Changing from computer/micro-electronics to automation. Can somebody throw me a bone?

[lifejustice 0]

Hello! New guy here. I have been working in consumer electronics for the past 12 years. I have plenty of experience with electronics design, PCB development, firmware development and hardware/firmware validation. I have been part of some pretty cool projects such as Xbox Kinect and Microsoft Surface Pro. The big problem is that in my field, I am mostly locked into living in Seattle or Silicon Valley. I would like to move into a field that has more living opportunities. When I look at places to live, it seems like PLC Programmers are needed. The salaries for plc programmers are also equally as lucrative considering you can find jobs in much cheaper areas. I learned PLC ladder-logic programming back in college on a Allen Bradley PLC. I have experience with making software to interface with hardware in Visual Basic. So I am stuck in a strange place and I am coming to the PLC forum community for help. How can I get started with making something happen? I would like to get some up-and-running experience, fall on my face, and cry into my pillow at night so that when I apply for one of these jobs I can have the confidence that I can really be an asset. Are there any easy things that I could do to start gaining some experience? Does somebody have a low-risk project that needs work at sort of an internship level? Are there any table scraps that I could work with? Any help would be appreciated. I just want to see what it looks like in the industrial electronics field. Thanks! Edited 4 Aug 2014 by lifejustice

[Chris Elston 78]

First thing is buy a Micrologix PLC on eBay. Get your hands on one. Allen Bradley now has FREE software for Micrologix PLCs, so you can atleast get your hands on one and get free software. You'll need to pick up a programming cable (1761-CBL-PM02), which you can for pretty cheap too. Then like me, find stuff to automate, like one year I got bored, and did a PLC Halloween garage. "plchalloween.com" not the greated website, but has stuff I built and programmed. Download the free software or on Allen Bradley's website: http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=868 http://www.mrplc.com/kb/Free-RSLogix-Micro-Starter-Lite-Download_86.html Cable Purchase: http://store.plccables.com/Allen-Bradley--1761-CBL-PM02_p_12.html I also have used a PLC for: Base board heater control Broken water softener Halloween Christmas Automatic Mail notifier and the list goes on and on and on... The point of the matter is, getting one in your hands and tinkering with is so you understand going online, editing, memory bits, input / output, then kinda move up from there to actual projects. I also know around here, I helped a couple of greenhouse people with a PLC, and automatically turning on watering valves.

[Guest]

if you go the "MicroLogix" route (highly recommended) make sure that you get a MicroLogix 1100 ... the free software that Chris mentioned won't work with most other MicroLogix models (1400, 1500, etc.) ...