PLC Applications

If you just want a suggestion for a practice project, try an elevator control system for a 5-story building.

....or a traffic light installation at a major road intersection with different time-of-day priorities over certain traffic flows.

or the cycle on a clothes washer

... or a door interlock system. 5 doors in a row, with time delay between mantrap cycles to allow air changes. With derogation, all 5 doors.

Actually, a clothes washer cycle would be a good starter project, I think. Good suggestion.

To make it more clearer, I just need small application that I can apply on my PC (ladder, BDC or even STL), so I need: 1- An "idea" that I can think about it ( something practical ). 2- Few links or "PDF" files to start. 3- Be patient.

What is more practical than a clothes washing machine?

Do you need to build this apparatus, or just program and run simulation that shows it works?

[edit] I see member peter7g has found a discussion forum for automation. You might have a look http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/53882/http-automatoes-com-New-Q-A-Site

thank you Doorman,

yes , all I need is to program and simulate a project not now I'm going to build the hardware.

Well, you've had four suggestions so far, all practical projects. What more do you want? Something simpler or more complex? If so, please clarify. If not, pick one and go for it.

simple one is needed, and thanks for your concern.

OK, how about starting with one of these ideas in it's simplest form - then you can test & debug it, and when you're happy, add a bit more complexity.

Take the traffic lights for instance. Ignore amber for now, just use red and green.

Write out the sequence - maybe something like this, for a north-south road crossing an east-west one:

1. Initialize: NS Red, EW Green
2. Wait 30 seconds
3. NS Red, EW Red
4. Wait 5 seconds
5. NS Green, EW Red
6. Wait 30 seconds
7. NS Red, EW Red
8. Wait 5 seconds
9. Back to 1

During testing, you can make the delays as long or as short as you like to make it easier to follow or quicker to cycle (so you're not waiting for ages).

When you're happy with that, try adding in the amber light (don't know what the light sequence is where you're from). You could go on to add (as has been suggested) priority for one road or the other depending on the time of day, and maybe inputs from sensors to allow the lights to change depending on whether there are vehicles present - then maybe a pedestrian crossing phase with "Push and wait for the green man" controls and outputs.

Just don't try to do too much at once - take it step by step.

John.