You're reading from Mastering PLC Programming The software engineering survival guide to automation programming

Product type Paperback

Published in Mar 2023

Publisher Packt

ISBN-13 9781804612880

Length 386 pages

Edition 1st Edition

Languages

PLC programming

Tools

PLC

Concepts

PLC Programming

Author (1):

M. T. White

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Table of Contents (25) Chapters

Preface

1. Part 1 – An Introduction to Advanced PLC Programming

2. Chapter 1: Software Engineering for PLCs FREE CHAPTER

3. Chapter 2: Advanced Structured Text — Programming a PLC in Easy-to-Read English

4. Chapter 3: Debugging — Making Your Code Work

5. Chapter 4: Complex Variable Declaration — Using Variables to Their Fullest

6. Part 2 – Modularity and Objects

7. Chapter 5: Functions — Making Code Modular and Maintainable

8. Chapter 6: Object-Oriented Programming — Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling Code

9. Chapter 7: OOP — The Power of Objects

10. Part 3 – Software Engineering for PLCs

11. Chapter 8: Libraries — Write Once, Use Anywhere

12. Chapter 9: The SDLC — Navigating the SDLC to Create Great Code

13. Chapter 10: Advanced Coding — Using SOLID to Make Solid Code

14. Part 4 – HMIs and Alarms

15. Chapter 11: HMIs — UIs for PLCs

16. Chapter 12: Industrial Controls — User Inputs and Outputs

17. Chapter 13: Layouts — Making HMIs User-Friendly

18. Chapter 14: Alarms — Avoiding Catastrophic Issues with Alarms

19. Part 5 – Final Project and Thoughts

20. Chapter 15: Putting It All Together — The Final Project

21. Chapter 16: Distributed Control Systems, PLCs, and Networking

22. Assessments

23. Index

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24. Other Books You May Enjoy

Guiding principles for library development

Developing an effective library can be tricky. Where you have a clear-cut application in mind when developing a PLC program for a machine, developing a library will be a bit different. When you’re developing a library, you have to think of everything at a very generic level. You will not know ahead of time who will use the library, how they will use the library, or what they will use the library for. Hence, creating a good library can be a very tricky and daunting task. There are no clear-cut ways to create a perfect library but there are a few rules that I came across that have helped me develop some decent libraries.

Rule 1 – Keep it simple, stupid (KISS)

KISS is the golden rule for many programmers. When it comes to developing libraries, you must keep it as simple as possible. Generally, you need to have a very clear issue in mind that the library is designed to solve. Now, libraries can have many different functionalities...