1. Preliminary Report: PLC Trainer
The main idea of our project is to fix the functionality for Waltech so it runs more like RSLogix500

2. Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
Abstract
Programmable Logic Controllers are widely adopted in Industrial Automation
RSLogix 500 is the application used to program the PLC
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

3. Problem PLC: $500 - $4000 Arduino Nano/Mega/Uno: $20 - $50
Electronic Bread Board: $10
Arduino Nano
Arduino Uno
Arduino Mega

4. Problem (Cont.)
Industrial Automation’s biggest challenge today is the high initial cost to purchase or program automated machinery
The GUI application allows the mechanical engineers to program these complicated devices without actually understanding the underlying code
This open source application will allow students to work outside of the lab on the hardware of their choice

5. Timers and Counters Timer On Delay Retentive Timer On Counter up
Counter down

6. Three Overarching Tasks
Filling out the rest of the instruction set, including timer and counter functionality
More efficient and convenient management of input and output assignments
Live feedback of Arduino state through serial communication
New instructions coded into OutlineToC.py, reference bits
Arduino diagram included in mainwindow, drag-n-drop
Switched to emulation for internal elements (non-I/O)

8. Waltech Program popupDialogs Emulator main manageGrid LadderToOutline
SerialCommunicator
OutlineToC
Arduino
hexmaker
LLCode

9. Design Process QT Designer Pyqt4 mainwindow.ui timer.ui counter.ui
mainwindow_ui.py
timer_ui.py
counter_ui.py

10. MainWindow UI File List of elements in current program design
Elements and instruction that define the ladder logic
Console for debugging purposes
GraphicsScene where user can design unique ladder logic programs for testing
Console for user-directed messages
Tools for manipulating rungs and ladder

11. New Use Cases

12. Internal Bits XIO_Internal XIC OUT TIMER COUNTER Name Name_1 Name_2
None
In_1
Out_1
Location
X,Y
Done_Bit

13. Ladder Logic to Arduino
Outline To C
Hex maker
AVR
The ladder logic is converted to C code here, python uses a string to create C code. Our added functionality has been integrated here.
C code is compiled with AVR-GCC, converted into hex, and flashed into Arduino

14. Send Command to get I/O states
Serial Communicator
Send Command to get I/O states
Check Register for command
Go through all input and output registers generating a string of 0’s and 1’s

16. Switching to Waltech Program
Live Demonstration
Switching to Waltech Program

17. Limitations and Lessons Learned
Emulator can’t handle parallel circuits; needed more planning to organize data processed by the emulator such that multiple previous elements can be evaluated by a single current element
Feedback causes lag in GUI and Arduino; processing time is not always negligible, especially for arbitrarily long inputs; will require a more advanced method of synchronization to fix

18. Future Work
Additional Functionality – filling out the rest of the instruction set available on RSLogix500
Forcing a Bit – enabling a user to change the values stored on the Arduino while it is running
Hardware options – extending viable hardware to a full Arduino emulator, Raspberry Pi, etc.

19. Questions? Comments? Concerns?
THANK YOU
Questions? Comments? Concerns?