Having learned PLC programming on the old Mitsubishi units that had the dedicated clip-on programmers around 40 years ago, I've never used their equipment since for the very reason you mentioned. The astronomical price of their software. They just don't seem to understand the concept of making it affordable for students and experimenters who will be the future designers who specify the equipment they are most comfortable with. And downloading a "ripped" version of the software carries far too many security risks. By contrast, companies like Microchip made their software and prototyping systems affordable, and then enjoyed considerable success with people using the same system they learned to program with, when they ended up with a career in electronic design. There are lots of cheap Chinese Mitsubishi clone PLCs on the Internet that would be perfect for educational use, and would lead to future sales when a real world factory application needed the safety and reliability of a professional version of the PLC.
Mitsubishi software is actually some of the more affordable in the industry as far as major brands go. There is actually a legit free version of Developer used for FX1s and FX2s. It is the version packaged with the Chinese clones. But its CPU support is limited, and Developer is an atrocious IDE to work with (it shows its age poorly).
Omron is a great alternative to Mitsubishi, as they have a cheaper software and hardware. We started out with those in school about 10 years ago, and it helps a lot to understand the basics of the PLC. Today I'm working with Siemens, and they're far worse than Mitsubishi when it comes to the industrial market, however they also have great student prices, and their software can be dowloaded for free and used with a 30 day trial. There are also tools that can bypass or reset this trial. Also, copying a Siemens license is as simple as cloning a whole USB drive, so it is possible to get it for free too, although illegal.
I had a older Mitsubishi plc that I got from my work. They were replacing it with an Allen Bradley Contrologix system. It had a bunch of different modules, aside from several I/O cards, there was a thermocouple card, and some analog cards, I don't remember everything. I think it was an FX... something. They didn't have the software was the only kicker, it was part of a system that was all built by a contractor. I got it thinking I would find the software later and tinker around with it at home. I didn't know exactly what I would do with it, but hey there's all kinds of things you can do with a plc right? Anyway I remember the software was going to cost more than I wanted to pay and it seemed like you had to have a special "key" or something that plugged into the processor? I can't remember exactly. I ended up ebaying it. Most of my plc experience is with Allen Bradley 5, 500, 5000, micrologix, Contrologix, (I hated the new Contrologix platforms and RS logix 5000 software especially. I loved the old plc 5, to me that was the best PLCs ever but I'm probably just biased cause that's what I learned on and used the most.
I've used the Arduino PLC from Industrial Shields in the past, but found it clunky using C++ in place of RLL. Now that Arduino has a PLC IDE I think I might like to give it another try. I also see Industrial Shields now has a Pi flavored PLC. I've used the Sefera Labs' Strato Pi CM, which was a pleasant experience but needs external I/O.
Thanks Tim, I watched the Secret Life of Machines when I was a teenager, I was so pleased that you made the current series, It takes me back to my youth. You were part of the reason why I went into electronics as a career path. Kind regards From New Zealand
My dad used to work for a company named Klockner Moeller, or H. Moeller, or later Moeller Electric. They built industrial motor controllers. He worked in sales, but I remember as a little kid my dad would bring home big boxes of parts and he and my mom and I would put together little enclosures and other small assemblies. Later when I was in high school I worked there for a while fabricating and wiring the large control enclosures. These PLCs were all over the place. And I definitely remember connecting up those expansion blocks with extra outputs. I learned a lot about everything from reading fabrication diagrams, like where to drill each hole in the big metal plates that everything's mounted to and what size hole and what type of thread to tap, to reading the wiring diagrams, so where each wire needed to be routed and how to organize those wires in channels and label them. I didn't go into that field of work but it was a big part of my curiosity in all kinds of hobbies, including much later getting into programming Arduino. Another big part of my curiosity was your program The Secret Life of Machines. I was very pleased to see you upload them all on your channel with your commentaries. I was always completely enraptured whenever your program was on. I have a lifelong curiosity of how things work and some of that can be attributed to your program. So thank you for that.
I worked at Gatehouse Close i.e. KM in the 90's, Automation Dept, there was a salesman that used to always be walking off with spare PLC bits come to think of it.
Don't be fooled by those cam timers in comparison to modern PLCs and computers! I saw a programme a few years ago about the wonders of mechanical automatons, just wish I could remember what it was called, but I know it was a BBC programme. Anyway, amongst the clocks and wind up toys was one stand out example of an automata: a figurine that wrote letters (maybe even simple words, I can't quite remember). Perhaps not that outstanding in of itself, but the amazing thing was that it wrote each different letter using a few well-designed cams and an actual pen and ink! Such a simple idea using cams, but it wrote in a beautiful French font. The best part? The roll of cams were completely interchangeable so that you could more or less get it to write what you wanted. Pure genius! And I seem to remember it was made in the 1700's, maybe even before the French Revolution which made it even more incredible still. Computers may be able to replicate anything in an instant today, but nothing quite compares to the awe of watching something entirely mechanical take it's time to create something beautiful. Well, I don't think so anyway! -> Edit!! Managed to find it here on RUclips: ruclips.net/video/bEYhypnS2zQ/видео.html Well worth a watch if you haven't seen it before!
It's a damn shame that ride never got installed. That was incredible. I feel like it would still do great even now. This channel is incredibly under rated, I can't believe you don't have at least a million subs. I can only imagine it's because they don't know about you yet
Thank you for continuing to make these videos Tim. I’m 37, I live in Suffolk as well and I grew up watching your Secret Life of series after school every week in the 90’s. Really inspired me to do practical mechanical things. I now have a decent workshop in the garden and have restored various things over the years. Just wanted to say thanks :-)
I've seen the microswitch with a roller lever before but I never bothered to think of that specific application for the cam timer. It's dead simple and clever.
As a professional programmer, with a BSc. in Computer Science, and having programed countless industrial PLCs for safety-critical applications, I am qualified to remark that your knowledge of these beasties seems to be extraordinary!
Thank you for producing this video Tim. I've been working in the IT department for various manufacturing companies the last few years. I've been aware of PLCs and what they do but I have never had the opportunity to work with them directly. This is a great primer for what a PLC does and how it does it.
I cant believe this guy is still around!! That makes me happy, i hope he sees this cause I want him to know that whar he's done with his life, and for all of us, is just awesome. I appreicate all of this effort and time that he's spent over the years, and its very entertaining but also very informative. I just found out about his videos! Thank you Tim!
I've worked 10 years with PLCs and automation equipment, still loved watching this video. The systems I work on are a bit more complex (SIMATIC S7-1500), as the CPU is a separate module and all I/O is remote through network connections, this helps eliminate lots of cabling through the facility as I only need to pull a network wire throughout it all.
