Dr.

Alaaeldien Mostafa mohamed

Assistant Professor in Department of Electrical
Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, South Valley University, Egypt.
Programmable logic controllers

Chapter 2

Input&Output devices
 Input−output devices
❑ The input devices considered include digital and analogue devices such as:
➢ Mechanical switches for position detection proximity switches

➢ Photoelectric switches, encoders

➢ Temperature and pressure switches potentiometers

➢ Linear variable differential transformers, strain gauges

➢ Thermistors thermotransistors and thermocouples.

❑ Output devices considered include
➢ Relays, Contactors, Solenoid valves and Motors.
 Input devices
Sensor and Transducer
❑The term sensor is used for an input device that provides a usable output in response to a specified
physical input.
For example, a thermocouple is a sensor which converts a temperature difference into an electrical
output.

❑The term Transducer is generally used for a device that converts a signal from one form to a
different physical form. Thus, sensors are often transducers, but also other devices can be
transducers, e.g. a motor which converts an electrical input into rotation.

❑ Sensors which give digital/discrete, i.e. on-off, outputs can be easily connected to the input ports
of PLCs.

❑ Sensors which give analog signals have to be converted to digital signals before inputting them
to PLC ports.
Input devices
Sensor and Transducer
• The following are some of the more common terms used to define the performance of sensors.
• Accuracy For example, a temperature sensor might have an accuracy of ±0.1oC. The error of a
measurement is the difference between the result of the measurement and the true value of the quantity being
measured.
• The term non-linearity error is used for the error that occurs as a result of assuming a linear relationship
between the input and output over the working range.
• The term hysteresis error is used for the difference in outputs given from the same value of quantity being
measured according to whether that value has been reached by a continuously increasing change or a
continuously decreasing change.
Input devices
Sensor and Transducer
• The range of variable of system is the limits between which the input can vary. For example, a
resistance temperature sensor might be quoted as having a range of -200 to +800oC.

• The response time

• The sensitivity indicates how much the output of an instrument system

or system element changes when the quantity being measured changes
by a given amount
Input devices
Sensor and Transducer
• The stability of a system is its ability to give the same output when used to measure a constant input over
a period of time.

• The repeatability is used for the ability of a measurement system to give the same value for repeated
measurements of the same value of a variable.
• The reliability of a measurement system, or element in such a system, is defined as being the probability
that it will operate to an agreed level of performance, for a specified period, subject to specified
environmental conditions.
Input devices
• Examples of some of the commonly used PLC input devices and their sensors

❑ Mechanical switches

• Switches are available with normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC) contacts or can be configured as
either by choice of the relevant contacts.
 Input devices
❑ Mechanical switches
The term limit switch is used for a switch which is used to detect the presence or passage of a moving part.
 Input devices
❑ Proximity switches
Proximity switches are used to detect the presence of an item without making contact with it.

➢ The eddy current type of proximity switch has a coil which is energized by a constant
alternating current and produces a constant alternating magnetic field. When a metallic
object is close to it, eddy currents are induced in it. The range over which such objects
can be detected is typically about 0.5 to 20 mm.
➢ The reed switch is consists of two overlapping, but not touching, strips of a springy
ferromagnetic material sealed in a glass or plastic envelope. When a magnet or current-
carrying coil is brought close to the switch, the strips become magnetized and attract
each other. The contacts then close. The magnet closes the contacts
when it is typically about 1 mm from the switch.

➢ The capacitive proximity switch can be used with metallic and non-metallic objects. The
capacitance of a pair of plates separated by some distance depends on the separation, the
smaller the separation the higher the capacitance. The sensor of the capacitive proximity
switch is just one of the plates of the capacitor, the other plate being the metal object whose
proximity is to be detected. Capacitive proximity switches can be used to detect objects
when they are typically between 4 and 60 mm from the sensor head.
 Input devices
❑ Photoelectric sensors and switches
➢ Photoelectric switch devices where the object being
detected breaks a beam of light, usually infrared radiation,
and stops it reaching the detector.

