Wago industrial control seminar: Implementation tips for I/O-based controllers

Industrial control technologies, issues, and techniques are covered in a Wago industrial control seminar. Seven students used hardware and software with the Wago I/O System to advance IEC 61131 programming skills using CoDeSys.

By Mark T. Hoske August 21, 2009

Brent Kucharski, Wago product training manager, shows how a simple interface can operates the demo case equipment (far left). The software has a variety of objects from which to choose. See more from Control Engineering about the Wago programming software.

Germantown, WI – Industrial control technologies, issues, and techniques are covered in a recent Wago industrial control seminar. Seven students, Aug. 17-19, used hardware and software with the Wago I/O System to advance IEC 61131 programming skills using CoDeSys.

Hands-on activities from Brent Kucharski, Wago product training manager, helped attendees with programming and installation of PLC- and PC-based control systems. Various companies’ adaptation of CoDeSys software may use different features and settings according to products and needs, he noted.

At various points Kucharski, another coworker or two, and attendees shared the following advice.

Carey Perschke, Wago electronics & manufacturing engineering supervisor, shows some custom configurations Wago assembles to meet customer needs, from a few to thousands. Some become regular catalogue items, Perschke says.

– Spring pressure connection technology speeds setup and eliminates possibilities for loose wiring resulting from vibration and temperature cycling. Wago incorporates spring pressure connections in many of its DIN-rail, PCB and chassis-mount terminal blocks, signal conditioners, and Wago-I/O-System.
– Follow software and cable compatibility guidelines for various products and interfacing computers. Students bring their laptops; RS-232 cables are provided, if they didn’t bring one.
– Program organization units (POUs), similar to sub-routines, have PLC_PRG as the main routine and must use that format, with a declaration part and a code part. A new POU dialog box is displayed when a new project is created or when a new POU is added for the project.
– Declare a language for each main routine; subroutines can switch to other languages as needed.

Jerry Jordan, Wago manufacturing manager, helps ensure mechanical and electronic assemblies meet ISO standards.

– Using, modifying, and adding to a library of function blocks can save a lot of time.
– Having POU trouble? Did you follow the hierarchy? A program can call a program or a function block or a function. A function can call a function, but not a function block. A function block can call another function block or a function. Functions or FBs cannot call a program.
– Ladder diagram (LD), the most common of programming languages for PLCs, may not be the best choice for batch or packaging applications, for instance. A subroutine using another of the languages may be more useful. (See sidebar with "Basics of PLC 61131 programming…" below.)
– Creating an HMI-browser interface to controls, even if read only, prevent a 2 a.m. trip to the plant.
-Pay attention to the three CoDeSys resets. The first reset returns the control to the default state. Other resets can wipe retained variables. With a cold reset, persistent words and retains will be saved, but individual or retain words that were created would be wiped clean. The third option, an original resent, wipes out everything to the factory default.
-Use the most current version of Java to ensure any created visualizations work properly.

Wago, celebrating 30 years in the U.S. in September 2009, includes a three-aisle automated robot controlled retrieval system with 11,000 product locations at the U.S. facility in Germantown, WI.

There’s training at the 75,000 sq ft Wago facility in Germantown, WI , expanded in February 2008. It includes engineering, design, manufacturing, and an automated distribution center. In addition to training at the Germantown headquarters, Wago has an external training manager, Marc Immordino, who provides on-site training for customers. This allows entire departments to receive product training tailored to their systems and needs.

While the site includes demonstration and training rooms, Wago has integrated its products and products from customers throughout the site, integrating building energy management (HVAC and lighting), production machines, elevators controls, fluorescent lighting ballasts, LON controls, robots, and junction box wire connectors. LON fieldbus systems use Wago modules and software. Wago cartons incorporate radio frequency bar codes readers.

Three-aisle automated robot controlled retrieval system has 11,000 product locations. Demonstration area includes Wago products on display boards. Watch for future Wago training sessions .

Also see:
– Basics of PLC 61131 programming with Wago CoDeSys software

– Wago 4-channel electronic circuit breakers: Program trip characteristics, current monitoring

– Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering www.controleng.com


Author Bio: Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.