Lecture 2:

Hardware Architecture (part 1)

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 Contents

❑Input/Output Sections
1. Discrete I/O Module and Analog I/O Module
▪ Introduction
▪ Chassis and Racks
▪ Block diagrams and Circuitry
▪ Siemen PLC S7-1200’s digital I/O and analog I/O modules
2. Memory:
▪ Rack/slot-based addressing format
▪ Tag-based addressing format
▪ Siemen PLC S7-1200’s memory organization
▪ Siemen PLC S7-1200’s addressing type and format 2
 I/O Sections
❑ The input/output (I/O) section of a PLC is the section to which all field
devices are connected and provides the interface between them and the
CPU
▪ External I/O modules can be plugged as additions into the PLC (not fixed
type)
❑ The I/O system provides an interface between the hardwired components
in the field and the CPU
▪ Input interface allows the status information regarding processes to be
communicated to the CPU. Input interface modules accept signals from the Rack-based I/O Section
process devices and convert into signals that can be used by the controller
▪ Output interface modules convert controller signals into external signals used
to control the machine or process 3
 Chassis &Racks
❑ There is a distinction between PLC chassis and rack
❑ Chassis:
⁃ Components: I/O modules, Processor modules, Power modules
⁃ Has different sizes according to the number of slots (4,8,12,or 16 slots)
❑ A logical rack:
⁃ An addressable unit consists of 128 input points and 128 output points
⁃ 8 words in the input image table file and 8 words in the output image table
file Allan Bradley PLC
⁃ A word in the output image table file and its corresponding word in the chassis and rack
input image table file are called an I/O group.
⁃ Contain a maximum of 8 I/O groups (numbered from 0 through 7) for up
to 128 discrete I/O
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 Chassis &Racks
❑ A rack is referred to as a remote rack when it is located away from the processor module
▪ Require a special communications network to communicate with the processor
▪ The processor receives signals from the remote input modules and sends signals back to their output
modules via the communication module
▪ Remote racks are linked to the local rack through a communication module (via cables)
⁃ Fiber optic cable gives the possibilities to operate I/O points from distances greater than 20 miles with no
voltage drop
⁃ Coaxial cable (sensitive to noise in adjacent power lines or equipment) will allow remote I/O to be installed at
distances greater than two miles

Fiber optic cable

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 Discrete I/O Modules
❑ The most common type of I/O Interface module is the discrete
type
❑ Field input devices express ON/OFF nature
▪ E.g. Switches, Pushbuttons, and Limit switches
❑ Output Control is limited to devices that require simple
ON/OFF switching
▪ E.g. Lights, Relays, solenoids, and motor starters
❑ The classification of discrete I/O covers bit-oriented inputs
and outputs.
▪ Each bit represents a complete information element in itself and
provides the status of some external contact or advises of the
presence or absence of power in a process circuit. 6
 Discrete I/O Modules
❑ Each discrete I/O module is powered by some field-supplied
voltage source
❑ The modules themselves receive their voltage ad current for
proper operation from the backplane of the rack enclosure into
which they are inserted
▪ Backplane power is provided by the PLC module power supply and
is used to power the electronics that reside on the I/O module circuit
board
❑ The relatively higher currents required by the loads of an output
module are normally provided by user-supplied power

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 Discrete Input Block
Diagram & Circuit
❑ The input circuit is composed of two basic
sections: power and logic sections
❑ An optical isolator provides electrical isolation
between the field wiring and the PLC backplane
internal circuitry
❑ The input LED turns on or off indicating the
status of the input device
❑ Logic circuits process the digital signal to the
processor
❑ Internal PLC control circuitry typically operates
at 5V DC or less volts
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 Discrete Output Block
Diagram & Circuit
❑ Composed of two basic sections: power section and the
logic section, coupled by an isolation circuit
❑ Output interface can be thought of as an electronic
switch that turns the output load device on and off
❑ Logic circuits determine the output status
❑ An output LED indicates the status of output signal
❑ Discrete output modules can be used control any two-
state device and be available in AC and DC versions
❑ For controlling larger loads (e.g. large motors), a
standard control relay is connected to the output module
(i.e. interposing relay)
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 Sinking and Sourcing
❑ Sinking and Source are the two terms used to describe a current signal flow relationship
between field input and output devices
❑ If a device provides current when it is ON, it is said to be sourcing current
❑ Conversely, if a device receives current when it is ON, it is said to be sinking current
❑ Characteristics:
▪ In sinking devices, current flows into the device’s terminal from the module (the module provides or
sources the current)
▪ In sourcing devices, current flows out of the device’s terminal into the module (the module receives or
sinks the current)
▪ A sourcing I/O module will always have a connection directly to the positive side of the DC power
supply
▪ A sinking I/O module will always have a connection directly to the negative side of DC power supply
▪ Input and output points that are sinking or sourcing only can conduct current in only one direction.
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 Sinking and Sourcing

