Level Application example

Required to control lubricating oil tank using two sensors.

How it should work:

1) Filling motor, pump oil into tank  Until high level sensor is triggered.
2) Motor OFF  Until level falls below the low-level sensor.
3) Then repeat the process.

Use 3 I/O ports:

 2 for inputs (sensors).
 1 for output (motor).
We use 2 inputs of NC (normally closed) fiber-optic level sensors.
When they are NOT immersed in liquid they become ON. When they
are immersed in liquid they become OFF.

In PLC: Each input and output device must have its own address.
(To allow PLC to know where they are physically connected.)

Addresses for our example are shown in the following table:

Device Name Address
Low level sensor 0000
High level sensor 0001
Motor 0500
Internal relay 1000
 Internal relay (internal variable/dummy relay)

These relays DO NOT physically exist in the PLC unit but rather they are bits in a register
that you can use to SIMULATE a relay.

You can use the contacts of these relays as many times as required (limited with RAM).
 Device Name Address
The program to solve this problem is as follow:
Low level sensor 0000
High level sensor 0001
Motor 0500
Internal relay 1000
Program Scan Scan 1

Initially the tank is empty.

 Therefore, input [0000] is TRUE and input [0001] is also TRUE (NC switch).
 The dummy (utility relay) [1000] at the start of the program is OFF (False)

This will switch the motor ON.

Program Scan Scan 2
After first scan and because of booth sensors are ON (True), the dummy relay [1000] will become ON (True).

Gradually the tank fills because 500 (fill motor) is ON.

 Program Scan Scan 100
After, say 100 scans, the oil level rises above the low-level sensor and it becomes open ( FALSE):

Notice: Even if the low-level sensor is false still low-level of true

logic from left to right (through the [1000] dummy relay.
Program Scan Scan 2000

After maybe 2000 scans, the oil level rises above the high-level sensor, so it becomes open (False):

Immediately the motor will switch OFF.

Program Scan Scan 2001
Next scan will lead to the dummy relay to switch OFF (False).
Program Scan Scan 2050

After maybe 2050 scans the oil level falls below the high-level sensor and it will become true again.

Even though the high-level sensor became true there still is NO continuous true
logic path and therefore coil 1000 remains False!
Truck gate example
For the automatic door shown next, design ladder program to open the door
when S1 is off and the door stay opened until S2 become on again
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
when S1 is off and the door stay opened
until S2 become on again
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
S1 S2 M
when S1 is off and the door stay opened 1 1 0
until S2 become on again
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
S1 S2 M
when S1 is off and the door stay opened 1 1 0
until S2 become on again
0 1 1
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
S1 S2 M
when S1 is off and the door stay opened 1 1 0
until S2 become on again
0 1 1
0 0 1
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
S1 S2 M
when S1 is off and the door stay opened 1 1 0
until S2 become on again
0 1 1
0 0 1
1 0 1
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
S1 S2 M
when S1 is off and the door stay opened 1 1 0
until S2 become on again
0 1 1
0 0 1
1 0 1
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
when S1 is off and the door stay opened
until S2 become on again

S1 S2 M S1 S2 M
1 1 0 0 0 1
Rearrange
0 1 1 0 1 1
0 0 1 1 0 1
1 0 1 1 1 0
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
when S1 is off and the door stay opened
until S2 become on again
S1 S2 M
0 0 1
0 1 1
1 0 1
1 1 0
This is a NOT AND gate truth table

Input 1
Output
And

Input 2

A B Out

0 0 0
0 1 0
1 0 0
1 1 1
For the automatic door shown next,
design ladder program to open the door
when S1 is off and the door stay opened
until S2 become on again

S1 S2 M
0 0 1
0 1 1
1 0 1 S1 S2 y
1 1 0

y M
Control purpose: Bottle orientation detector example
Detecting the standing bottles on the conveyor and pushing the fallen bottles out of the conveyor
Device Function
X0 ON when the detected input signal from the bottle-bottom is shaded
X1 ON when the detected input signal from the bottle-neck is shaded
Y0 Pneumatic pushing pole
Control purpose:
Detecting the standing bottles on the conveyor and pushing the fallen bottles out of the conveyor
Device Function
X0 ON when the detected input signal from the bottle-bottom is shaded
X1 ON when the detected input signal from the bottle-neck is shaded
Y0 Pneumatic pushing pole

X0 X1 Y0

Can we use X1 only to complete the cycle? No