MODULE CONFIGURATION
In the Building a PLC System lesson, you got an overview of the PLC system. You learned that it includes a controller, power supply, and Input/Output (I/O) modules that plug into different "slots" on the PLC chassis.
You observed how the terminals on the I/O modules act as physical connection points for field devices.
And then you tested the setup by observing digital instructions inside the ladder logic.
But how does that physical to digital connection happen inside in the PLC software?
To answer that, we're going to have to switch from hardware mode...
…to software mode. We will set up a project in the Rockwell Allen Bradley Logix5000 software, configure the modules so the PLC can find them, and see how instructions are created.
Starting a Project
By creating a PLC project, we are creating a digital environment where the PLC can control and keep track of physical devices.
In order to properly set up a new project, there are a few things we need to know about the controller:
- The Controller model (ex: ControlLogix)
- The Chassis size and model (ex: 10-slot rack)
- Which slot the controller is in
In our example, we will be using a 1756-L71 ControlLogix 5570 controller, placed in a 10-Slot ControlLogix chassis, with the controller placed in the first slot, slot 0 (the power supply doesn't have a slot number).
The Rockwell Allen Bradley Logix5000 PLC software runs inside an application called Studio 5000.
Once we start up Studio 5000, we can enter our controller information and create a new project.
This project creates the foundational file where all of the future logic and hardware definitions for our PLC system will live.
For detailed steps on setting up a project, check out this video: PLC Programming 1: Setting Up a Project
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