Just wanted to say how I've become Grateful for Your Videos Sir. I've been using live traps to catch critters around my home instead of the basic traps because of how cruel the old traps can be. I'm thinking about using a combination of Lasers, a LDR along with a Relay and Solenoid to make the trap more sensitive in order to catch the Craftier critters inside it. Your RUclips channel has been quite an inspiration. The No Smoking sign is definitely a great sign!! Thank You for sharing Your Inventions with Us!! Sincerely, J Q
Your comments on simplicity are spot on. There is a bit of a movement towards trying to put Arduinos and other PC based controls into industrial automation and it can make things a lot harder and much less reliable. In reality, many modern PLCs are fairly standard computers that are just programmed with a simple instruction set, but this simplicity is really the key to reliability. I noticed you have a Pheonix contact signal converter there. They have some really nice PLCs that do the basic PLC programs, but also have a simple browser based HMI system. They cost a little bit more than an old Mitsubishi but the software is free and have a huge amount of expandability of IO.
Loving these videos, as a child in the 70's I used to look forward to Sunday to grab the Observer colour supplement to read Rudiments of Wisdom. I now live in Australia, but hope on one of my trips back I can get to see your machines.
I’m so glad to see you again as I were watch The Secret Life of Machines in Discovery Channel back in 90s. I was receive a kind e-mail reply from Tim in 2008. I’m a big fan from Argentina 🇦🇷
I've been looking forward to this video as I was the UK product manager for Mitsubishi FX PLCs (until I retired). As always your presentation style is engaging and informative and it was interesting to hear your objective slant on products I'm so familiar with. I'll be on holiday in Southwold soon and definitely be visiting the pier to enjoy your machines again. 😅
Tim, you are one of the best teachers I have ever had. When you explain stuff a light comes on on my head and it all becomes clear. PLc´s was a question I have always had but didnt want to ask, but when you showed the cam timer.. *boom* Its like a light timer you put in a socket... and it all came clear. To do something ,be good at something or to be an expert on the subject all comes out to knowing your limits. Being a professional only gives you a title and a pay check ... and an amateur can produce a better result but will not collect 200 after passing GO :) Tim, I hope you are as rich in money as you are in knowledge. This is why AI scares me. If we can ask someone to solve a problem in milli seconds we will never feel good about ourselfes and I hate to come to that point where a boss or someone ask´s "why did you trie to solve it?? why the heck didnt you ask the AI dude!"
Tim, I have boxes and boxes of valves, motors, solenoids, gearboxes, microswitches, all sorts of automation items, all from VENDING MACHINES that i have stripped for spares. If they are of any use im offering them for free to you . Im so impressed with the things you make and the shows. From the age of 8 yrs old or so i was building automated machines including my own ghost train for my friends, we had a truck you pulled thru a dark tunnel, filled with torches, lenses, monsters tape loop monster sounds, all sorts!! I then went on later in life to own my own amusement arcade in Southport Lancashire.From that I went on to restoring classic cars (and automating some parts of them!) yours, Pete Crompton, Southport.
2:05 these displays were absolutely next level, so great to see the other ones we didn't see on the secret life, that aeroplane one was super brilliantly freaky. Absolutely legendary 😊
Excellent video on programmable controllers (PC's). Yes, that was what they were called when I started working with them (Allen Bradley, Modicon, and Texas Instruments) back in 1977, before there were personal computers (PC's). I used them on a number of special machines to manufacture aluminum levels, ceiling boards, electrical components and simple medical devices. Interesting work, and sometimes quite frustrating! The section on stepping switches (cam timers) reminds me of the project we did in 1996 to convert a Vitamin C plant from Tennor drum stepping switches to PLC and DCS (distributed control system) control. The steppers used a lot of additional logic to control the motors that drove the cams, and to modify the outputs from the switches. The old system had worked for about 25 years before the upgrade. I hope you didn't have any legal trouble from Madge (a/k/a Madonna) resulting from that amusement device!
I have never scratched the surface of PLCs - love this episode, as well as all your work. Absolutely loved that shopping center display idea and the creative displays!!! The laundromat was spectacular, the kitchen, etc.
Tim, again thanks for the video. I’m building electronics in my daily work, but seeing you present your machines and explaining your motives, experiences and also failures is incredibly educating, and frankly also entertaining… there is not one video where I wouldn’t have learned some new aspect of *something*. There’s also no shame in *not* using every microcontroller or programming language on the planet, when having a solution that perfectly fits your problem, and you have sooo many other aspects (mechanics, aesthetics, game flow, …) to keep in mind.
Sir, you are amazing. I've been watching your videos back to back. I don't know who you are but clearly you've been teaching for a while. I watched your Video, "Secret Life Of The Engine" and was hooked. Greetings from the US. I'm really enjoying your content and thank you for sharing!
I love the new video. I used to sit down with my sons( when we were all much younger) and watch the secret life of machines. As mechanic and an electrician I can really appreciate the work that you put into all of your creations. Hell, I still sit down and watch the old shows
Mr. Hunkin, you are an absolute treasure! I'm so glad you are taking the time to record and pass along your decades of knowledge for other builders to follow. Hopefully I can visit London some day and check out your arcade.
Engineer and makes the artists' works and your own. Wish I had seen Dismaland. Happy to spend an hour with you drilling holes or a discussion of screw threads
Dayum Tim! After all these years, I've just now realised your approach to programming is so similar to mine... Also: 47:35 is likely the most important part of this whole video.
thanks So much for the video Tim :) its much appreciated i love this channel! i just came from Breaking Taps video "NASA's clever technique to make "impossible" combustion chambers" unable to think of any other channels that really compare, then i came across this new video n thought "how could i forget this channel!??".. : p
I was gratified to hear Tim say he sees the cross over from his games to industrial automation and systems controls. Every video I watch I learn something new, learn something more fully or in a better way, am reminded of something I forgot, or notice something Tim has missed. What I can't remember noticing is something he got wrong. It could also be anything I think he has missed could have not made the cut in editing. He is always an enjoyable instructor.
I used Siemens PLCs for years at work, and then some Control Microsystems (which has since been bought up by Schneider). Once I retired, which these days means that I simply changed jobs, I found an Arduino based PLC that has the same form factor as the Control Microsystems units with the same (near as I can tell) instruction set, but they're about 1/10th the price. Really a brilliant setup. You can use Ladder Logic or even the newer IEC 61131-3 programming language. The programming software converts both to C++ for the Arduino. If there's features missing from the Arduinos capabilities in comparison to the actual PLCs, I haven't found them.
