learning plcs

[gordo 0]

hi guys, so im currently working as an fire technician/electrician and want to branch into a similar yet different career. I currently do some very basic programming of fire panels etc but would like to get into industrial electronics/become a controls engineer one day.. Im not sure where to start, where I should look into online courses or if I should look into a course at a tafe. I will be working full time the whole time so it will need to be out of normal work hrs. Can anyone recommend a good course/list of courses that I should complete to eventually reach my goal, any advice is greatly appreciated

[Joan M 3]

Probably a good starting point would be getting a software that would allow you to simulate things easily inside your own PC. Then testing code and making small programs that you could handle at the beginning. Of course making trainings on how to program, studying a little bit more... could be interesting. Regarding the first point, I'd recommend you to start with something like TWinCAT from Beckhoff (version 2.x unless you come from the IT world and feel ultra-comfortable with Visual Studio). That software will allow you to program with all the programming languages used out there so you will find one that will be easier for you. See examples, put yourself in situations like how would I... and follow the explanations in the help systems and in the sample programs. Of course the best is to test and to program, but you would find it easier if you would have help from an experienced programmer... Good luck!

[Maria_Lemone 0]

Here is a free video on Ladder Logic Programming with free HMIWorks Development Software. It allows you to drag and drop buttons, graphics and other objects on the screen and you can use Ladder Logic and C Language for implementing logic control. http://www.icpdas-usa.com/trainingladderlogic.php Information on HMIWorks: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/hmiworks.html If you have any questions, let me know. Maria Lemone ICP DAS USA 1-310-517-9888 ext 105 mariaL @ icpdas-usa.com (take out the spaces in the email address) http://www.icpdas-usa.com