r/PLC

howdy all,

Have an application for a new build where I need to utilize an “HF” (high feature) Remote I/O system that allows isochronous functions down to a module level.

For all the high-speed or robotics machine builders out there, what are you using that has full supoort for Profinet IRT? Do you stick with what your PLC brand offers (i.e ET200SP “HF” coupler/modules)? Do you have a go-to that works down to the module level that *is not* Siemens?

I’ve used a wide variety of remote I/O systems in the past for standard applications - but the big players (outside of Siemens/Beckhoff) seem to ignore this market. Have tested Wago 750, Helmholz TB20, and Weidmuller stuff I have on hand; none fully support IRT at the module level.

Hey all,

My industry is an absolute bloodbath right now with people getting fired everywhere, I grew out of liking videogames but my experience has been programming in C# in Unity

for 5 years.

I have been trying to research Industrial Automation as a career change but I am chasing my own tail right now and could really use some advice. I have a CS degree and like problem solving and would ideally like to switch to something thats project based and more stable, I am okay with getting more education/certifications.

Would anyone mind pointing me the right direction or any advice or experiences would be great.

Thank you!

I am looking for an affordable PLC or industrial controller for teaching undergraduate control and automation laboratory classes.

I initially considered the Arduino Opta, but I have seen several negative comments about its limitations, especially the small number of built-in I/O points. I also understand that additional expansion modules may be required for functions such as PWM, which could significantly increase the cost when equipping several laboratory stations.

My main requirements are:

• Affordable hardware.
• Free ladder-logic programming software.
• Enough digital and analog I/O for control experiments.
• PWM or other suitable outputs for actuator control.
• PID control capabilities.
• Industrial communication options such as Modbus, Ethernet, or EtherCAT.
• Reliable hardware for repeated student use.
• Good documentation and reasonably priced expansion modules.

I have heard that the Kinco AK8X0 EtherCAT PLC may be a good option, but I have not found many detailed reviews from people using it in universities or teaching laboratories.

Has anyone used the Kinco AK8X0 or another Kinco PLC? I would appreciate feedback about:

• The ladder-programming software.
• Hardware and software reliability.
• Analog I/O and PID implementation.
• PWM or high-speed output capabilities.
• EtherCAT setup and compatibility.
• Documentation and technical support.
• Cost and availability of expansion modules.
• Suitability for student laboratory use.

I am also open to recommendations for other affordable PLCs that would work well for teaching ladder logic, PID control, data acquisition, actuator control, and industrial communications.

I’m running into an issue with FactoryTalk Optix that seems to get worse as a project grows.

When I copy and paste an entire page (or even just large UI sections) from one project to another, the total node count increases dramatically. It looks like Optix is importing many additional nodes, types, resources, or dependencies that are not actually used by the pasted page.

Even after deleting objects or cleaning up the project manually, the node count doesn’t seem to decrease. It feels like orphaned nodes remain in the project.

My questions are:

Is there a way to rebuild or regenerate the project’s node graph so that only nodes actually referenced by the project remain?

Is there any kind of “garbage collection”, cleanup, or optimization process during Build?

Has anyone found a reliable way to remove these unused imported nodes without creating a brand-new project and manually recreating the pages?
I’m trying to understand whether this is expected behavior or if I’m missing some maintenance tool.

Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, everyone

I will be designing my first safety program from scratch in a couple days for a GuardLogix. I’m not a complete newbie, but I would like some guidance or any literature that could be helpful on this topic to avoid doing something critical

Thanks in advance~

what is the best online on browser plc simulator available right now

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from people with experience in this field regarding my career. I'm an international graduate based in Perth. My background includes a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, an MBA in Finance, and a recently completed Master's in Information Technology.

I've been offered an opportunity to work in industrial automation, mainly involving electrical and electronic systems, system automation, PLC programming, and related technologies.

Although my academic background is in IT, I find this opportunity quite interesting. I'm wondering if it would be a good career move and whether transitioning into this field is realistic.

Has anyone here made a similar transition from IT/software into automation or PLC programming? How steep is the learning curve, and what are the long-term career prospects in Australia?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share. Thank you!

Hello,

I have been screwing around with Codesys. I have a Balluff I/O link master I got connected.

I am pretty familiar with I/O link in Studio 5000 - where once you add the IODD file for the master and install it in the tree, you see all the process data in the controller tags.

I see if I double click the master in Codesys and go to Ethernet/IP I/O Mapping and enable the variable update I can see data - but don't seem to be able to write values like I can in Studio.

Does Codesys have a means to just type values into the outputs to mess with devices without writing a bunch of code?

What Colleges would be good to get an online degree for becoming a Control Technician. If you know of one can you provide a link.

Hi guys, I have followed this video of Hegamurl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUN7lic-1hE&list=PLtGimRyb0S0ivKG6RsDWTtPSyOZ_iqS3b&index=16 of configuring an HMI interface. The problem is that I am not capable of starting the simulation neither going online in order to have HMI simulation in screen.

The configuration is the flollowing:

https://preview.redd.it/y4hwtpg9zebh1.png?width=1697&format=png&auto=webp&s=96f76e35e49acd4a874d86816467c5acc7458a93

Errors that appear when I try to go online with the HMI:
Going online: the HW configuration of the HMI_RT_1 was changed but it was not compiled and loaded yet. The shown diagnostics is possibly inconsistent or wrong.,7/5/2026,3:33:21 PM
The target HMI_RT_1 in the offline project is different from the target in the online project (address FF-FF-C0-A8-00-01).,7/5/2026,3:33:23 PM

https://preview.redd.it/ontmly1jzebh1.png?width=1377&format=png&auto=webp&s=2acf4ad1de320a95ac0396d340a3483d9bf734dd

Error at the moment of downloading to device:

https://preview.redd.it/40bmtvrqzebh1.png?width=796&format=png&auto=webp&s=30981ee0abbedc144f65ffd080d0b647d5cf5a0f

Thank you for your help and ask me if you need me to show anything else to solve the problem :)