INPUT AND OUTPUT PROCESSING

SUBMITTED BY:

FALCON, ARVIE R.

SUBMITTED TO:

MR. ALDRIN DE GUZMAN

BSIT ELECTRONICS 3B
 PLC originated in the late 1960s in the automotive industry in the US and were designed
to replace relay logic systems. Before, control logic for manufacturing was mainly composed
of relays, cam timers, drum sequencers, and dedicated closed-loop controllers.

I/O processing

The input/output (I/O) unit provides the interface between the PLC controller and
the outside world and must therefore provide the necessary signal conditioning to get the
signal to the required level and also to isolate it from possible electrical hazards such as
high voltages. This chapter includes the forms of typical input/output modules and, in an
installation where sensors are some distance from the PLC processing, their
communication links to the PLC

Input Unit
Digital Plc inputs are the most common types of inputs in PLC systems; due to
the fact that PLCs are digital electronic devices themselves, thus, they’re able to easily
process digital signals. A digital PLC input is basically a binary signal that is either ON or
OFF, and which is applied to the PLC processor from a digital field input device

Digital Field Input Devices in PLCs

• START/STOP Push Buttons
• Proximity Sensors
• Limit Switches

Analog PLC inputs are continuous signals from field input devices to the PLC CPU via
the analog input modules.

Analog Field Input Devices in PLCs

• Thermocouple Sensors

• Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs)

• Displacement Sensors

Output Units

Output unit is used to transmit the executed data from the PLC to the outside
world. The outside world can be any application of the PLC. This unit is called the
actuator of the PLC. Outputs from the PLC are received in different forms at the receiving
end. The output can be also of analog or digital type depending upon the input type.

Digital PLC outputs are control circuits that use only binary data (1 and 0) to give the
PLC CPU control over field output devices. A digital PLC output is thus a processed
binary control output from the PLC to the field devices. Digital PLC outputs are typically
used to provide an ON or OFF (OPEN or CLOSED) control scheme to any device or
system being controlled by the connected PLC.

Types of Digital PLC Outputs

• Relay PLC Outputs

• Transistor PLC Outputs

• TRIAC PLC Outputs

Relay

The relay outputs from PLCs are used to operate both DC (Direct Current) and
AC (Alternating Current) field output devices. They provide low resistance control of up
to 2A (Amperes).

Transistor

Transistor outputs are voltage-dependent and they can only operate DC loads.
PLC control systems providing transistor outputs are mainly used in low-power DC
circuitry such as within microprocessors and in applications that require faster switching
operations like controlling lights.

Triac

is a term that means Triode for Alternating Current (AC). TRIACs are silicon-
based, solid-state electronic switches that are activated by a small amount of control
voltage from a PLC for example. Their working principle is similar to that of MOSFET
(Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) transistors. TRIAC PLC outputs are
ideal for controlling low-power AC loads such as motor starters, lighting systems, and
contactors.

Examples of Digital Field Output Devices in PLCs

• Indicator Lights
• Alarms
• Actuators
• Solenoid Valves

Signal conditioning
Analog signals must be properly "prepared" before being converted to digital
form for further processing. Signal conditioning is an electronic circuit that
manipulates a signal to prepare it for the next stage of processing. Many data
collection applications involve environmental or mechanical measurements from
sensors such as: Temperature and vibration. These sensors require signal conditioning
before data acquisition devices can effectively and accurately measure them.
Some Example of signal conditioning
• Linearization
• Amplifying or amplification
• Flitering
• Isolation -Helps to protect sensetive equipment from potential hazards that
may come trough the signal path from the sensor any unwanted noise along
the signal path and eliminate any elestrostatic cause by ground loops

Remote Connection
Remote I/O simply means that the I/O module is at a remote place physically
located a distance from the control PLC
Remote I/O module will speak to the PLC via an Adaptor Module connected
to the controller backplane in the PLC rack.

When there are many inputs or outputs located

considerable distances away from the PLC, while it
would be possible to run cables from each such
device to the PLC a more economic solution is to use
input output modules in the vicinity of the inputs and
outputs and use just a single core cable to connect
each, over the long distances, to the PLC instead of
the multicore cable that would be needed without
such distant I/O modules

In some situations a number of PLCs may

be linked together with a master PLC unit
sending and receiving input/output data
from the other units (Figure 4.18). The
distant PLCs do not contain the control
program since all the control processing is
carried out by the master PLC.
Serial and parallel Communications
Serial communication is used for transmitting data over long distances. It is much
cheaperto run the single core cable needed for serial communication over a long
distance than themulticore cables that would be needed for parallel communication.
With a PLC system,serial communication might be used for the connection between a
computer, when usedas a programming terminal, and a PLC.
Parallel communication might be used whenconnecting laboratory instruments to the
system. Internally however, PLCs work withparallel communications for speed. Thus,
circuits called universal asynchronous receivers/transmitters (UARTs) have to be used
at input/output ports to convert serial communicationssignals to parallel.
Networks

With the STAR FORM,the terminals are each directly

linked to a central computer, termed the host or master,
with the terminals being called slaves. The host contains
the memory, processing, and switching equipment to
enable the terminals to communicate. Access to the
terminals is by the host asking each terminal in turn
whether it wants to talk or listen

bus or single highway type of network, each of the

terminals is linked into a single cable and so each
transmitter/ receiver has a direct path to each other
transmitter/receiver in the network. Methods, that is,
protocols, have to be adopted to ensure that no more
than one terminal talks at once; otherwise confusion can
occur. A terminal has to be able to detect whether
another terminal is talking before it starts to talk.

the ring network , a continuous cable, in the form of a

ring, links all the terminals. Again, methods have to be
employed to enable communications from different
terminals without messages becoming mixed up. The
single highway and the ring methods are often called
peer to peer in that each terminal has equal status. Such
a system allows many stations to use the same network.