Latest Distributed I/O Technical Articles

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What’s a Signal Conditioner, and Why Do I Need One?

What’s a Signal Conditioner, and Why Do I Need One?

There aren’t actually all that many industrial I/O signal types, and most sensors are designed to output just the right type of signal. But… How do we deal with those pesky potentiometers?


Companion Guide to Ladder Logic / ST Conversion

Companion Guide to Ladder Logic / ST Conversion

This guide examines common ladder logic structures and presents the equivalent structured text representation, mainly intended as a learning guide for those getting started with ST.


NPN and PNP Wiring | Incremental Encoders Are Not Interchangeable

NPN and PNP Wiring | Incremental Encoders Are Not Interchangeable

Encoders rely on high-speed outputs supplying signals to a PLC. Learn why these signals cannot be interchanged at will, and some best practices for preventing false rotational counts.


Ladder Logic: It’s Not Just Digital Electrical Prints Anymore

Ladder Logic: It’s Not Just Digital Electrical Prints Anymore

Ladder logic is the legendary industrial graphical programming language that once resembled electrical drawings, but it has advanced far beyond a collection of digital electrical symbols.


Tutorial: Commissioning a Balluff BNI IO-Link Master

Tutorial: Commissioning a Balluff BNI IO-Link Master

IO-Link is regarded as a robust field-level network that adds tremendous sensing capability beyond standard analog and digital I/O. Yet it can be difficult to set up. Here’s a guide.


The One Where A Modbus Output is Controlled by Two PLCs

The One Where A Modbus Output is Controlled by Two PLCs

Get ready for a control-themed roller coaster ride, pitting two PLCs against one Modbus I/O rack, and you might be shocked at the results: Who will win… And who will lose?


Adding Remote I/O to a PLC Project: Synergy Logic Meets CompactLogix

Adding Remote I/O to a PLC Project: Synergy Logic Meets CompactLogix

In this tutorial, we add remote I/O to a Studio 5000 project using Modbus TCP and the new SLM System from Synergy Logic, which promises to simplify the integration. We’ll see how it lives up.


Supervisory Control: How Commands Operate Real-world Objects

Supervisory Control: How Commands Operate Real-world Objects

In power generation facilities, operational commands are issued, then make their way to the final real-world breakers, before feedback commands relay the position back to the control system.


The 100,000-Hour Myth: Decoding Industrial LED Life Cycles

The 100,000-Hour Myth: Decoding Industrial LED Life Cycles

Why do "forever" LEDs fail? A technical guide on L70 standards, multi-voltage IC drivers, and a comparison of industry-leading LED manufacturers.


A Legacy of Factory and Motion Control: Mitsubishi Electric Automation

A Legacy of Factory and Motion Control: Mitsubishi Electric Automation

Showcase, manufacturing, repair, and research: Join Control.com for a recap of our team’s recent visit to the US HQ of Mitsubishi Electric Automation, and see where the magic happens.


Explaining the Tech: Common vs. Isolated PLC I/O Modules

Explaining the Tech: Common vs. Isolated PLC I/O Modules

Learn the difference between common and individually isolated PLC I/O modules; how do we know when isolation might be helpful or required for outputs, inputs, and analog signals?


Industrial Connectivity and DataOps: Work Together to Unlock Your Manufacturing Data

Industrial Connectivity and DataOps: Work Together to Unlock Your Manufacturing Data

Working with data is no simple task. It requires a solid understanding of how to acquire the data, process it, and then use it to deliver tangible benefits to the operation and the company.


Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

A practical, experience-driven guide to designing and wiring electrical cabinets for machine-tending robotic cells.


Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Is it best to ‘controller scope’ or ‘program scope’ your tags? This is the question asked by many new PLC programmers, and it often comes down to personal preference.


Advantages of Remote I/O Devices With Networking Technologies

Advantages of Remote I/O Devices With Networking Technologies

Networked remote I/O allows machine centers to operate while physically separated from the rest of the system, and often, the solution can drop right into place.


Should I Connect the Commons or Not? Power Supplies Across Systems

Should I Connect the Commons or Not? Power Supplies Across Systems

When dealing with two or more I/O systems, the subject of power supply commons will arise. Sometimes the solution is simple, but it can require creativity to find the best (and safest) solution.


Safe and Connected | An Intro to IO-Link Safety

Safe and Connected | An Intro to IO-Link Safety

IO-Link technology keeps improving, and with the recent introduction of Safe IO-Link, the automation world is going to get a whole lot more modular.


Tutorial: Setting up an IO-Link Network With Built-in Logic

Tutorial: Setting up an IO-Link Network With Built-in Logic

IO-Link has established itself as a reliable field network that’s constantly evolving with new generations of devices. Learn how to configure logic directly on the IO-Link master.


Communication and Power Redundancy for Control Devices

Communication and Power Redundancy for Control Devices

Power and control interruptions are, at best, problematic. In some applications, it’s catastrophic. Learn about redundancy for the system, power supplies, control devices, and network topologies.


Machine-to-Machine Integration with OPC UA

Machine-to-Machine Integration with OPC UA

The OPC UA protocol is designed to solve two problems in automation: interoperability between device vendors and independence from incompatible transport layer differences.