All About PLC Analog Input and Output Signals and

Programming.
Analog Signals in the PLC
First of all, we are going to look at some numbers. If you’ve read my article about
combinatorial logic you will know that a PLC works with Boolean values. A PLC can
only work with the values 0 and 1.

This is great for digital signals. They are either 0 or 1 and thereby relatively easy to
work with. But what about analog signals? As Wikipedia writes, analog signals are
continuous signals that can vary over time.
For example, you can have a 0-10-volt analog signal. This signal can vary from 0 to
10 volts and have any voltage level in between. And since analog signals are
continuous, this signal will always at any time represent a voltage level. If you look
at the diagram below, you will see that the analog signal can have any value between
0 and 10 volts.

A/D Converter

When the analog input signal enters the PLC it goes through an A/D converter or analog to
digital converter. This is the component in the PLC analog input card that transforms the
analog signal to digital signals. It is these digital signals that will eventually give our binary
value representation in the PLC.

Before getting to know about the A/D converter it’s important to understand what type of
analog signal you’re dealing with. In this article I will focus on these three types of analog
signals in PLC programming:

 Voltage
 Current
 Resistance

The reason we need to know about the type of signal is because we need to know the range
of the signal.

One very used type of analog signal is the 4-20mA.

Resolution of Analog Signals

The number of bits you have to save the analog value is in fact called the resolution. Think
of it like your TV. It also only has a certain amount of pixels to represent a picture. The same
goes with analog to digital conversion.

Analog Inputs

With a little bit of theory in mind let’s dig into it by looking at the analog inputs in a PLC.

Analog inputs can come from a variety of sensors and transmitters or both. For example,
one the thermocouple types connected to a transmitter, which is then connected to a PLC
analog input. You can measure a whole bunch of different things. The job of the sensor or
transmitter is to transform that into an electrical signal. Here are a few of the things you
can measure with analog sensors: Level Flow Distance Viscosity Temperature

Of course there are many other things you can measure. The main point here is that we (the
sensor or transmitter) will transform those physical values into an analog signal. It is that
signal we can use in out PLC as an analog input.

An example here could be a temperature transmitter with a 4-20 mA output. Connected to

the transmitter is a temperature sensor. The transmitter is then calibrated to a range of e.g.
0-100 degrees. What this means is that when the temperature is 0 degrees the output of
the transmitter will be 4 mA, and 20 mA by 100 degrees.

A transmitter is often needed because the sensor in itself cannot provide us with an analog
signal. Or at least not one that fits a PLC analog input. It is possible to buy analog input
modules where you can connect a temperature sensor for example directly. But most often
you will have a voltage or current input module where you connect a transmitter.

2-wire Analog Input

The first and simplest way to connect a 2-wire transmitter is connecting it to be loop-
powered. Basically this means that the PLC will supply the current loop. Only 2 wires are
needed here. In order for the PLC to supply the current we need to use another terminal on
the analog input module:

3-wire Analog Input

In a 3 wire current loop only the ground is shared between the supply and the signal. The
ground is connected to both AGND and on the power supply (-). But the transmitter has 2
positive (+) wires. One that goes to the power supply (+), and one that goes to AIN.

4-wire Analog Input

The 4-wire transmitter is also widely used since it separates the supply from the signal. By
giving the transmitter 4 wires, you can have 2 for the supply and 2 for the signal. Naturally,
the 4-wire transmitter requires an external power supply.