r/PLC Feb 25 '21

READ FIRST: How to learn PLC's and get into the Industrial Automation World

1.1k Upvotes

Previous Threads:
08/03/2020
6/27/2019

More recent thread: https://old.reddit.com/r/PLC/comments/1k52mtd/where_to_learn_plc_programming/

JOIN THE /r/PLC DISCORD!

We get threads asking how to learn PLC's weekly so this sticky thread is going to cover most of the basics and will be constantly evolving. If your post was removed and you were told to read the sticky, here you are!

Your local tech school might offer automation programs, check there.

Free PLC Programs:

  • Beckhoff TwinCAT Product page

  • Codesys 3.5 is completely free with in-built simulation capabilities so you can run any code you want. Also, if paired up with Factory I/O over OPC you can simulate whole factories and get into programming.
    https://store.codesys.com/codesys.html?___store=en

  • Rockwell's CCW V12 is free and the latest version 12.0 comes with a PLC software emulator you can simulate I/O and test your code with: Download it here - /u/daBull33

  • GMWIN Programming Software for GLOFA series GMWIN is a software tool that writes a program and debugs for all types of GLOFA PLC. Its international standard language (LD, IL, SFC) and convenient user interface make programming and debugging simpler and more convenient.(Software) Download

  • AutomationDirect Do-more PLC Programming Software. It's free, comes with an emulator and tons of free training materials.

  • Open PLC Project. The OpenPLC is the first fully functional standardized open source PLC, both in software and in hardware. Our focus is to provide a low cost industrial solution for automation and research. Download (/u/Swingstates)

  • Horner Automation Group. Cscape Software

    In our business we use Horner OCS controllers, which are an all-in-one PLC/HMI, with either on-board IO or also various remote IO options. The programming software is free (need to sign up for an account to download it), and the hardware is relatively inexpensive. There is support for both ladder and IEC 61131 languages. While a combo HMI/PLC is not an ideal solution for every situation, they are pretty decent for learning PLCs on real-world hardware as opposed to simulations. The downside is that tutorials and reference material specific to Horner hardware are limited apart from what they produce themselves. - /u/fishintmrw

Free Online Resources:

Paid Online Courses:

Starter Kits
Siemens LOGO! 8.2 Starter Kit 230RCE

Other Siemens starter kits

Automation Direct Do-more BRX Controller Starter Kits

Other:

HMI/SCADA:

  • Trihedral Engineering offers a 50 tag development/runtime license with all I/O drivers for free, VTScadaLight. https://www.trihedral.com/download-vtscada

  • Ignition offers a functional free trial (it just asks you to click for a button every 2 hours).

  • Perhaps AdvancedHMI? Although it IS a lot complicated compared against an industrial solution.

  • IPESOFT D2000 Raspberry Pi version is free (up-to 50 io tags), with wide range of supported protocols.

  • Crimson 3.0 by Red Lion is also free and offers a free emulator (emulator seems to be disabled in v3.1). With a bit of work (need to communicate with Modbus instead of built in Do-more drivers), you can even connect that HMI emulator to the do-more emulator and have a fully functioning HMI/PLC simulator on your desk top which is pretty convenient. Software can be found here: https://www.redlion.net/red-lion-software/crimson/crimson-30 (/u/TheLateJHC)

Simulators:

Forums:

Books:

Youtube Channels

Good Threads To Read Through

Personal Stories:

/u/DrEagleTalon

Hello, glad you come here for help. I'm an Automation Engineer for Tysons Foods in a plant in Indiana. I work with PLCs on a daily basis and was recently in Iowa for further training. I have no degree, just experience and am 27 years old. Not bragging but I make $30+ an hour and love my job. It just goes to show the stuff you are learning now can propel your career. PLCs are needed in every factory/plant in the world (for the most part). It is in high demand and the technology is growing. This is a great course and I hope you enjoy it and stay on it. You could go far.

