The 3 biggest considerations for choosing PLC panels Programmable Logic Controllers, better known by the abbreviation PLCs, make it easier to handle a system. However, there are various things you need to consider when you go out to buy a PLC. A PLC is made up of several complicated components, as most PLC control panel manufacturers in India would testify, but they could be easily specified to help you make the best and most informed decision. You can customize a PLC to complete your environment and the application. However, as mentioned before, you need to make several considerations while selecting the perfect PLC control panel for your system. Here are 3 of the most important ones of them. 1. The quantity of inputs and outputs The first thing you need to consider is the quantity of I/O’s (inputs and outputs) that the PLC needs to be connected with. As PLCs are equipped to handle large portions of any process, it is imperative that they are able to accommodate multiple and different kinds of I/O’s. If you know how many of them you will need and what are the kinds of I/O’s, then it will be easier for you to choose the right chassis size, which will in turn enable you to make optimum utilisation of your PLC’s capabilities. One factor that affects the I/O’s is the location of the PLC. so if you need remote I/O’s and not local I/O’s, then you need to determine that at the outset and plan for it accordingly. 2. The CPU There are 2 main reasons why the PLC’s CPU needs to be fast - there are multiple I/O’s to be dealt with and there are different types of data collection as well. It is essential that the CPU has the necessary processing power to deal with and execute the different kinds of tasks and programs that usually run on the PLC. PLC control panel suppliers in India, such as Indexel Engineering Pvt Ltd, recognize this fact and pay special attention on building a fast and sturdy CPU. Another key factor is memory. The amount of memory you need would depend on 3 factors - the programs that need to be run, the various internal flags as well as set points, and the amount of historical data that you require. 3. The communication protocols Lastly, you need to consider which communication protocols would be utilised. You need to establish how the PLC is going to communicate with other networks and devices and what networks and devices would they be. Certain PLCs do have communication ports but you would need to add modules to them. It is also possible to establish remote communication through Ethernet. It is absolutely imperative that the PLC is designed by the PLC control panel manufacturers in a way that it works well with the other parts of the system and is adaptable enough to accommodate any changes to the system, in case such changes need to be made. This needs to be incorporated in the decision making process since the beginning. If updates need to be made to certain parts of the system, then they should still be compatible with the
PLC and be able to work with it. Also, Read - What does the future hold for SCADA systems after the advent of IIoT? While there are other considerations that need to be made while selecting a PLC, but most PLC control panel suppliers would testify that these 3 considerations deserve utmost importance.