Great video Tim, thanks for that. Loads of useful technical information for the control system amateur or beginner. Your machines look much more fun than the ones I work on. I learnt Siemens Step 5 PLCs in 1987 (I worked for a German CNC m/c manufacturer who had just started using them). My current job is as automation engineer for a UK company which makes special purpose industrial machines. Most customers have a strong preference for a PLC manufacturer. The majority who accept different manufacturers select Mitsubishi as their first or second choice (declaration of interest: I also used to work for Mitsi as an Applications Engineer). I did work for a few years as site Automation Engineer for a large manufacturer. Their slap-dash purchasing procedures meant I had to support 13 different *manufacturers* of PLC (not a mis-type: I don't mean 13 *models* either). Glad to see your mention of the option to full-blown PLCs: the "micro" PLC or "relay replacement" module. Several manufacturers make these and provide free programming software or can be programmed an instruction at a time from the display and push-buttons on the front of the controller. While micro-controllers like the Raspberry Pi or Arduino are cheaper than a PLC, to "industrialise" them you need to add opto-isolators and then there's not so much difference in price in comparison to PLCs proper. If I were selecting a brand of PLC for a DIY or hobby project, I would start by pricing the programming software. Sometimes you can get slightly outdated but fully functional software on Ebay or similar for hobbyist prices. There isn't that much difference in price between equivalent hardware. I would suggest Mitsubishi, Allen-Bradley, Omron or Siemens in no particular order of preference.
This is the absolute best introduction to plcs I have seen. I wish it were around 15 or so years ago when I had to struggle through this topic on my own…
Great video Tim, I was another appreciative watcher of the 'Secret Life of Machines' series back in the day, it is good to see you back on the screen! As an ex-industrial-automation engineer I admire your getting to grips with the PLC and your integration of Arduinos. Having switched industries decades ago I am only now beginning to get to tinker with the Arduino myself, albeit purely for fun at home. Your machines have tremendous charm. Thank you and I hope to visit one of your 'arcade' sites one day.
As a someone new to PLCs, I’ve used multiple inexpensive lines from Automation Direct. They have lots of documentation which made it fairly easy to learn. Arduino now offers a ladder logic environment which might be useful to people coming to them from the industrial world.
How on earth didn't get to know about this fantastic channel, saw the one about solenoids totally hooked, subscribed, put over so well and detailed explanation, captivating, thank you .
Be sure to also watch his series The Secret Life Of Machines that he did for BBC if ya haven’t seen it yet :) Tim uploaded a remastered not version with commentary here on the channel. *Welcome and good to have ya!*
I’ve been building automata and animated installations for some years now and I just tried to make it all reliable, so it could be switched on in the morning and run all day without overheating or making horrible squeaking noises. But the time has come up my game… and be a bit more adventurous! This video is going to be very useful. I’m going to get on eBay right now! Thank you so much Tim!
I was eagerly awaiting this part of the series b/c I work for one of the "big" companies that make PLCs. Interesting that you get all of your results using what would be deemed "simple" or "small" PLCs by my department. We are often pressured to include flagship plc systems that can handle thousands of I/O and other various complicated things like umpteen axis motion control and fiber optic communications, but I always try to sneak a small PLC into a simpler system and pass it off to my manager as cost savings
death to EitherCat, lol. But it does irritate me seeing over engineered systems when a simple cheaper setup would work, I agree with your point, unfortunately a lot of salesman see $$$$
I was having a rough go in the telecom industry and moved into plc electronics. I currently wire and start up rather large paper converting machines. Its a lot of fun, I enjoy the change of pace.
I have been a lover of science and history my whole life. Perhaps if I would have had a teacher like you I’d be an engineer or something. I enjoy you show immensely sir, thank you from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US
Thank you Tim for this series. I really enjoyed it and I use plc in my machines. They turn on and off pneumatic solenoids. which are attached to pneumatic cylinders. With tools on them to manufacture cookie cutters.
I'm not sure if I will ever use PLCs, but I just like to watch you making these wonderful videos. I'm sure I can speak for almost everyone, but we can definitely learn a lot from you Tim. Keep up the good work.😀
As Tim says, plc controllers are very reliable. I work in a block plant using Hitachi modular plc controllers with dozens of inputs and outputs and individual analogue cards. Working in pretty dismal conditions, high temperatures, vibrations and dust, they are pretty much bomb-proof.
Tim, you are a hero ! This kind of stuff is obscure verging on niche- but surely that's exactly what public service broadcasting should be all about ?! The BBC should be broadcasting this stuff (and paying you to make them .. )
Another great episode Tim, thanks so much! PLCs are something I always wanted to learn how to use. I think I’ll be re watching this video a few times! Cheers!
Hi Tim - I think "old school" is great!! I've been a model railroader for over 50 years. All the new rage is digitizing locomotives, but I refuse to move to Digital Command Control because it has a whole other set of problems that you have to deal with, most notably the horrible expense that I can use for other toys! So I'm still strickly DC with analog controls (hand throw switches, toggle switches, and the like! If I want sound, I have a great stereo system installed right next to the layout! Okay, enough of that! Although I like your older videos as much as ever (and rerun them often to remind myself of some of your solutions to problems that I experience), it's great to you making new videos! Best wishes from across the pond!
One of the reasons I settled on Schneider Electric PLCs for my most recent project is that the software is free. I've also seen the same thing with Phoenix Contact PLCs (I saw them at a trade show recently, and was very tempted by their product offering)
Some may wonder why PLCs are programmed the way they are. The PLC is essentially emulating in software what automation engineers used to physically build with either logic gates in integrated circuits or prior to that relays. Ladder logic diagrams were used to plan out the circuit, and so that became the high level language for programming the PLC.
In automation, our schematics still use ladder diagrams when describing circuits that have escaped the PLC itself due to voltage or current handling restrictions
That's such a cool insight at the end about the prototype nature of industrial installations. Thanks for the suggestion to check out Bruce Shapiro! Very neat video. As a firmware programmer, I think there is a lot to be said for the simplicity, robustness, and modularity of these PLCs.
Thank you so much for this. This was the most helpful episode yet. I've had old PLC's before and not had a clue what to do with them. Now I've seen this they make perfect sense. Awesome episode.
excellent stuff as usual. i can imagine how exciting it is to get to grips with them and suddenly have all the new possibilities they offer to play with
One of the overlooked features of the PLCs is the ability to monitor the state of the program (input, ouptuts and states) while the controller is running. When there is a fault, you can know very quickly what's going wrong (sensor, wire, contactor...) and fix it in a moment. In industry that's essential.
Indeed! One of the main advantages is troubleshooting. You can see every switch, every output, their state, if they are functioning correctly, or not etc. And of course you can make changes on the fly, jump out a switch that is faulty or change the program to accommodate real world problems or changes with the process. I used to do a lot of plc work at my old job as a shift electrician at a large OSB mill (Weyerhaeuser). I miss it. Perhaps I will get back into industrial electrical at some point, as it is my favorite, but currently am making more money and working a more life friendly schedule doing mainly residential electrical work with my own company.
