement units in PLC programming requires considerable thought and preparation. Using standard units of measurement, conversion factors, scaling, and custom functions helps simplify the process and ensure the reliability and correctness of your programme.
Making ensuring that the different measuring units are compatible with one another is essential when programming a PLC. Utilising conversion factors, values may be changed from one unit of measurement to another. Scaling is a technique for converting the unprocessed input value from a sensor into the desired output value using a linear equation. Custom functions can also be designed to do certain activities that aren’t covered by the programming software’s built-in functions. These techniques make it easier for PLC programmers to use a variety of measurement units in their code.
Overall, careful planning, comprehensive documentation, thorough testing, and adherence to best practises are needed to manage various measurement units effectively in PLC programming. By doing this, you can be confident that your control system will process and react to the numerous measures that are essential to your industrial operations properly.
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