The total response time of the PLC is a fact we have to consider when shopping for a PLC. Just like our brains, the PLC takes a certain amount of time to react to changes. In many applications speed is not a concern, in others though...
If you take a moment to look away from this text you might see a picture on the wall. Your eyes actually see the picture before your brain says "Oh, there's a picture on the wall". In this example your eyes can be considered the sensor. The eyes are connected to the input circuit of your brain. The input circuit of your brain takes a certain amount of time to realize that your eyes saw something. (If you have been drinking alcohol this input response time would be longer!) Eventually your brain realizes that the eyes have seen something and it processes the data. It then sends an output signal to your mouth. Your mouth receives this data and begins to respond to it. Eventually your mouth utters the words "Gee, that's a really ugly picture!".
Notice in this example we had to respond to 3 things:
INPUT- It took a certain amount of time for the brain to notice the input signal from the eyes.
EXECUTION- It took a certain amount of time to process the information received from the eyes. Consider the program to be: If the eyes see an ugly picture then output appropriate words to the mouth.
OUTPUT- The mouth receives a signal from the brain and eventually spits (no pun intended) out the words "Gee, that's a really ugly picture!"
Response Time Concerns
Now that we know about response time, here's what it really means to the application. The PLC can only see an input turn on/off when it's looking. In other words, it only looks at its inputs during the check input status part of the scan.
In the diagram, input 1 is not seen until scan 2. This is because when input 1 turned on, scan 1 had already finished looking at the inputs.
Input 2 is not seen until scan 3. This is also because when the input turned on scan 2 had already finished looking at the inputs.
Input 3 is never seen. This is because when scan 3 was looking at the inputs, signal 3 was not on yet. It turns off before scan 4 looks at the inputs. Therefore signal 3 is never seen by the plc.
To avoid this we say that the input should be on for at least 1 input delay time + one scan time.
But what if it was not possible for the input to be on this long? Then the plc doesn't see the input turn on. Therefore it becomes a paper weight! Not true... of course there must be a way to get around this. Actually there are 2 ways.
Pulse stretch function- This function extends the length of the input signal until the plc looks at the inputs during the next scan.( i.e. it stretches the duration of the pulse.)
Interrupt function- This function interrupts the scan to process a special routine that you have written. i.e. As soon as the input turns on, regardless of where the scan currently is, the plc immediately stops what its doing and executes an interrupt routine. (A routine can be thought of as a mini program outside of the main program.) After its done executing the interrupt routine, it goes back to the point it left off at and continues on with the normal scan process
Now let's consider the longest time for an output to actually turn on. Let's assume that when a switch turns on we need to turn on a load connected to the plc output.
The diagram below shows the longest delay (worst case because the input is not seen until scan 2) for the output to turn on after the input has turned on.
The maximum delay is thus 2 scan cycles - 1 input delay time.
It's not so difficult, now is it ?
I hope you all like this tutorial. If you like than Please leave us your comments . It will be really pleasure for us. Thanks
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