I build interactive installations for science centers/museums/etc, and actually went from doing mostly Arduino/Raspberry Pi based systems to PLC/Logic relays and Brightsign. Just going from 3,3/5V to 24V and defaulting to simple inputs and outputs makes everything so much more robust and manageable. Sure, with a microcontroller you can do anything, and sometimes we do. But that also means that the same anything can go wrong, in any number of ways. And they do. Logic Relays nowadays (at least Siemens Logo) is actually quite powerful, and pretty easy to program! "Fast" inputs, ladder and function block diagrams, expansion modules, network communication, etc. So I wouldn't say that the approach is old fashioned, more well proven. :)
Coming from the MC world, it's interesting how pin configuration on these is done physically with wires, instead of in software. Usually you can do a mix of pullup vs pulldown on the same controller just fine, though sometimes you need to provide your own resistors. Having to ensure all of your sensors are of the same type seems really inconvenient. As for MC vs PLCs, there's a lot of electronics issues that the PLCs are hiding from you. Aside from pin configuration, you've also got input debouncing, input/output level shifting, watchdogs and a whole slew of bootloader/eeprom issues that you mostly don't have to think about with PLCs. And while you can find ruggedized MCs, they're comparatively rare and expensive, while PLCs have a decades-long history of use in situations where uptime is measured in the number of 9s in the uptime %...
As Tim already knows this (I hope) the first PLC was the Jacquard machine. He invented a system in which a set of cards are "read" by a clothing loom, that would set patterns predetermined by the cards that was set in a loop. Certain cards would put in a brocade, damask and matelassé, to name a few. it was amazingly simple, and it saved the textile industry large amounts of time and money. Of course time IS money, so both go hand in hand. Charles Babbage took heart and inspiration from him and proceeded to design and build his computing machine, in which was NOT a PLC.
I remember those Mitsubishi plc’s appearing in lift controllers around the mid 90s. Also the Omron which as far I could tell was the same unit. They are virtually 100% reliable as long as that backup battery is good in the old ones. 28 years ago, doesn’t time fly when your having fun. I tried pic, picaxe, arduinos, but now settled on Raspberry Pi pico’s for projects. Can’t go wrong with a £3.50 plc in a decent form factor, and a huge community for support. Thanks Tim, loved all the series. All the best.
By far, the best explanation of PLC's I have seen. Of course, I would like to see a node-red style drag and drop, gantt-style timeline, ladder development app, but beggars can't be choosers.
Very interesting. I used to work with their F and K series units which date back to the time of the IBM PC and thus programing was done with a clip on panel unit or later a dedicated tablet with EPROM writer. We used them for our Car Park barriers and train Carriage washing plants (British Rail Southern Region) along with a AI Auto Pre Heat And Flash Butt Welder Model 60 (Allen Bradley in that case) along with Bosch ones for rail profile grinders. The only one I have used in recent times was a Siemens one to control a diving air compressor and air banks which has been working now for a few years. I recall we started with a short course at Mitsubishi's offices in Watford with the first task to do the ladder logic to work a traffic light junction. On our washing plants we used to count train wheels to start the plant and subtract them at the other side (A different count between starting and stopping), the chemical dosing pumps and flow switches plus control of the caustic soda plant to neutralise the acetodiphosphonic acid which was good for cast iron brake dust removal (very dangerous stuff and even eats concrete).
Lots of newer PLCs can be programmed in CoDeSys which is free (the license to use it is bought with each PLC itself). Well, excluding Siemens, who are stuck in the 1990s.
I cut my teeth on the Mitsi FX PLC's. Built many machines in the packaging industry using them. The Melsoft PLC software was a bit of pain initially and the Programming cable cost 250 quid. But the Mitsi programming manuals were clear, detailed and had everything in them you needed. An important point is Relay vs Transistor output and the impact that has on what you're controlling. The early models it was possible to replace the relays. Good video.
Dear Tim, been a huge fan of yours for decades past. Just discovered your fantastic RUclips content. Hooked and Subscribed. So many thanks to you for sharing your world dear Sir. Blessings and humble worship to you. 🙏
You are an incredible human being, an inspiration and role model to us all. Your mind is the essence of how we should think about life. We are truly blessed by you. Thank you dearly.
For starters I would reccomend any Japanese Plc. I have worked many years with Panasonic, you can buy these at 60 or 80usd online with a fair amount of inputs and outputs. For the fellows that want something more modern, any Plc that can be compiled by Codesys. It is a development software to create programs, but years ahead. It is compatible with IOT, you can create operator panels in HTML and control a machine with your smartphone, you can do data analisis and exchange using a normal Lan network and much more. Brands that are compatible with codesys: Delta (Ax séries), CMZ (fct640), and low cost units such as Pixsys. Automation professional here.
Excellent introduction. Where I work we have machines that are well over 35 years old and the only things that have failed are the things plugged into the PLC's. They have gradually started to replace bits that have dedicated logic boards but they just aren't as reliable.
I swear every episode is 70% engineering 20% monty python, and 42% life lessons on implementing out-of-the-box solutions to bizarre problems.
42%. I see what you did there.
@@JCWren Oh Snap! I didn't pick up on # 42 until it was mentioned!
So overall the show is 32% extra.
Im surprised every solution isn’t based around a towel, and towel technology
@@markfryer9880 🎉
I loved the TV show. This video is amazing. I hope Look Mum No Computer is watching!
Having learned PLC programming on the old Mitsubishi units that had the dedicated clip-on programmers around 40 years ago, I've never used their equipment since for the very reason you mentioned. The astronomical price of their software.
They just don't seem to understand the concept of making it affordable for students and experimenters who will be the future designers who specify the equipment they are most comfortable with. And downloading a "ripped" version of the software carries far too many security risks.
By contrast, companies like Microchip made their software and prototyping systems affordable, and then enjoyed considerable success with people using the same system they learned to program with, when they ended up with a career in electronic design.
There are lots of cheap Chinese Mitsubishi clone PLCs on the Internet that would be perfect for educational use, and would lead to future sales when a real world factory application needed the safety and reliability of a professional version of the PLC.
Mitsubishi software is actually some of the more affordable in the industry as far as major brands go. There is actually a legit free version of Developer used for FX1s and FX2s. It is the version packaged with the Chinese clones. But its CPU support is limited, and Developer is an atrocious IDE to work with (it shows its age poorly).
Omron is a great alternative to Mitsubishi, as they have a cheaper software and hardware. We started out with those in school about 10 years ago, and it helps a lot to understand the basics of the PLC. Today I'm working with Siemens, and they're far worse than Mitsubishi when it comes to the industrial market, however they also have great student prices, and their software can be dowloaded for free and used with a 30 day trial. There are also tools that can bypass or reset this trial. Also, copying a Siemens license is as simple as cloning a whole USB drive, so it is possible to get it for free too, although illegal.
