The Project Synopsis
This project was born out of an assignment to utilize a Micro800 series PLC, interface it with an HMI that allowed cycling between two screens, include two different sensor types, and control a dual action cylinder in ladder logic. The system had to be set up with safety mechanisms consisting of either 2-hand control or light curtains. The HMI would be required to control at least one function via a button of the touchscreen or a physical “F key” button located on the HMI. Using these parameters, I decided a fun way to demonstrate the system would be to have a pneumatic cylinder, operating off a directional control valve, push a small Hot Wheels car from one end of a Hot Wheels track to the other. Each side of the track would contain two proximity sensors to mark the time it left the starting line and to mark the time it arrived at the finish line. The HMI would contain a launch button on one screen and a statistics screen on the other.
Read the full tutorial:
HotWheels Automation.docx (287.2 KB)