#3 Outputs

Basic skills

You can do the course practices using an original Arduino board. In fact, our PLCs have an original Arduino board assembled inside, So, it is not necessary to do practices using our devices if you don’t want. You can use an Arduino Leonardo board, which is the board used in our 20I/Os PLCs (they are called: Ardbox) and you also can use an Arduino Mega which is used inside the Ethernet family of PLCs (called M-Duino).

Connection Alert

The digital outputs from the PLCs provide voltage when the state is defined as a HIGH level. Then it is necessary to keep in mind the polarity of the different types of devices connected to the outputs. The voltage provided from the none Optoisolated digital outputs is the same voltage connected at the PLC as a powering. It means that if the PLC is powered at 12Vdc the outputs work at 12Vdc and 24Vdc if the power supply is 24Vdc. It is also important to join the negative signal as shown on the PLC. To define the level of the outputs it is necessary to use the sentence: DigitalWrite().

(Remember: Industrial Shields PLCs are working as Original Arduino boards. Our PLCs have original Arduino boards assembled inside. Then, you can practice the course using an Original Arduino board) 

The analog outputs are programmed exactly as the PWM outputs. Arduino works at 5Vcc but the outputs from the PLC depends on the Voltage connected to the PLC. The Analog outputs work at 0-10Vdc as standardized on the industry. The analog output resolution is 8 bits then you can configure using the sentence AnalogWrite() a value from 0 to 255.

Useful Links

• Arduino IDE
• Processing
• Industrial Shields library from​​​​​​​​ GitHub

Material to do practices

Arduino Leonardo or Arduino Mega (You also can use an Arduino UNO if you get it).

(The devices used with the Arduino Mega and Arduino Leonardo assembled inside have been: From the Ethernet PLCs; the M-Duino 21. From the 20I/Os PLC; The Ardbox Relay).