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Programmable logic controllers (6th ed.)
Bolton W., Newnes, Newton, MA, 2015. 424 pp. Type: Book (978-0-128029-29-9)
Date Reviewed: Apr 20 2016

Whether it’s a lift you step into, an aircraft you take off in, or the air conditioner that cools your office, chances are your life is touched by programmable logic controllers (PLCs) dozens of times a day. These ubiquitous devices control many aspects of our world in real time. In this book, Bolton provides an excellent introductory text for students studying PLCs that is also a useful programming guide for engineers who need to program them.

Mainstream computers and computer networks trace their history of development back to early data processing machines that today we generally refer to as information technology (IT). On the other hand, PLCs arose from process control engineering and developed along a different path that has only recently begun to merge with mainstream computing architectures and networks. Bolton describes the layout and aims of the book in the preface and then moves on to an overview of design and operational characteristics of PLCs. Chapter 1 introduces the architecture, functions, and hardware components of PLCs, starting with relay systems and moving through to microprocessor controllers and simple programming techniques. Chapter 2 covers input/output devices: the analog and digital means of getting information into and out of PLCs. Chapter 3 introduces digital number systems and binary logic operations. Chapter 4 further discusses inputs and outputs, covering various analog and digital devices, signal conditioning, and analog-to-digital conversion, and introduces communications networks for PLCs. Serial and parallel communications and networking basics are covered, as well as details of the proprietary networking protocols and techniques of various PLC manufacturers.

Chapter 5 introduces the programming of PLCs, beginning with common methods such as ladder programming and functional block programming. Chapter 6 continues PLC programming, introducing the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 61131-3 standard programming methods such as instruction lists, sequential function charts, and structured text.

The next six chapters cover programming techniques in much more detail and are all well supported by diagrams and examples. Chapter 7 introduces the concept of internal relays, which would probably be called “flags” by a mainstream IT computer programmer. Chapter 8 covers techniques for conditional execution of steps and subroutine calls, and chapter 9 covers timers, a real-time concept in PLC programming that is largely absent in IT computer programming. Chapter 10 describes the use of counters, chapter 11 looks at shift registers in detail, and chapter 12 covers data handling, the carrying out of operations such as arithmetic on blocks of data rather than single-bit operations.

Chapter 13 lays out a systematic approach to the development of programs for PLC systems, including testing with a particular emphasis on safety that would not normally have as high a profile in development of mainstream computer systems. Chapter 14 then provides a collection of worked examples for a number of common, real-world scenarios.

Each chapter begins with the chapter aims and concludes with a summary and review questions. Answers to the questions are provided in an appendix, as is an explanation of the symbols used in diagrams throughout the book. Bolton focuses on the architecture, hardware, and programming of PLCs, covering the several different architectures of major manufacturers, and explaining their differing use of terminology. The book doesn’t, however, cover the history and development of PLCs. Focusing on current systems, readers seeking an insight into the history of PLCs are referred instead to Internet sources. Some basic knowledge of electronics is assumed of the reader, but a detailed knowledge of electronics is not necessary. All in all, this book gives a good general introduction to PLCs with thorough coverage of PLC programming, supported by numerous worked examples and a specific focus on the safety aspects necessary in PLC system design.

Reviewer:  David B. Henderson Review #: CR144336 (1607-0448)
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