Getting started with languages

PLCs can be programmed in a variety of different languages and different PLCs from different manufacturers may implement slightly different variations of those languages.

Not all PLCs support multiple languages, and the ones that do support more than one language do not necessarily allow for that language to be fully implemented. The general correlation between PLCs and language support comes down to cost – the more expensive a PLC is, the more likely it is to support more than one language type.

Note

Siemens PLCs, when programmed with TIA Portal, support multiple languages, even at the lower ranges.

Available languages

Before you select a language for the task at hand, it's important to know what is available and what that may mean for the project that's being developed.

LAD – ladder logic

Ladder logic is a graphical language based on contacts, coils, and instruction blocks.

Figure 4...