I had a older Mitsubishi plc that I got from my work. They were replacing it with an Allen Bradley Contrologix system. It had a bunch of different modules, aside from several I/O cards, there was a thermocouple card, and some analog cards, I don't remember everything. I think it was an FX... something. They didn't have the software was the only kicker, it was part of a system that was all built by a contractor. I got it thinking I would find the software later and tinker around with it at home. I didn't know exactly what I would do with it, but hey there's all kinds of things you can do with a plc right? Anyway I remember the software was going to cost more than I wanted to pay and it seemed like you had to have a special "key" or something that plugged into the processor? I can't remember exactly. I ended up ebaying it. Most of my plc experience is with Allen Bradley 5, 500, 5000, micrologix, Contrologix, (I hated the new Contrologix platforms and RS logix 5000 software especially. I loved the old plc 5, to me that was the best PLCs ever but I'm probably just biased cause that's what I learned on and used the most.
I've used the Arduino PLC from Industrial Shields in the past, but found it clunky using C++ in place of RLL. Now that Arduino has a PLC IDE I think I might like to give it another try. I also see Industrial Shields now has a Pi flavored PLC. I've used the Sefera Labs' Strato Pi CM, which was a pleasant experience but needs external I/O.
OpenPLC is in development and it compiles to Arduino nowadays. @seafoxc made some videos about it
The best channel on youtube EVER
Tim Hunkin is a legend he is definitely one-of-a-kind.
Thanks Tim, I watched the Secret Life of Machines when I was a teenager, I was so pleased that you made the current series, It takes me back to my youth. You were part of the reason why I went into electronics as a career path. Kind regards From New Zealand
My dad used to work for a company named Klockner Moeller, or H. Moeller, or later Moeller Electric. They built industrial motor controllers. He worked in sales, but I remember as a little kid my dad would bring home big boxes of parts and he and my mom and I would put together little enclosures and other small assemblies. Later when I was in high school I worked there for a while fabricating and wiring the large control enclosures. These PLCs were all over the place. And I definitely remember connecting up those expansion blocks with extra outputs. I learned a lot about everything from reading fabrication diagrams, like where to drill each hole in the big metal plates that everything's mounted to and what size hole and what type of thread to tap, to reading the wiring diagrams, so where each wire needed to be routed and how to organize those wires in channels and label them. I didn't go into that field of work but it was a big part of my curiosity in all kinds of hobbies, including much later getting into programming Arduino.
Another big part of my curiosity was your program The Secret Life of Machines. I was very pleased to see you upload them all on your channel with your commentaries. I was always completely enraptured whenever your program was on. I have a lifelong curiosity of how things work and some of that can be attributed to your program. So thank you for that.
I worked at Gatehouse Close i.e. KM in the 90's, Automation Dept, there was a salesman that used to always be walking off with spare PLC bits come to think of it.
Don't be fooled by those cam timers in comparison to modern PLCs and computers!
I saw a programme a few years ago about the wonders of mechanical automatons, just wish I could remember what it was called, but I know it was a BBC programme.
Anyway, amongst the clocks and wind up toys was one stand out example of an automata: a figurine that wrote letters (maybe even simple words, I can't quite remember). Perhaps not that outstanding in of itself, but the amazing thing was that it wrote each different letter using a few well-designed cams and an actual pen and ink! Such a simple idea using cams, but it wrote in a beautiful French font.
The best part?
The roll of cams were completely interchangeable so that you could more or less get it to write what you wanted. Pure genius! And I seem to remember it was made in the 1700's, maybe even before the French Revolution which made it even more incredible still.
Computers may be able to replicate anything in an instant today, but nothing quite compares to the awe of watching something entirely mechanical take it's time to create something beautiful. Well, I don't think so anyway!
-> Edit!!
Managed to find it here on RUclips: ruclips.net/video/bEYhypnS2zQ/видео.html
Well worth a watch if you haven't seen it before!
It's a damn shame that ride never got installed. That was incredible. I feel like it would still do great even now. This channel is incredibly under rated, I can't believe you don't have at least a million subs. I can only imagine it's because they don't know about you yet
Pull a stunt where it comes together as a "It's the 70's!" convention. Imagine all of those polyester leisure suits on a flying sofa.
That ride was simply too cutting edge in creativity. Darned shame it was terminated. Must have been a heck of a lot of work.
I get just as excited as I did back in the 90's when a new Secret Life of Machines episode would come on TV
Me too...
Same here 😀
Well put! Tim is as charming as ever. It's just a really mellow and fun way to geek out about gadgets and mechanisms.
I'm so happy that I'm not the only one out there. Tim's video's are the perfect panacea for our ultra computerised world. He's a gifted educator
Thank you for continuing to make these videos Tim. I’m 37, I live in Suffolk as well and I grew up watching your Secret Life of series after school every week in the 90’s. Really inspired me to do practical mechanical things. I now have a decent workshop in the garden and have restored various things over the years. Just wanted to say thanks :-)
This is way more interesting than the Science Museum attempted in 2000...
I've seen the microswitch with a roller lever before but I never bothered to think of that specific application for the cam timer. It's dead simple and clever.
As a professional programmer, with a BSc. in Computer Science, and having programed countless industrial PLCs for safety-critical applications, I am qualified to remark that your knowledge of these beasties seems to be extraordinary!
grew up watching your shows in the 90's, great work. RETA CIRO here
Thank you for producing this video Tim. I've been working in the IT department for various manufacturing companies the last few years. I've been aware of PLCs and what they do but I have never had the opportunity to work with them directly. This is a great primer for what a PLC does and how it does it.
I cant believe this guy is still around!! That makes me happy, i hope he sees this cause I want him to know that whar he's done with his life, and for all of us, is just awesome. I appreicate all of this effort and time that he's spent over the years, and its very entertaining but also very informative. I just found out about his videos! Thank you Tim!
I've worked 10 years with PLCs and automation equipment, still loved watching this video.
The systems I work on are a bit more complex (SIMATIC S7-1500), as the CPU is a separate module and all I/O is remote through network connections, this helps eliminate lots of cabling through the facility as I only need to pull a network wire throughout it all.
Just wanted to say how I've become Grateful for Your Videos Sir.
I've been using live traps to catch critters around my home instead of the basic traps because of how cruel the old traps can be.
I'm thinking about using a combination of Lasers, a LDR along with a Relay and Solenoid to make the trap more sensitive in order to catch the Craftier critters inside it.
Your RUclips channel has been quite an inspiration.
The No Smoking sign is definitely a great sign!!
Thank You for sharing Your Inventions with Us!!
Sincerely, J Q
Your comments on simplicity are spot on.
There is a bit of a movement towards trying to put Arduinos and other PC based controls into industrial automation and it can make things a lot harder and much less reliable.
In reality, many modern PLCs are fairly standard computers that are just programmed with a simple instruction set, but this simplicity is really the key to reliability.
I noticed you have a Pheonix contact signal converter there. They have some really nice PLCs that do the basic PLC programs, but also have a simple browser based HMI system. They cost a little bit more than an old Mitsubishi but the software is free and have a huge amount of expandability of IO.
Wow this was the most intimate of all the modern episodes. Thank you so much for sharing.
Loving these videos, as a child in the 70's I used to look forward to Sunday to grab the Observer colour supplement to read Rudiments of Wisdom. I now live in Australia, but hope on one of my trips back I can get to see your machines.
