Hi Russell.

I studied Electronic Engineer, I was thinking to do a project about automation with PLC and Scada to finished my career, and I would like to know if you have some ideas about a project. I have access to a PLC Omron CP1L It has 30 points 18in/12out discretes, and I have access to the Intouch wonderware software and the i/o server of omron, I would like to do a control of temperature, humidity, and other discrete parameters, or i was thinking to do an automation of packing and control the weight, but I don't have information about those projects. I would like to know how it works, and the variables to control to don't make a mistake. The analogic inputs and outputs I can simulate with the software intouch wonderware without an analogic module.

If you give some ideas I would appreciate too much.

Thank you Russell

Regards Luis

Hi Luis!

Welcome back and thank for posting this to the forum. I guess with what you plan to do our Wonderware videos should help. Keep in mind that the videos are done in version 10. Most of what we have posted so far is still applicable in the older versions. Some of the look and feel will be different.

Ok your project. You have given me an idea of what PLC hardware you have and the operator interface. Only having discrete I/O is too bad. One simple idea that we have discussed is using a light bulb to heat up a simple temperature element such as a thermocouple. That would be an inexpensive way to do a PID demonstration; however you have to have an analog input. If you could get a temperature switch then you still might be able to demonstrate some level of control. I think with your case we would do well to simulate some type of discrete control. With that said, what kind of devices can you get to control? Do you have any setups with motors, solenoids, or other devices? If nothing else it would be good to wire up the PLC to pushbuttons/switches and lights to add a little real world control to the system. Much of what you do could be logic to control objects on the wonderware screen in response to user input on the wonderware. First I need to understand what devices you have that you can control.

Also, think about what you think would be interesting to simulate. If you dont have field devices, then you can do what we sometimes have to do which is program your control logic and then program logic to simulate the field devices. So if you were controlling a valve, you would program the system to open a valve and then you would write a corresponding program to simulate that valve. The simulation logic may set and reset the open and closed limit switches to simulate the valve opening and closing. For a filling application, the program may start a pump and the simulation logic would set level switches or accumulate a register in the plc to simulate an increasing level. Zack actually does something similar to this in his Red Lion tutorial. It may take a while, but I know he is planning to show similar logic in Wonderware. Check out the Red Lion video and see how he does that. I think you would be better to put your simulation logic in the PLC, but you will get a better idea what I am talking about.

Get me some answers to my questions and we will discuss this further.

Russell

-