Learning PLC programming is a very important skill. If your job involves programming, then you will likely…
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Developed by the Modicon company (the original manufacturer of the Programmable Logic Controller, or PLC) in…
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One of the fundamental laws of electric circuits is Kirchhoff’s Current Law, which states the algebraic…
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Steam boilers are very common in industry, principally because steam power is so useful. Common uses for steam…
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While the term “probability” may evoke images of imprecision, probability is in fact an exact…
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Multiple accessories exist for pressure-sensing devices to function optimally in challenging process…
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One of the great benefits of digital technology is the ability to communicate vast amounts of information over…
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The purpose of a control valve actuator is to provide the motive force to operate a valve mechanism. Both…
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In order to provide an interface between the internal (digital) world of a computer and the external (analog)…
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Although it seems each model of PLC has its own idiosyncratic standard for programming, there does exist an…
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Human-machine interfaces, or HMIs, are a critical part of nearly all control systems, complementing the…
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Electromechanical relays may be connected together to perform logic and control functions, acting as logic…
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(Will be addressed in future versions of this book)
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The reason why a pneumatic control valve’s stem position corresponds linearly to the amount of air…
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A laser is a light source emitting waves of light that not only share the exact same frequency (color)…
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Mechanical pressure-sensing elements include the bellows, the diaphragm, and the bourdon tube. Each of these…
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A very simple device used to measure pressure is the manometer: a fluid-filled tube where an applied gas…
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What is Calibration? To calibrate an instrument means to check and adjust (if necessary) its response so the…
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One of the simplest classes of temperature sensor is one where temperature effects a change in electrical…
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An engineer named Bob Metcalfe conceived the idea of Ethernet in 1973, while working for the Xerox research…
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The Law of Continuity for fluids states that the product of mass density (\(\rho\)), cross-sectional pipe area…
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In the United States, the ANSI and IEEE organizations have standardized a set of numerical codes referring to…
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The disadvantages of pneumatic instruments are painfully evident to anyone familiar with both pneumatic and…
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A flow switch is one detecting the flow of some fluid through a pipe. Flow switches often use…
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“Polyphase” means “many phases,” describing a form of AC electrical system where…
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Capacitance Any two electrical conductors separated by an insulating medium possess the characteristic called…
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In order for any PID controller to be practical, it must be able to do more than just implement the PID…
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Once while working as an instrument technician in an aluminum foundry, a mechanic asked me what it was that I…
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Few areas of mathematics are as powerfully useful in describing and analyzing the physical world as calculus:…
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The following collection of photographs chronicles the complete disassembly of a Fisher E-body globe valve…
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In a manually-controlled process, a human operator directly actuates some form of final control element…
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Some of the simplest types of digital communication networks found in industry are defined by the EIA…
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As a general rule, high achievement only takes place in an atmosphere of high expectations. Sometimes these…
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The three “elementary” particles of matter comprising all atoms are electrons, protons, and…
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An important legacy technology for all kinds of continuous measurement is the self-balancing system. A…
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Multiple accessories exist for pressure-sensing devices to function optimally in challenging process…
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A level switch is one detecting the level of liquid or solid (granules or powder) in a vessel. Level switches…
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Most pneumatic instruments use a simple but highly sensitive mechanism for converting mechanical motion into…
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Binary patterns are not just able to represent numerical values. Given a standardized code, they may represent…
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An interesting parallel to the “unity fraction” unit conversion technique is something referred to…
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A unique form of technical diagram for describing the abstract functions comprising a control system (e.g. PID…
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A pressure switch is one detecting the presence of fluid pressure. Pressure switches often use diaphragms or…
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It is often useful to express the amplitude of an alternating quantity such as voltage or current in terms…
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A wise PLC programmer once told me that the first thing any aspiring programmer should learn about the PLC…
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A technological advance introduced in the late 1980’s was HART, an acronym standing for Highway…
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Constructing PID control systems using discrete components is a fairly simple method involving operational…
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Electrical Resistance Resistance (\(R\)) is the dissipative opposition to an electric current, analogous to…
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A bridge circuit is basically a pair of voltage dividers where the circuit output is taken as the difference…
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Calculus has a reputation for being difficult to learn, and with good reason. The traditional approach to…
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A proximity switch is one detecting the proximity (closeness) of some object. By definition, these switches…
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An engineer named Bob Metcalfe conceived the idea of Ethernet in 1973, while working for the Xerox research…
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An electric motor is often used as a discrete control element in a control system if driving a pump, conveyor…
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There are multiple motives for compromising the security of an industrial control system, some of which…
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It is possible to convey electrical power and communicate analog information over the same two wires using 4…
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