A. The Software - Free TRiLOGI PLC
Simulation Software
The free education version of TRiLOGI ladder logic simulator is one of the most popular
PLC software recommended by college professors and students around the world for learning
PLC programming, Hundreds of thousand of copies of this software have been downloaded
since 2001. Books and
tutorials have
been written by college professors with examples created using TRiLOGI software.
The production version of the I-TRiLOGI software is identical to the free educational
version in every way, except that only the production version can transfer compiled
program to the real PLC. Hence students who have already downloaded the free educational
version to learn PLC programming can immediately use the production version to conduct
experiment with the real PLC.
B. The PLC - The Lowest Cost Nano-10 PLC with Ethernet
The Nano-10 PLC is an industry-tested, full strength PLC with an incredibly low entry
price. It is created for the purpose of popularizing the Ethernet port on PLC on even the
smallest possible PLC. With 4 DI, 4 DO, 2 AI, built-in support for PWM, stepper motor,
pulse frequency measurement, high speed encoder interface, RS485 interface that support
Modbus communication protocols, and of course, an Ethernet port that allows remote
programming and emailing via the Internet. A student can create his/her own web page to
control the PLC using a web browser and connect it to industrial SCADA using Modbus/TCP
protocol.
C. PLC Lab & Experiments
College professors can easily set up a lab full of Nano-10 PLCs and I-TRiLOGI software that cost next to
nothing compared to any other set-ups!
More importantly, with this lab set up, the students can download a free
version of the TRILOGI software to write their PLC program and test with the simulator
before coming to the lab. The same PLC program file can then be brought to the lab to
transfer into the PLC for some hands-on experiments and debugging.
Students with interest to further their PLC knowledge can also purchase
their own personal Nano-10 PLC Starter Kit at very special price using participating
College Purchase program (for more details, please fill in the form that link you to this
page, or email to educationPLC@tri-plc.com using your college email address and your
contact details).
The following are just some ideas of experiments that can be designed around I-TRiLOGI and
Nano-10 PLC. You surely will think of many more engaging and educational experiments for
your students:
| 1 |
Elementary Ladder Logic Programming: learn to use AND/OR NOT functions,
countdown timers, up/down counters, sequencers, etc. |
| 2 |
Data processing, computation, comparison using its
built-in high level language: TBASIC. |
| 3 |
Analog interfacing with its 2 channel 0-5V, 12-bit analog
inputs. |
| 4 |
Learning about PWM control with its 2 built-in PWM
outputs. |
| 5 |
Experiment with Stepper motor control using its built-in stepper motor
controller |
| 6 |
Learning about Optical Encoder interface using its High Speed Counter. |
| 7 |
PID control using its built-in function, or create own routine using the
TBASIC language. |
| 8 |
Scheduled event execution using its Real-time clock. |
| 9 |
Interfacing to Touch screen HMI or SCADA software. |
| 10 |
RS485 Communication between the PLCs or between a PLC and a third-party
hardware such as power meters, motor driver, etc. |
| 11 |
Remote control of each other’s PLCs via the Internet or LAN. |
| 12 |
Creating the student’s own web page to control the PLC |
| 13 |
Program the PLC to send email to the students when a certain event occurs. |
| 14 |
Data acquisition experiment using Microsoft Excel software.
|