PLC or no PLC

Alright, already!!!!!!!!!

Once was enough. Twice was pushing it. But, really,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,three times! You obviously haven't bothered to read the FAQ's or even practice good manners.

ONE POST IS ENOUGH.

Partly the answer depends on where you are in the world. I seem to recall that Allen-Bradley/Rockwell have the lions share of the market in the US. But this is an international forum, so if you live in the EU, it could be another.

A little clarification is in order here: Allen-Bradley make the PLCs (including the ControLogix line), and Rockwell make the software (RSLogix 5000) to program those PLCs.

As far as SCADA systems; while Rockwell has their version (RSView), there are a lot of companies that will use the AB/Rockwell hardware/software that use something like Wonderware as the SCADA system.

Finally, you will have to decide which approach is best for your job situation. Concentrate on a narrow field and become more proficient in that product, or widen the field by studying more vendors, but without as much in depth knowledge.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions, I am from India by the way and B.Engg (Electrical) 2009 passout. I think enrolling for only PLC for now would be nice for now. I still cant figure out whether its sufficient or not, do I really need to do SCADA to bag a job. And I dont care much about my job location or what salary, I need experience. I need to get in somewhere and get busy.

One question:

Are you actually interested in programming?

If not then you would be better off finding an area that you are interested in as this will make things a lot easier. For example I am an engineer and if someone offered me double my salary to become an accountant then I would not take them up on their offer as I do not have the aptitude /interest in this area.

If you don't have any on-the-job experience, whether you take a 30, 45, or 90 day course won't matter much to a prospective employer. In my experience (25 years, in the US) employers are looking to fill specific specific needs based on what they (or their customers) have in their plants. Rockwell is prevalent in the US, Siemens more internationally. Personally I think Rockwell's products are better, they're easier to select, work with, and get support for, but I do more Siemens work because our biggest customer is standardized on them.

Start with PLC programming, and SCADA/HMI will make more sense. You can do a lot of SCADA work without having to do VB scripts, though some packages make extensive use of it. The PLC side of things will give you more plant and machine experience, which is a good place to start.

So take the 45 day course for Siemens.

Hello Shoe,

I have been in the industry for many years, I am very proficient in all the AB and Siemens software as well as a few others. What I can tell you is the more you can learn the better. Most companies use a variety of PLC manufacturers. I would have to say that if you concentrate on Siemens you will have a good head start with AB. The reason I say this is because Siemens Software can be written in ladder, statement or function block. AB only utilizes ladder. Siemens is also coming out with a new processor next year and the buzz is that it is going to take market share.

In any case I want to let you know that with even the 90 day training I would not expect to jump right into programming. I know of nobody with minimal training to start a job as a proficient technician.

You will for sure have a better chance to get a job with the training than without but your choices are going to be limited.

Good luck!

I stand corrected Kilowatt, However I have never seen any AB program written in statement. So it was an assumption on my part.

Personally I prefer statement logic over ladder, with maybe the exception of control logix.

Thanks a lot everyone, I have got the answer I am heading for PLC programming only as I can afford time and money for it. I dont want to waste anybody's time so no more discussions in this thread. Thanks again everybody.