Extending the Use of PLC Simulator Software in Student Laboratory Works

Abstract

This paper presents a system that can extend the use of PLC simulator software in real world experiments. The system is composed of a software and a hardware part. The software is designed to monitor the simulator user interface, to provide user-like inputs to this interface and to exchange data with the hardware part. The hardware is used to interface the simulator running on a PC with external input and output devices. Input signals are converted into inputs for the simulated design; outputs from the simulated design are converted into output signals that control output devices connected to the hardware part. The system can work with various types of simulators and can be used in university labs to design and test digital control systems with low to moderate complexity.

Keywords

• engineering education
• PLC simulation software
• hardware interface