Thanks Tim, your videos are so helpful and enjoyable. Your humble way of explaining complicated things you understand so thoroughly is wonderful.
I’m so glad to see you again as I were watch The Secret Life of Machines in Discovery Channel back in 90s. I was receive a kind e-mail reply from Tim in 2008. I’m a big fan from Argentina 🇦🇷
I've been looking forward to this video as I was the UK product manager for Mitsubishi FX PLCs (until I retired). As always your presentation style is engaging and informative and it was interesting to hear your objective slant on products I'm so familiar with.
I'll be on holiday in Southwold soon and definitely be visiting the pier to enjoy your machines again. 😅
I very much appreciate Tim's "rule-of-thumb" approach to his work. He's a true craftsman.
You know, if you did one called "The Secret Life of Machines" and filled it full of sweet minimal techno, I'd probably watch.
Tim, you are one of the best teachers I have ever had. When you explain stuff a light comes on on my head and it all becomes clear. PLc´s was a question I have always had but didnt want to ask, but when you showed the cam timer.. *boom* Its like a light timer you put in a socket... and it all came clear.
To do something ,be good at something or to be an expert on the subject all comes out to knowing your limits. Being a professional only gives you a title and a pay check ... and an amateur can produce a better result but will not collect 200 after passing GO :) Tim, I hope you are as rich in money as you are in knowledge. This is why AI scares me. If we can ask someone to solve a problem in milli seconds we will never feel good about ourselfes and I hate to come to that point where a boss or someone ask´s "why did you trie to solve it?? why the heck didnt you ask the AI dude!"
Because the AI dude will be the boss and fire you!
@@markfryer9880 yepp like the film "idiocrazy
As an Arduino guy I really appreciate how you present the (to me) unknown world of PLCs. Thanks a lot.
Tim, you are a genius! And RUclips is all the richer for your presence. RIP Rex, very sad. Love your work!
GS, Blue Mountains, Australia.
Tim, I have boxes and boxes of valves, motors, solenoids, gearboxes, microswitches, all sorts of automation items, all from VENDING MACHINES that i have stripped for spares. If they are of any use im offering them for free to you . Im so impressed with the things you make and the shows. From the age of 8 yrs old or so i was building automated machines including my own ghost train for my friends, we had a truck you pulled thru a dark tunnel, filled with torches, lenses, monsters tape loop monster sounds, all sorts!! I then went on later in life to own my own amusement arcade in Southport Lancashire.From that I went on to restoring classic cars (and automating some parts of them!) yours, Pete Crompton, Southport.
2:05 these displays were absolutely next level, so great to see the other ones we didn't see on the secret life, that aeroplane one was super brilliantly freaky. Absolutely legendary 😊
Excellent video on programmable controllers (PC's). Yes, that was what they were called when I started working with them (Allen Bradley, Modicon, and Texas Instruments) back in 1977, before there were personal computers (PC's). I used them on a number of special machines to manufacture aluminum levels, ceiling boards, electrical components and simple medical devices. Interesting work, and sometimes quite frustrating!
The section on stepping switches (cam timers) reminds me of the project we did in 1996 to convert a Vitamin C plant from Tennor drum stepping switches to PLC and DCS (distributed control system) control. The steppers used a lot of additional logic to control the motors that drove the cams, and to modify the outputs from the switches. The old system had worked for about 25 years before the upgrade.
I hope you didn't have any legal trouble from Madge (a/k/a Madonna) resulting from that amusement device!
Thank you Tim, as an engineer PLC's have been a constant companion to my career but never knew much about them until now. Kind regards and take care.
I have never scratched the surface of PLCs - love this episode, as well as all your work. Absolutely loved that shopping center display idea and the creative displays!!! The laundromat was spectacular, the kitchen, etc.
Tim, again thanks for the video. I’m building electronics in my daily work, but seeing you present your machines and explaining your motives, experiences and also failures is incredibly educating, and frankly also entertaining… there is not one video where I wouldn’t have learned some new aspect of *something*.
There’s also no shame in *not* using every microcontroller or programming language on the planet, when having a solution that perfectly fits your problem, and you have sooo many other aspects (mechanics, aesthetics, game flow, …) to keep in mind.
Tim your skills are boundless thank you so much for the time and effort for producing these, superb
3:17 It's been a long time I said holy shite out loud to a RUclips video. Brilliant.
Sir, you are amazing. I've been watching your videos back to back. I don't know who you are but clearly you've been teaching for a while. I watched your Video, "Secret Life Of The Engine" and was hooked. Greetings from the US. I'm really enjoying your content and thank you for sharing!
Genius eccentricity and amazing knowledge.Thank you
So nice to see behind the scenes of the machines my family and I have played with! We feel rather privileged! Thank you, Mr Hunkin 😀
I love the new video.
I used to sit down with my sons( when we were all much younger) and watch the secret life of machines. As mechanic and an electrician I can really appreciate the work that you put into all of your creations.
Hell, I still sit down and watch the old shows
Hello Tim ! I start seeing yours videos about The Secret life of machines, its very very excellent, congratulations. Greetings From Argentina.
Mr. Hunkin, you are an absolute treasure! I'm so glad you are taking the time to record and pass along your decades of knowledge for other builders to follow. Hopefully I can visit London some day and check out your arcade.
Engineer and makes the artists' works and your own. Wish I had seen Dismaland. Happy to spend an hour with you drilling holes or a discussion of screw threads
Dayum Tim!
After all these years, I've just now realised your approach to programming is so similar to mine...
Also: 47:35 is likely the most important part of this whole video.
thanks So much for the video Tim :) its much appreciated i love this channel! i just came from Breaking Taps video "NASA's clever technique to make "impossible" combustion chambers" unable to think of any other channels that really compare, then i came across this new video n thought "how could i forget this channel!??".. : p
I was gratified to hear Tim say he sees the cross over from his games to industrial automation and systems controls. Every video I watch I learn something new, learn something more fully or in a better way, am reminded of something I forgot, or notice something Tim has missed. What I can't remember noticing is something he got wrong. It could also be anything I think he has missed could have not made the cut in editing. He is always an enjoyable instructor.
I loved Tim's show when I was a kid. How have I only just found out he's still making shows on youtube !??! Subbed !
Thanks, this was very useful! Subliminal message: you can do it yourself. Love it.
I used Siemens PLCs for years at work, and then some Control Microsystems (which has since been bought up by Schneider). Once I retired, which these days means that I simply changed jobs, I found an Arduino based PLC that has the same form factor as the Control Microsystems units with the same (near as I can tell) instruction set, but they're about 1/10th the price. Really a brilliant setup. You can use Ladder Logic or even the newer IEC 61131-3 programming language. The programming software converts both to C++ for the Arduino. If there's features missing from the Arduinos capabilities in comparison to the actual PLCs, I haven't found them.