Sinking and Sourcing Outputs

Sinking and Source Inputs
❑ Notes:
▪ Conventional current (+ to -) is assumed
▪ It is possible to connect the external supply and field device to the I/O point with current trying to flow in the
wrong direction and the circuit will not operate
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 Analog Input Modules
❑ Two basic types of analog input modules are voltage sensing and current sensing
❑ Analog sensors measure a varying physical quantity over a specific range and generate a
corresponding voltage or current signal
❑ Common physical quantities measured by a PLC analog module include temperature, speed,
level, flow, weight, pressure, and position.
❑ The transition of an analog signal to digital values is accomplished by and analog-to-digital
(A/D) converter (main element of the analog Input module)
▪ The resolution of an analog input channel refers to the smallest change in input signal value that can
be sensed and is based on the number of bits used in the digital representation
▪ Analog input modules must produce a range of digital values between a maximum and minimum
value to represent the analog signal over its entire span
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 Analog Output Modules
❑ The analog output interface module receives from the processor digital data which are
converted into a proportional voltage or current to control an analog device
❑ The transition of a digital signal to analog values is accomplished by a digital-to-analog (D/A)
converter (main element of the analog output module)
❑ Common devices controlled by a PLC analog output module are normally instruments, control
valves, chart recorder, electronic drives, etc...
❑ Scaling, or SCP (Scale with Parameters) instruction is used to produce a scaled output value
that has a linear relationship between the input and scaled values
▪ It takes an analog input from a sensor and scale it to the output units required

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 S7-1200’s I/O Modules

Siemens’ s Digital I/O expand module Siemens’s Analog I/O expand module 14
 Memory
❑ PLC’s memory system stores information about the status of all the inputs and outputs by a
system called addressing.
❑ The address is used by the processor to identify where the device is located to monitor or
control it
❑ Addressing is a label or number that indicates where a certain piece of information is located in
a PLC’s memory
▪ Examples: rack/slot-based (Allen-Bradley’s SLC 500 Controllers) and tag-based (for PLC)
❑ Rack/slot based addressing elements include:
▪ Type: Input or Output is currently considered
▪ Slot: physical location of the I/O module; a combination of the rack number and the slot number
when using expansion racks
▪ Word and Slot: Used to identify the actual terminal connection in a particular I/O module.
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 Rack/slot based
addressing
General
Examples

Note:
▪ Lights are added to each module to indicate the ON or
OFF status of each I/O circuit.
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 Rack/slot based
❑ Address of Discrete I/O modules is assigned by a specific bit (binary digits 0 and 1) in the
PLC’s memory
❑ Address of Analog I/O modules follows a word addressing format

Rack/slot based addressing (Allen-Bradley’s Rack/slot based addressing (Allen-

SLC)-Discrete module Bradley’s SLC)- Analog module 17
 Tag-based address
❑ Memory locations are defined by using base and alias tags
❑ A base tag defines a memory location where data are stored
❑ An alias tag is used to create an alternate name (alias) for a tag
❖Alias tag is often used to create a tag name to represent a real word input or output

Rack/slot based addressing Tag-based addressing

Tag-based addressing format (Allen-Bradley PLC) 18
 S7-1200’s Memory
❑ Memory areas of Siemens PLC S7-1200:

Load Memory Work Memory Retentive Memory

➢ Nonvolatile storage for the user ➢ Volatile storage work area of the ➢ Nonvolatile storage for a limited
program, data, and configuration project while the program is quantity of work memory values
executing

❑ Memory Map (File Types):

Input Output Bit Memory Data block

File Type
I Q M DB

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 S7-1200’s Address
Format
❑ Address Type and Format:

Address Type
Peripheral Peripheral
Inputs Outputs Bit memories Timers Counters Temprory Datablock
inputs outputs
(I) (Q) (M) (DB) (DB) (L) (DB)
(PI) (PQ)

Discrete Output Addressing Form

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 Summary
❑ The I/O System provides an interface between the hardwired components in the field and the
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
❑ A typical PLC has room for several I/O modules allowing the customization for a particular
application by selecting the appropriate modules
❑ Input and Output modules can be placed anywhere in a rack
❑ Discrete input modules perform 4 tasks in the PLC control system:
1. Sense when a signal is received from a field device
2. Convert the input signal to the correct voltage level for the particular PLC
3. Isolate the PLC from fluctuations in the input signal’s voltage or current
4. Send a signal to the processor indicating which sensor originated the signal

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 Summary (cont.)
❑ Discrete output modules are used to turn field output devices either on or off
❑ Output modules can be purchased with transistor, triac (its output is only used for control of AC
devices), or relay output
❑ A rack/slot address system shows the location of a module within a rack and their terminal
number of a module to which an input or output device is connected via an unique address
❑ Tag-based memory structures are the newest type of PLC memory addressing

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