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Donny84

Project help

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Hi guys, I'm on an electronic engineering course and I have to design a project. I want to involve a PLC with my project as I find PLCs the most fun part about this course and I would love to become a PLC engineer when I finish this it. The only problem is, this college is a bit s**t and doesn't have anything mechanical I can use, such as robot arms or conveyor belts. So my project has to revolve around an electronic circuit. At the moment the only thing I can think of creating to combine a PCB with a PLC is some sort of lighting system. So I thought maybe making a naughts and crosses (tic tac toe to some) game, that would light up O's and X's using LEDs. I asked my tutor what he thought about this and he thought I should be aiming to do something that could be used in industry instead, e.g. a rain detector or something. Although it is my decision on what i do, and I really wanted to do something that would involve a PLC. I liked my naughts and crosses idea, I know it sounds a bit stupid, ("oh I'm making a naughts and crosses game") but I thought it would be fun... but at the end of the day the tutor is the one that's going to be assessing my project. Does anyone else have any ideas of anything that I could do using a PLC and a PCB? I have already done a traffic light system and garage door in previous PLC assignments. All help appreciated.. I know you guys aren't fussed on answering assignment questions, so thanks if you do :) Edited by Donny84

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Hi, Well... PLCs are industrial stuff and are meant to be used as. You can sure use one for training purpose but you also need the stuff that comes with such as motors, sensors or whatever. PLCs cannot play tic tac toe efficiently, sorry for you. I don't have much idea about a project you could do with a PLC and nothing behind it. Would have been nice to have a little machine doing something, but without mechanics... As for lighting leds, using a PLC to do what can be done with a toys'r'us "my first electronic set"...There would be no point and I'm not sure it would impress anyone. You could probably combine a PLC and PCB for a 2 or 3 lifts simulation. You would have the lifts logic in the PLC and the PCB to display the simulation. What would it be ? Do you have to create one or using PIC / Arduino would be fine ? Edited by drx

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you don't say what plc, how many and what type of I/O etc. that would put some constraints on what is doable. if it is an electronic engineering course, my expectations would match the title - i would want to see some electronics engineering (with specs, research, math, data, tradeoffs etc.). using ready made, off the shelf product as a project core would be the safest way to fail or do bad in the course (but... i am not your teacher and i don't know what the course skill level is). personally, for a school project, i would also consider using microcontroller for several reasons: - more challenging (you are not using a fully developed system that merely needs minor configuring, you need to put more effort in) - you get to design and debug own, non-trivial pcb (more showing off), LEDs display is a trivial circuit (even if multiplexed) - lower cost and power consumption (think green / economical, rain detection can be done for a penny with a single transistor, nobody wants rain detection that costs $1000s) - waaaay faster I/O so you can do things that would be impossible on a PLC (not tied to slow scan time) - driving some outputs (other than LED) requires drive stage (something that is already done for you in a PLC). - you can make something that could become a marketable product - can be battery operated (and it fits into your pocket) - you get to keep it and take with you (show off on a job interview)

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