New guy needs help

[Mach]

I have been invovled with minor PLC work for the past 6 years on and off. The only programming I have done in the field is a simple 10 rung program. I am currently unemployed and i'm taking a PLC class at a local vocational tech school. This is hands on PLC training for allen bradly. The instructor does encourage me to learn all I can. I am looking to get my foot in the door as a programmer and i'm noticing you need alot more experience than I have. Mostly 5 years minimum programming with PLC, HMI, and SCADA programs. No doubt I can't learn all of this at once. does anyone have any sugestions on what functions i should learn to help me get my foot in the door? I can't network processors, or use analog equipment. This is just a simple class. Any input will help alot. If you need more information please ask.

[BobLfoot]

Speaking personally - I started as an Electrical Apprentice and moved into PLC programming from that. Do you have any corolary skills to leverag on?

[TimWilborne]

Hi Mach, and welcome to MrPLC First things first, start with the basic. You don't need to know how to network PLCs, deal with analog, HMIs, etc until you know how to do basic PLC programming. There are probably 1000 books you can read to teach you this, but I prefer the hands on approach. Start playing with the software, when you hit a snag, start a thread here and ask a question. Start with basic exercises that you will probably find in your classroom book Moved your thread to the General Topics to get you a little more attention Good Luck TW

[Mickey]

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.the...dVVGRenInP6OwxA=

[Mach]

I'm a master electrician been in the field for 7 years 5 for industrial maintenance, and 2 in commercial construction and industrical design to build stuff.I have a AST degree and a vocational tech school. I have been in the microsoft A+, and Net+ courses. I was and instrumentation controls tech for alittle over 4 years.Been in some factory traning for fiber optic, and basic instrumentation. The class now is with the SLC 500 We are learning the grt,equ,les, mov functions. I know the timers, counters, mcr, latch, unlatch. the basic stuff. we are now starting in these other controllers which are useless for me. they are really old real old. handheld old. I ask the instructor if i can work on making other functions work he doesn't mind. I"m guessing this is the lounge area. thanks for your replies. Edited October 30, 2006 by Mach

[brett93304]

Hands on training is the best way to. I would, and did, buy a used PLC scrounged up some software and start writing programs. I have taken many classes but non have help me more than the "Playing" around I have done at home on my OLD PLC.

[BobLfoot]

Having read you experience and the rest of the posts and given that you're unemployed, I suggest contacting a few System integrators and OEM's and seeing if they need entry level technicians. Someone with your electrical skills would bring a lot to a job site and could in trade begin to gain some PLC experience. Particularly with a smaller "mom and pop" SI type company. If you were to make a post in the "jobhunt" section of this forum it might warrant a few hits.

[forqnc]

When I was first introduced to PLC's in 1990, I was in the last year of my apprenticeship. I was in awe of this new technology and immediately wanted to learn more. Fortunately for me the 'Older' electricians, who had trained me, stepped back from this new unknown technology. 16 years later, my experience allowed me to move from England to the USA and enter the design/programming/troubleshooting field, and I love it. I have had a couple of classes, but they all seem to repeat the basics. As said by others above, hands on is the best training. Ask anyone of us to write a program and you will get numerous different programs that perform the task, but are written differently. Good Luck in your endeavors.

[cmoore73]

Absolutely hands on is the best approach. I have found an employer that has pretty much let me go as far as I want to when it comes to PLC/HMI programming. When I started here, I knew some PLC programming , but had no HMI, SCADA, motion, robotic, or machine vision experience. Although I am by no means an expert at any one, I can fairly efficiently find my way around in any one of the formats. Between hands on programming and time, you will become a better programmer than you ever could simply by studying programming in a classroom situation. Keep at it, it will come!!!!

[Mach]

Thanks everyone, Yes hands on is the only way to go. There is so much out there to know it all. The problem is starting out in the field. I'll keep my eyes open.

[mr_electrician]

Hey there, I asked the same question earlier. Welcome to the club. If you look for my post "how to become a good programmer" you will see alot of good replies that I am sure will help you. Plus there is an awsome download on the main page. It is a plc learning text book. Has down to earth teachings as well as questions and answers. It is a great learning tool. Good luck.