Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

PLCs are rugged, industrial microcomputers that execute a continuous scan cycle (Input, Logic, Output) to automate processes like assembly lines and material handling.

A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is the hardened, real-time control system for industrial automation: it replaced bulky relay logic with software-based control. Invented by Dick Morley in 1969 (the Modicon 084), the PLC's core function is its rapid, cyclical scan: reading inputs from sensors, executing programmed logic (often Ladder Logic), and updating outputs to actuators (motors, valves). Modern platforms, like Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix series, manage thousands of I/O points and communicate via industrial protocols like EtherNet/IP, guaranteeing sub-10ms response times essential for high-speed manufacturing and critical infrastructure control.

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