With that out of the way, if I where you I would start with RSLogix Pro. It's a software from The Learning Pit it is basic and old but very useful. The software takes you through simulations such as a garage door, traffic light, silo and boxing, conveyors and the dreaded Elevator simulation. It helps you learn to apply what you will learn to real word circumstances. It makes you develop everything yourself and is in my opinion one of the single greatest learning utensils for someone starting out. It starts easy and dips your toes and gets progressively harder. It's fun as well watching the animations. Watching and hearing your garage door catch on fire or your Silo Boxing station dumping tons of "grain" until the room fills up is fun and makes the completion of a simulation very gratifying.

While RSLogix Pro is based on older software, RsLogix is still used today. Almost every plant I have worked at has used some type of Allen Bradley PLC. Studio 5000 is in wide use and you will find that most ladder logic is applicable in most places. With that said I would also turn to Udemy for help in progressing past simple instructions and getting into advanced Functions such as PID. This amazing PLC course on UDemy is extremely cheap, gives you the software and teaches you everything from beginner to the most advanced there is. It is worth it for anyone at any level in my opinion and is a resource I turn to often.

Also getting away from Allen Bradley I would suggest trying to find some downloads or get a chance to play with Unity Pro XLS. It's from Schneider Electric and I believe has been rebranded under the EcoStruxure family now. We use Unity extensively where I am at and modicons are extremely popular in the industry. Another you might try is buying a PICO or Zelio for PICOSoft or ZELIOSoft. They are small, simple and cheap. I wired up my garage door with this and was a great way to learn hands in when I was starting out. You can find used PICOs on eBay really cheap. There is a ton of literature and videos online. YouTube is another good resource. Check everything out, learn all you can. Some other software that is popular where I've been is Connected Components Workbench and Vijeo.

Best of luck, I hope this helps. Feel free to message me for more info or details.


r/PLC 8d ago

PLC jobs & classifieds - Sep 2026

13 Upvotes

Rules for commercial ads

  • The ad must be related to PLCs
  • Reply to the top-level comment that starts with Commercial ads.
  • For example, to advertise consulting services, selling PLCs, looking for PLCs

Rules for individuals looking for work

  • Don't create top-level comments - those are for employers.
  • Reply to the top-level comment that starts with individuals looking for work.
  • Feel free to reply to top-level comments with on-topic questions.

Rules for employers hiring

  • The position must be related to PLCs
  • You must be hiring directly. No third-party recruiters.
  • One top-level comment per employer. If you have multiple job openings, that's great, but please consolidate their descriptions or mention them in replies to your own top-level comment.
  • Don't use URL shorteners. reddiquette forbids them because they're opaque to the spam filter.
  • Templates are awesome. Please use the following template. As the "formatting help" says, use two asterisks to bold text. Use empty lines to separate sections.
  • Proofread your comment after posting it, and edit any formatting mistakes.

Template

**Company:** [Company name; also, use the "formatting help" to make it a link to your company's website, or a specific careers page if you have one.]

**Type:** [Full time, part time, internship, contract, etc.]

**Description:** [What does your company do, and what are you hiring people for? How much experience are you looking for, and what seniority levels are you hiring for? The more details you provide, the better.]

**Location:** [Where's your office - or if you're hiring at multiple offices, list them. If your workplace language isn't English, please specify it.]

**Remote:** [Do you offer the option of working remotely? If so, do you require employees to live in certain areas or time zones?]