Great video Tim, thanks for that. Loads of useful technical information for the control system amateur or beginner. Your machines look much more fun than the ones I work on.
I learnt Siemens Step 5 PLCs in 1987 (I worked for a German CNC m/c manufacturer who had just started using them). My current job is as automation engineer for a UK company which makes special purpose industrial machines. Most customers have a strong preference for a PLC manufacturer. The majority who accept different manufacturers select Mitsubishi as their first or second choice (declaration of interest: I also used to work for Mitsi as an Applications Engineer).
I did work for a few years as site Automation Engineer for a large manufacturer. Their slap-dash purchasing procedures meant I had to support 13 different *manufacturers* of PLC (not a mis-type: I don't mean 13 *models* either).
Glad to see your mention of the option to full-blown PLCs: the "micro" PLC or "relay replacement" module. Several manufacturers make these and provide free programming software or can be programmed an instruction at a time from the display and push-buttons on the front of the controller.
While micro-controllers like the Raspberry Pi or Arduino are cheaper than a PLC, to "industrialise" them you need to add opto-isolators and then there's not so much difference in price in comparison to PLCs proper.
If I were selecting a brand of PLC for a DIY or hobby project, I would start by pricing the programming software. Sometimes you can get slightly outdated but fully functional software on Ebay or similar for hobbyist prices. There isn't that much difference in price between equivalent hardware. I would suggest Mitsubishi, Allen-Bradley, Omron or Siemens in no particular order of preference.
This is the absolute best introduction to plcs I have seen. I wish it were around 15 or so years ago when I had to struggle through this topic on my own…
Great video Tim, I was another appreciative watcher of the 'Secret Life of Machines' series back in the day, it is good to see you back on the screen! As an ex-industrial-automation engineer I admire your getting to grips with the PLC and your integration of Arduinos. Having switched industries decades ago I am only now beginning to get to tinker with the Arduino myself, albeit purely for fun at home. Your machines have tremendous charm. Thank you and I hope to visit one of your 'arcade' sites one day.
13:20 The cap is a 1 Farad super capacitor - takes the place of a conventional back up battery
As a someone new to PLCs, I’ve used multiple inexpensive lines from Automation Direct. They have lots of documentation which made it fairly easy to learn. Arduino now offers a ladder logic environment which might be useful to people coming to them from the industrial world.
How on earth didn't get to know about this fantastic channel, saw the one about solenoids totally hooked, subscribed, put over so well and detailed explanation, captivating, thank you .
Be sure to also watch his series The Secret Life Of Machines that he did for BBC if ya haven’t seen it yet :) Tim uploaded a remastered not version with commentary here on the channel.
*Welcome and good to have ya!*
I’ve been building automata and animated installations for some years now and I just tried to make it all reliable, so it could be switched on in the morning and run all day without overheating or making horrible squeaking noises. But the time has come up my game… and be a bit more adventurous! This video is going to be very useful. I’m going to get on eBay right now! Thank you so much Tim!
Well done. My first encounter with PLC's was also with the Mitsubishi's with a hand held programmer. Amazing devices.
Instantly recognised the machine from Guy's. Amazing!
I was eagerly awaiting this part of the series b/c I work for one of the "big" companies that make PLCs. Interesting that you get all of your results using what would be deemed "simple" or "small" PLCs by my department. We are often pressured to include flagship plc systems that can handle thousands of I/O and other various complicated things like umpteen axis motion control and fiber optic communications, but I always try to sneak a small PLC into a simpler system and pass it off to my manager as cost savings
death to EitherCat, lol. But it does irritate me seeing over engineered systems when a simple cheaper setup would work, I agree with your point, unfortunately a lot of salesman see $$$$
Thanks for everything you do for us. Sharing your knowledge is so generous and you're a great teacher indeed. Cheers!
I was having a rough go in the telecom industry and moved into plc electronics. I currently wire and start up rather large paper converting machines. Its a lot of fun, I enjoy the change of pace.
I have been a lover of science and history my whole life. Perhaps if I would have had a teacher like you I’d be an engineer or something. I enjoy you show immensely sir, thank you from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US
Always the brilliant teacher! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy these videos.
Thank you Tim for all of the extremely valuable lessons throughout the years. The world would definately be a darker place without Tim Hunkin.
Loved the detail in this Tim. Very interesting seeing how the PLCs work!
Thank you Tim for this series. I really enjoyed it and I use plc in my machines. They turn on and off pneumatic solenoids. which are attached to pneumatic cylinders. With tools on them to manufacture cookie cutters.
I'm not sure if I will ever use PLCs, but I just like to watch you making these wonderful videos. I'm sure I can speak for almost everyone, but we can definitely learn a lot from you Tim. Keep up the good work.😀
As Tim says, plc controllers are very reliable. I work in a block plant using Hitachi modular plc controllers with dozens of inputs and outputs and individual analogue cards. Working in pretty dismal conditions, high temperatures, vibrations and dust, they are pretty much bomb-proof.
Tim, you are a hero ! This kind of stuff is obscure verging on niche- but surely that's exactly what public service broadcasting should be all about ?! The BBC should be broadcasting this stuff (and paying you to make them .. )
Another great episode Tim, thanks so much! PLCs are something I always wanted to learn how to use. I think I’ll be re watching this video a few times! Cheers!
Hi Tim - I think "old school" is great!! I've been a model railroader for over 50 years. All the new rage is digitizing locomotives, but I refuse to move to Digital Command Control because it has a whole other set of problems that you have to deal with, most notably the horrible expense that I can use for other toys! So I'm still strickly DC with analog controls (hand throw switches, toggle switches, and the like! If I want sound, I have a great stereo system installed right next to the layout! Okay, enough of that! Although I like your older videos as much as ever (and rerun them often to remind myself of some of your solutions to problems that I experience), it's great to you making new videos! Best wishes from across the pond!
One of the reasons I settled on Schneider Electric PLCs for my most recent project is that the software is free. I've also seen the same thing with Phoenix Contact PLCs (I saw them at a trade show recently, and was very tempted by their product offering)
Some may wonder why PLCs are programmed the way they are. The PLC is essentially emulating in software what automation engineers used to physically build with either logic gates in integrated circuits or prior to that relays. Ladder logic diagrams were used to plan out the circuit, and so that became the high level language for programming the PLC.
i was watching an ave video on it a couple of years ago and i thought at the time it has an element of breadboard about it.
In automation, our schematics still use ladder diagrams when describing circuits that have escaped the PLC itself due to voltage or current handling restrictions
I really value these shows, thank you so much for sharing and demystifying so many things. This was one I had been hoping for in particular!
That's such a cool insight at the end about the prototype nature of industrial installations. Thanks for the suggestion to check out Bruce Shapiro! Very neat video. As a firmware programmer, I think there is a lot to be said for the simplicity, robustness, and modularity of these PLCs.