➢ Such sensors are supplied as packages for sensing the

presence of objects at close range, typically at less than about
5 mm.
Reflective types

➢ Light-to-frequency converter, the light then being converted

to a sequence of pulses with the frequency of the pulses
being a measure of the light intensity.
➢ The Texas Instrument TSL220, incorporating the light sensor
and the voltageto-frequency converter
 Input devices
❑ Encoders
Encoder is the device that provides a digital output as a result of angular
or linear displacement.
➢ An increment encoder detects changes in angular or linear
displacement from some datum position,
➢ while an absolute encoder gives the actual angular or linear position.

➢ When the disc rotates, the light beam is alternately transmitted and
stopped and so a pulsed output is produced from the light sensor.
➢ The resolution being proportional to the number of slots on a disc.
 Input devices
❑ Encoders

With 4 tracks there will be 4 bits and so the number of positions that can be detected is 24 = 16, i.e. a
resolution of 360/16 = 22.5o. Typical encoders tend to have up to 10 or 12 tracks. The number of bits in
the binary number will be equal to the number of tracks. Thus with 10 tracks there will be 10 bits and
so the number of positions that can be detected is 210, i.e. 1024, a resolution of 360/1024 = 0.35o.
 Input devices
❑ Temperature sensors
Is used to provide an on–off signal when a particular temperature is reached is the
bimetal element. This consists of two strips of different metals, e.g. brass and iron,
bonded together .The two metals have different coefficients of expansion. Thus,
when the temperature of the bimetal strip increases the strip curves, in order that
one of the metals can expand more than the other.

Resistive temperature detector (RTD).

The electrical resistance of metals or semiconductors changes with temperature.

➢ the resistance of platinum, nickel or nickel alloys varies in a linear manner

with temperature over a wide range of temperatures.

➢ Semiconductors, such as thermistors, show very large changes in resistance

with temperature.
➢ LM35 gives an output of 10 mV/Co when the supply voltage is +5 V
 Input devices
❑ Temperature sensors

The thermocouple consists essentially of two dissimilar wires A and B

forming a junction When the junction is heated so that it is at a higher
temperature than the other junctions in the circuit, which remain at a constant
cold temperature, an e.m.f. is produced which is related to the hot junction
temperature.
 Input devices
❑ Position/displacement sensors
➢ The term position sensor is used for a sensor that gives a measure of the distance between a reference point and the
current location of the target.
➢ a displacement sensor being one that gives a measure of the distance between the present position of the target and
the previously recorded position.

▪ Linear and rotary potentiometers.

▪ Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)

▪ Capacitive displacement sensors

 Input devices
❑ Strain gauges
When a wire is stretched, its resistance changes.

➢ The temperature could affect also the resistance of wire.

➢ Use four active gauges as the arms of the bridge to give temperature compensation.

❑ Pressure sensors
➢ The diaphragm type consists of a thin disc of metal or plastic, secured round
its edges. When there is a pressure difference between the two sides of the
diaphragm, the center of it deflects.

➢ When a piezoelectric crystal is squeezed, there is a relative displacement of

positive and negative charges within the crystal and the outer surfaces of the
crystal become charged. Hence a potential difference appears across it.

➢ The output is a voltage which is proportional to the applied pressure with a

sensitivity of 0.6 mV/kPa.
 Input devices
❑ Liquid level detector
Pressure sensors may be used to monitor the depth of a liquid in a tank. The
pressure due to a height of liquid h above some level is hg.

❑ Fluid flow measurement

➢ Fluid flow measurement is that based on measuring the difference in pressure resulting
when a fluid flows through a constriction.
➢ The pressure at A is higher than that at B, the difference in pressure being a measure of
the rate of flow. This pressure difference can be monitored by means of a diaphragm
pressure gauge and thus becomes a measure of the rate of flow.
 Output devices
❑ Relay
When a current passes through a solenoid a magnetic field is
produced and this can then attract ferrous metal components in
its vicinity.

❑ Motors