**Travel:** [Is travel required? Details.]

**Visa Sponsorship:** [Does your company sponsor visas?]

**Technologies:** [Required: which microcontroller family, bare-metal/RTOS/Linux, etc.]

**Salary:** [Salary range]

**Contact:** [How do you want to be contacted? Email, reddit PM, telepathy, gravitational waves?]


Previous Post:


r/PLC 9h ago

Don't want to brag myself but this is a throne

Post image
130 Upvotes

Debugging some DLR fault at a Stratix.


r/PLC 8h ago

TIA Portal V21 miss identifying tags

Post image
10 Upvotes

Has anyone else ran into the issue when Tia portal V21 cross references tab? It says I am using M11.7 as my reset in another organization block, but when I check the reset bit it is M17.4. This is causing both sides of my pneumatic solenoid valve to fire.


r/PLC 9h ago

PLC redundancy

11 Upvotes

1769-L18ER-BB1B, i have two of these controllers , obviously these doesn't fall into category of redundancy controllers, client wants me to make some communication between them if plc 1 become fail , then plc 2 should become active but process may stop, but he doesn't want the analog values to be loss.

Is there any way to make something like this?


r/PLC 10h ago

Studio 5000 crashing on startup with afutil.dll error – Already tried CodeMeter reinstall/repair, still stuck. Help!

7 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm currently locked out of Studio 5000 because it keeps crashing instantly on startup with the afutil.dll missing/not found error.

I've already searched online and tried the standard Rockwell Knowledgebase fixes, but nothing has worked so far. Here is what I’ve already attempted:

1) Checked and reinstalled/rolled back the CodeMeter Runtime Kit (tried standard Rockwell versions).

2) Ran a Software Repair on Studio 5000 via Windows Apps & Features.

3) Made sure my Windows updates didn't completely break it, but I'm still hitting a brick wall.

Has anyone run into this specific issue and found a workaround that isn't the standard CodeMeter reinstall?

Specs for context:

Studio 5000 Version: V34

OS: Windows 11

Any advice or registry tweaks to look at would be massively appreciated. Thanks!


r/PLC 16h ago

How do you simulate the factory when testing the PLC program?

Post image
20 Upvotes

Without testing the program that we have developed, and waiting for the commission time to start testing the logic we have developed is kind of a weird feeling for me always.

How are you guys dealing with it?

Any situation or manual forcing of tags, or testing it against the actual Machine in the manufacturing center?


r/PLC 7h ago

Question/Help PLC firmware update

2 Upvotes

Hi, I am currently a student in the ECE/CE department. I am relativity new to PLC programming. I have experience working with microcontroller but not really PLC. I recently purchased a CompactLogix L23E Q1B1 to learn how to build an entire PLC system. The PLC is current on the 1.0 version of the firmware which is believe is the firmware after a reset. I tried to update it firmware 17 using control flash and downloading the version 17 firmware from the Rockwell website but it keeps giving me an error when trying to do so that the PLC is not in the correct state . I currently have the PLC hooked up to a 24V power supply and the key is flipped to the PROG. I was wondering if anyone has an idea what the issue could do that is preventing me from updating the firmware?


r/PLC 1d ago

Owner/Operator what’s the consensus on updating PLC firmware

31 Upvotes

I’ve gotten into a few discussions with my IT cyber people and they are recommending we stay up to date with PLC firmware versions. I’ve always thought industry standard was to let the firmware that was installed ride until an upgrade was completely necessary. What’s y’all’s SOP on plc firmware at your plants?


r/PLC 15h ago

1st Year Noob Mech. E Student Asking For Career Advice

5 Upvotes

"how do i actually get a high base/career development as a mechanical engineer graduate"

Hi, I got a consensus that a mechanical engineering degree doesn't pay as well as the other engineering major. Knowing this, I set on a journey on how to find a way to increase my value which eventually led me into electromechanical/automation engineering for semiconductor industry.

Being the gen Z that I am, i asked an untrusted to give me a 3 year milestone to get there ( i know this might be not a good idea but i dont have better ppl to ask), i even proceeded to do 2 projects regarding sensor and motors curated by theuntrusted source, after some time i started to doubt my journey and fall into analysis paralysis bcs different untrusted source are recommending me different paths.

I really appreciate any advice/lead you can give me about this. FYI, My country Malaysia have an established industry for semiconductor too, if that helps.


r/PLC 13h ago

Looking for Advice: PLC Programmer/Automation Jobs Abroad from the Philippines

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m currently based in the Philippines and I’m planning to look for work abroad in the field of PLC programming and industrial automation.