Another superb video Tim - I’d always been a rather frightened of PLCs but now I have a sense of what they’re about, thank you!
Thank you so much for this. This was the most helpful episode yet. I've had old PLC's before and not had a clue what to do with them. Now I've seen this they make perfect sense. Awesome episode.
excellent stuff as usual. i can imagine how exciting it is to get to grips with them and suddenly have all the new possibilities they offer to play with
One of the overlooked features of the PLCs is the ability to monitor the state of the program (input, ouptuts and states) while the controller is running. When there is a fault, you can know very quickly what's going wrong (sensor, wire, contactor...) and fix it in a moment. In industry that's essential.
Indeed! One of the main advantages is troubleshooting. You can see every switch, every output, their state, if they are functioning correctly, or not etc. And of course you can make changes on the fly, jump out a switch that is faulty or change the program to accommodate real world problems or changes with the process. I used to do a lot of plc work at my old job as a shift electrician at a large OSB mill (Weyerhaeuser). I miss it. Perhaps I will get back into industrial electrical at some point, as it is my favorite, but currently am making more money and working a more life friendly schedule doing mainly residential electrical work with my own company.
Here in the US, in the 60s and 70s, cam timers were used to run the pin reset and ball return mechanisms in bowling alleys.
I have an upcoming project that will require a PLC, and I've wanted to learn PLC's for a long time. Thanks for the primer Tim!
I build interactive installations for science centers/museums/etc, and actually went from doing mostly Arduino/Raspberry Pi based systems to PLC/Logic relays and Brightsign. Just going from 3,3/5V to 24V and defaulting to simple inputs and outputs makes everything so much more robust and manageable. Sure, with a microcontroller you can do anything, and sometimes we do. But that also means that the same anything can go wrong, in any number of ways. And they do.
Logic Relays nowadays (at least Siemens Logo) is actually quite powerful, and pretty easy to program! "Fast" inputs, ladder and function block diagrams, expansion modules, network communication, etc.
So I wouldn't say that the approach is old fashioned, more well proven. :)
Coming from the MC world, it's interesting how pin configuration on these is done physically with wires, instead of in software. Usually you can do a mix of pullup vs pulldown on the same controller just fine, though sometimes you need to provide your own resistors. Having to ensure all of your sensors are of the same type seems really inconvenient.
As for MC vs PLCs, there's a lot of electronics issues that the PLCs are hiding from you. Aside from pin configuration, you've also got input debouncing, input/output level shifting, watchdogs and a whole slew of bootloader/eeprom issues that you mostly don't have to think about with PLCs. And while you can find ruggedized MCs, they're comparatively rare and expensive, while PLCs have a decades-long history of use in situations where uptime is measured in the number of 9s in the uptime %...
dam brother, all ur stuff looks good, but some of it looks amazing!! its obvious theres a Lot of effort n care, and skill that goes into building them
As Tim already knows this (I hope) the first PLC was the Jacquard machine. He invented a system in which a set of cards are "read" by a clothing loom, that would set patterns predetermined by the cards that was set in a loop. Certain cards would put in a brocade, damask and matelassé, to name a few. it was amazingly simple, and it saved the textile industry large amounts of time and money. Of course time IS money, so both go hand in hand.
Charles Babbage took heart and inspiration from him and proceeded to design and build his computing machine, in which was NOT a PLC.
I remember those Mitsubishi plc’s appearing in lift controllers around the mid 90s.
Also the Omron which as far I could tell was the same unit.
They are virtually 100% reliable as long as that backup battery is good in the old ones.
28 years ago, doesn’t time fly when your having fun.
I tried pic, picaxe, arduinos, but now settled on Raspberry Pi pico’s for projects.
Can’t go wrong with a £3.50 plc in a decent form factor, and a huge community for support.
Thanks Tim, loved all the series. All the best.
By far, the best explanation of PLC's I have seen. Of course, I would like to see a node-red style drag and drop, gantt-style timeline, ladder development app, but beggars can't be choosers.
You might like the system I'm working on. Search for "what exactly is sbusmixer"
Very interesting. I used to work with their F and K series units which date back to the time of the IBM PC and thus programing was done with a clip on panel unit or later a dedicated tablet with EPROM writer. We used them for our Car Park barriers and train Carriage washing plants (British Rail Southern Region) along with a AI Auto Pre Heat And Flash Butt Welder Model 60 (Allen Bradley in that case) along with Bosch ones for rail profile grinders. The only one I have used in recent times was a Siemens one to control a diving air compressor and air banks which has been working now for a few years. I recall we started with a short course at Mitsubishi's offices in Watford with the first task to do the ladder logic to work a traffic light junction.
On our washing plants we used to count train wheels to start the plant and subtract them at the other side (A different count between starting and stopping), the chemical dosing pumps and flow switches plus control of the caustic soda plant to neutralise the acetodiphosphonic acid which was good for cast iron brake dust removal (very dangerous stuff and even eats concrete).
I would go broke going on that ride as much as possible, it's all amazing
Lots of newer PLCs can be programmed in CoDeSys which is free (the license to use it is bought with each PLC itself). Well, excluding Siemens, who are stuck in the 1990s.
Thank you for continuing to make these videos for all of us to learn from, its always amazing what you can throw together with just a few bits.
I cut my teeth on the Mitsi FX PLC's. Built many machines in the packaging industry using them. The Melsoft PLC software was a bit of pain initially and the Programming cable cost 250 quid. But the Mitsi programming manuals were clear, detailed and had everything in them you needed. An important point is Relay vs Transistor output and the impact that has on what you're controlling. The early models it was possible to replace the relays. Good video.
Thank you Tim for making this show absolutely fascinating! I only wish I'd discovered your show sooner.
This video is awesome and I thank you so much for taking the time to make such an easy to understand and information filled video! Bless!
Dear Tim, been a huge fan of yours for decades past. Just discovered your fantastic RUclips content. Hooked and Subscribed. So many thanks to you for sharing your world dear Sir. Blessings and humble worship to you. 🙏
You are an incredible human being, an inspiration and role model to us all. Your mind is the essence of how we should think about life. We are truly blessed by you. Thank you dearly.
For starters I would reccomend any Japanese Plc. I have worked many years with Panasonic, you can buy these at 60 or 80usd online with a fair amount of inputs and outputs. For the fellows that want something more modern, any Plc that can be compiled by Codesys. It is a development software to create programs, but years ahead. It is compatible with IOT, you can create operator panels in HTML and control a machine with your smartphone, you can do data analisis and exchange using a normal Lan network and much more. Brands that are compatible with codesys: Delta (Ax séries), CMZ (fct640), and low cost units such as Pixsys. Automation professional here.
Fascinating video. Exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks.
Excellent introduction. Where I work we have machines that are well over 35 years old and the only things that have failed are the things plugged into the PLC's. They have gradually started to replace bits that have dedicated logic boards but they just aren't as reliable.