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Chapter 1 - Ladder Diagram Fundamentals

The document discusses different types of switches used in ladder logic diagrams, including mushroom head pushbuttons, selector switches, limit switches, and indicator lamps. Mushroom head pushbuttons are used for emergency stop applications and have a distinctive curved top. Selector switches are rotary switches that can have multiple sets of contacts. Limit switches are activated by moving machine parts and indicate positions. Indicator lamps are drawn as circles with light rays and use different colors to convey status information.

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Ritesh Sharma
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44 views3 pages

Chapter 1 - Ladder Diagram Fundamentals

The document discusses different types of switches used in ladder logic diagrams, including mushroom head pushbuttons, selector switches, limit switches, and indicator lamps. Mushroom head pushbuttons are used for emergency stop applications and have a distinctive curved top. Selector switches are rotary switches that can have multiple sets of contacts. Limit switches are activated by moving machine parts and indicate positions. Indicator lamps are drawn as circles with light rays and use different colors to convey status information.

Uploaded by

Ritesh Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1 - Ladder Diagram Fundamentals

The switch on the right is an extended pushbutton. Obviously, the actuator extends
beyond the sleeve which makes the button easy to depress by finger, palm of the hand, or
any object. It is intended for applications where it is desirable to make the switch as
accessible as possible such as STOP, PAUSE, or BRAKES.

Figure 1-6 - Switch Actuators


The three types of switch actuators shown in Figure 1-6 are not generally used for
applications that would be required in emergency situations nor for operations that occur
hundreds of times per day. For both of these applications, a switch is needed that is the
most accessible of all switches. These types are the mushroom head or palm head
pushbutton (sometimes called palm switches, for short), and are illustrated in Figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7 - Mushroom Head Pushbuttons


Although these two applications are radically different, the switches look similar. The
mushroom head switch shown on the left of Figure 1-7 is a momentary switch that may be
used to cause a machine run one cycle of an operation. For safety reasons, they are
usually used in pairs, separated by about 24", and wired so that they must both be pressed
at the same time in order to cause the desired operation to commence. When arranged
and wired such as this, we create what is called a 2-handed palming operation. By doing
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Chapter 1 - Ladder Diagram Fundamentals


so, we know that when the machine is cycled, the operator has both hands on the
pushbuttons and not in the machine.
The switch on the right of Figure 1-7 is a detent pushbutton (i.e. when pressed in it
remains in, and then to return it to its original position, it must be pulled out) and is called
an Emergency Stop, or E-Stop switch. The mushroom head is always red and the switch
is used to shutoff power to the controls of a machine when the switch is pressed in. In
order to restart a machine, the E-Stop switch must be pulled to the out position to apply
power to the controls before attempting to run the machine.
E-STOP
RUN
Mushroom head switches have special
schematic symbols as shown in Figure 1-8. Notice that
they are drawn as standard pushbutton switches but
have a curved line on the top of the actuators to indicate Figure 1-8 - Mushroom Switches
that the actuators have a mushroom head.

Selector Switches
STOP
RUN
A selector switch is also known as a rotary
switch.
An automobile ignition switch, and an
oscilloscopes vertical gain and horizontal timebase
switches are examples of selector switches. Selector
Figure 1-9 - Selectors
switches use the same symbol as a momentary
pushbutton, except a lever is added to the top of the actuator, as shown in Figure 1-9. The
switch on the left is open when the selector is turned to the left and closed when turned to
the right. The switch on the right side has two sets of contacts. The top contacts are
closed when the switch selector is turned to the left position and open when the selector
is turned to the right. The bottom set of contacts work exactly opposite. There is no
electrical connection between the top and bottom pairs of contacts. In most cases, we
label the selector positions the same as the labeling on the panel where the switch is
located. For the switch on the right in Figure 1-9, the control panel would be labeled with
the STOP position to the left and the RUN position to the right.

Limit Switches
Limit switches are usually not operator accessible.
Instead they are activated by moving parts on the
machine. They are usually mechanical switches, but can
also be light activated (such as the automatic door Figure 1-10 - Limit Switches
openers used by stores and supermarkets), or magnetically operated (such as the
magnetic switches used on home security systems that sense when a window has been
opened). An example of a mechanically operated limit switch is the switch on the
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Chapter 1 - Ladder Diagram Fundamentals


refrigerator door that turns on the light inside. They are sometimes called cam switches
because many are operated by a camming action when a moving part passes by the
switch. The symbols for both types of limit switches are shown in Figure 1-10. The N/O
version is on the left and the N/C version is on the right. One of the many types of limit
switch is pictured in Figure 1-11.

Figure 1-11 - Limit Switch


Indicator Lamps
All control panels include indicator lamps. They tell the operator
when power is applied to the machine and indicate the present operating
status of the machine. Indicators are drawn as a circle with light rays
extending on the diagonals as shown in Figure 1-12.
Figure 1-12 Lamp
Although the light bulbs used in indicators are generally
incandescent (white), they are usually covered with colored lenses. The colors are usually
red, green, or amber, but other colors are also available. Red lamps are reserved for
safety critical indicators (power is on, the machine is running, an access panel is open, or
that a fault has occurred). Green usually indicates safe conditions (power to the motor is
off, brakes are on, etc.). Amber indicates conditions that are important but not dangerous
(fluid getting low, machine paused, machine warming up, etc.). Other colors indicate
information not critical to the safe operation of the machine (time for preventive
maintenance, etc.). Sometimes it is important to attract the operators attention with a
lamp. In these cases, we usually flash the lamp continuously on and off.
Relays
Early electrical control systems were composed of mainly relays and switches.
Switches are familiar devices, but relays may not be so familiar. Therefore, before
1-7

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