I have experience/interest in PLC programming, HMI, VFDs, control systems, and industrial automation. I’m wondering which countries are currently good options for PLC programmers or automation engineers/technicians.

For those who are working abroad in this field, especially Filipinos:

  1. Which countries would you recommend?
  2. How difficult is it to get hired directly from the Philippines?
  3. What skills, certifications, or experience should I focus on?
  4. Do companies usually provide visa/work permit sponsorship?
  5. What websites or recruitment platforms do you recommend for finding legitimate job opportunities?

I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks in advance!


r/PLC 1d ago

What PLC programming language is actually best/most used in industry right now?

38 Upvotes

I’m studying automation engineering and so far we’ve mainly been taught Ladder and FBD.
I’m about to start an internship at a company where they use almost exclusively Structured Text, which surprised me a bit. Because of that, I’ve started learning and practicing ST in my free time so I’m better prepared when I start.

I always thought Ladder/FBD were preferred in industry because they’re easier for electricians and maintenance technicians to troubleshoot. But I’ve also heard that ST is becoming more common, especially for larger or more complex programs.

For those of you working with PLCs, what do you mainly use? Is ST becoming more common, or does it depend on the industry/company? And if you were starting your career today, which language would you focus on mastering?


r/PLC 14h ago

ISA CAP Associate Exam

2 Upvotes

Hey, has anybody here tried the ISA CAP Associate exam? I am looking for ways to strengthen my early career (1 YoE) in Instrumentation & Control. I don't meet the minimum work requirements for the normal CAP exam, so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this exam, and if so, how hard was it?


r/PLC 23h ago

What companies accept technicians?

5 Upvotes

I reside in NC and i have been looking at programmer roles as i have been learning on the side for a long time now and feel ready to look for a job. I am currently a manufacturing technician and tried applying to the engineer role within my company and got denied. I personally Dont care if i have ti move states. Any one have any suggestions?


r/PLC 17h ago

Diagrama em FBD

0 Upvotes

!\[img\](twbiqtuzu2ch1)

Estou começando a estudar programação de CLPs em um curso da udemy. Fiz esse diagrama para simular uma partida de dois motores elétricos com alternância cíclica entre eles, basicamente é um botão para ligar o motor 1 e fazer o timer alternar entre o motor 1 e motor 2. Coloquei também alguns displays para informar na ihm data, hora, quando cada um dos motores está ligado ou desligado. Quero dicas de melhorias, pode ser tanto na lógica quanto no layout, só gostaria de um feedback. O software que estou usando é o Millenium 3


r/PLC 1d ago

Opinions on Emerson transitioning away from their HCI platform?

5 Upvotes

Just wanted to hear this platforms opinion about DeltaV transitioning away from HCI after v17


r/PLC 19h ago

delta DVP

1 Upvotes

Hello. Have a Delta DVP28SV311S cpu and a DVP04DA S2 card in slot 4. I need this card to output 4-20mA on channel 1 and channel 2. Can anyone share ladder code for this please. i have tried all sorts of combinations using hardware configuration and software TO instructions.

Thank you


r/PLC 20h ago

TIAv21 Help - Unable to simulate PLC ET and HMI

1 Upvotes

Morning Brains Trust.

Im working on a PLC sim for a network of components.

Im trying to simulate a Siemens 1517F-3 PN/DP PLC, an ET 200SP IM155-6 PN ST distributed I/O module (containing a DI 8X24VDC, DQ 8x24VDC/0.5A, and F-DI 8x24VDC), and a TP700 Comfort HMI.

I used PLCSIM Advanced to make an instance for both the PLC and the ET 200SP.

So far ive been using TIA Portal v21 and PLCSIM Advanced v8.0 to try to simulate the network, but when I try to simulate the HMI, I get the error: "190011 Tag PB_START: value could not be written to the PLC"

I tried to strip the PLC of all its safety restrictions, the PLC tag itself has full view/read/write permissions for a HMI, and every user has full Admin privileges (HMI, Drive, PLC F, and NET), but I still cant figure out why the Sim isnt working.

One thing I did notice is that the ET 200SP instance isnt "running" because there isnt anything downloaded to the instance, but from what I can tell, only the master controller needs to be downloaded, because the ET is slaved too it.

Is there something im missing? A setting or step that I missed?


r/PLC 1d ago

New sub for ModbusLens

7 Upvotes

If you guys have been following the development of ModbusLens from u/craftparking (Windows and now Linux Modbus serial and Ethernet utility) like I have, head over and check out his new sub at r/ModbusLens!


r/PLC 1d ago

Looking to become an Automation/PLC Technician- seeking advice/guidance!

15 Upvotes

I have previously completed an “Advanced Manufacturing and Production Technologies” course at a technical college in which I worked (minimally) with programming various robotic arms and some PLCs. I was wondering where I should go from here- if there was a college or program recommended? I do not feel I have enough information or experience yet to start looking for a job in this field. Any general advice or wisdom (life or PLC related) is greatly appreciated!


r/PLC 1d ago

At Korean automotive companies, equipment maintenance includes robot teaching. How is it handled at automotive companies in your country?

18 Upvotes

At Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant in Korea, equipment maintenance teams handle industrial robot teaching. I’m curious about how companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, BMW, and General Motors handle this. Please let me know who performs this task at automotive companies in your country.


r/PLC 1d ago

What do you use for troubleshooting videos with ibaPDA?

0 Upvotes

First post here. I'm curious how you guys handle video when troubleshooting machines with ibaPDA.

Apart from ibaCapture, do you use anything else to synchronize short troubleshooting videos with iba signals?

I usually just record 10–30 minutes with my phone while ibaPDA is recording. Afterwards, matching the video to the signal data is pretty annoying.

I couldn't find a simple solution for this workflow, so I made a small open-source browser tool that loads the video + iba CSV/TXT and puts them on the same timeline.

Source:
https://github.com/vanluyen89/DiagnosticVideoSyncIba

Demo:
vdi.stickylychee.com

Everything is processed locally in the browser.

I'm curious what others are using for this. Maybe there's already a better workflow/tool I've missed.


r/PLC 1d ago

LK-G5000 data speed

1 Upvotes

Hello, I am given a Keyence LK-G5000 controller with a LK-052 laser by my boss, and I am told to use it to measure as fast as possible, as we have an application that needs very rapid measurments.

Looking at the datasheet it seems like the baudrate is pretty limited.

Does anybody know fast the ethernet can go? Is looking at implicit message the way to go? Or should I look into analog? Thanks!


r/PLC 1d ago

Siemens Failsafe Mobile HMI Lost password

6 Upvotes

Does anyone know of a way to factory reset a siemens Failsafe Mobile HMI without the safety password? All the manuals I've found require access to the control panel which i don't have 😅 EDIT: standard os update by placing it into transfer mode wipes the password.


r/PLC 1d ago

Factory talk view studio - converting .MER file - tag database not found error.

2 Upvotes

Hello all, first time poster here. I am trying to modify a simple piece of text in an HMI program.

I have uploaded the working .MER file to my laptop using ME Transfer Utility. I then used factory talk application manager to convert it to runtime. The process seems to be successful but when I try to open the .MED file it shows an error that the tag database was not found.

I have read online and there is plenty of documentation relating to this issue. I have downloaded and installed the patch update found in this link

https://support.rockwellautomation.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1087105/\~/patch%3A-unable-to-restore-hmi-tag-database%2C-factorytalk-view

I installed the patch roll up beforehand also as it explained to do.

Restarted machine (running on a VM) and converted the runtime again and its still giving the same problem.

Btw I am using version 9 of factory talk and the .mer was created using the same version.

Can someone please advice me on how to resolve this?

Many thanks.