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Our complete collection of free, educational articles for automation and controls engineers covering introductions to important concepts, courses and step by step tutorials.

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Factory IO

Articles and tutorials about Factory IO, my favorite simulation environment for learning PLC programming.

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Career

Articles about careers for automation and controls engineers

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Concepts

Articles explaining important engineering and automation concepts in an easy to understand way.

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C# From Scratch

Articles to teach you everything you need to know to be productive with the C# programming language.

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Rockwell Automation

Articles about Rockwell Automation's control solutions including Logix 5000 and Connected Components systems.

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Miscellaneous

Articles about various and uncategorized topics

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Siemens

Articles about the latest innovations and best practices in Siemens TIA Portal.

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Rockwell Automation

What’s New in Studio 5000 v35?

An overview of the new features and functions available in Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000 version 35

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Rockwell Automation

How Does a Secure Remote Access System for Industrial Control Systems Work?

A Deep Dive into how Secure Remote Access Systems like FactoryTalk Remote Actually Work.

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Concepts

The Value of Secure Remote Access for Industrial Control Systems

A Detailed Explanation of the Value of Secure Remote Access for OEMs and End Users, Including Examples of Common Use Cases

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Factory IO

How to Install Factory IO

A step-by-step guide to installing Factory IO by Real Games on your computer. Factory IO is a cutting-edge 3D simulation environment for simulating industrial automation applications and testing PLC programs from all manufacturers.

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Rockwell Automation

How to Download and Install Connected Components Workbench (Updated for Version 20.01)

A step-by-step guide to downloading and installing Connected Components Workbench by Rockwell Automation, the free development environment for Micro800 PLCs, PanelView Component HMIs, Kinetix 3 Servo Drives, and PowerFlex 525 variable frequency drives.

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Rockwell Automation

What is RSLinx Classic?

In this post, we learn what RSLinx Classic is, what is used for, and what types of drivers can be configured using RSLinx Classic to set up communication between a programming device and a Logix 5000 system.

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Factory IO

Factory IO Mixing Tank (Timers) Full Tutorial with Control IO

A complete step by step tutorial for solving Factory IO's "Mixing Tank (Timers)" scene using Control I/O and a few challenges to test your programming knowledge

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Concepts

What is the Difference Between a Continuous and a Batch Process?

In this post we learn the difference between a continuous process and a batch process and discuss the reasons why a manufacturing facility would choose to design a process as a continuous process or a batch process.

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Career

What Does a PLC Programmer Do?

An explanation of what PLC programmers do in their day-to-day work during each stage of a project, based on my 5+ years of working as a PLC programmer.

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Concepts

What is a Distributed Control System (DCS)?

In this post, we learn what a DCS is, what components make up a DCS, and why a DCS is supplied as a single unit to end-users

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Concepts

SCADA and HMI Concepts

In this post, I explain visualization in industrial automation including the difference between HMI and SCADA systems and the common features found in visualization applications.

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Rockwell Automation

What Are the Rockwell Automation I/O Families?

In this post, we compare the various I/O systems available from Rockwell Automation including 1756 ControlLogix I/O, 5069 Compact 5000 I/O, 1769 Compact I/O, 1734 POINT I/O, 1794 FLEX I/O, 1732 ArmorBlock I/O, 1719 Ex I/O, and 1715 Redundant I/O and talk about the questions you should ask when selecting an I/O system for an application.

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Siemens

A Complete Guide to SINAMICS Drive Integration in TIA Portal

In this tutorial, I provide you with a complete, step by step guide for integrating SINAMICS drives in TIA Portal projects including how to commission the standard and safety features of SINAMICS drives in Startdrive, how to integrate and control SINAMICS drives in your TIA Portal projects using standard telegrams and blocks, and how to control and visualize the status of SINAMICS drives in a WinCC HMI application.

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C# From Scratch

Debugging a C# .NET Application in Visual Studio Code

In this post, we learn how to debug a C# .NET Console application using the Console messages and Visual Studio Code's debugger. We also learn how to use conditional statements to avoid exceptional situations.

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Siemens

PLC-PLC Communication with OPC-UA

In this post, we learn how to use OPC UA to communicate between two PLCs by setting up an S7-1500 as an OPC UA Server with a dedicated server interface and user authentication.

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Rockwell Automation

What Are The Rockwell Automation PLC Families?

In this post, we compare the various families of PLCs available from Rockwell Automation including the Micro800, CompactLogix, and ControlLogix family of PLCs to understand when each family of PLC can be used in automation applications.

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Rockwell Automation

A Deep Dive into the Logix 5000 CompactLogix System

In this post, we take an in-depth look at the Logix 5000 CompactLogix system and the components that make up the system including controllers, I/O modules, and communication modules.

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C# From Scratch

Creating an Interactive C# .NET Project in Visual Studio Code

In this part of the series, we learn how to add interactivity to our application. Along the way, we will learn about methods, arrays, and string manipulation in C#.

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Siemens

PLC-PLC Communication with I-Device

An introduction to I-Device communication and a step-by-step tutorial for setting up I-Device communication in TIA Portal with two S7 PLCs.

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Rockwell Automation

A Deep Dive into the Logix 5000 ControlLogix System

In this post, we take an in-depth look at the Logix 5000 ControlLogix system and the components that make up the system including controllers, I/O modules, and communication modules.

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C# From Scratch

How to Work with C# in Visual Studio Code

C# From Scratch Part 2.0. In this part of the series, we learn how to set up Visual Studio Code, edit our C# code, run our application through VS Code.

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Siemens

PLC-PLC Communication with TCP/IP (Open User Communication)

An introduction to Open User Communication for TIA Portal and S7 PLCs and a step-by-step tutorial for sending data between PLCs using the TSEND_C and TRCV_C blocks.

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C# From Scratch

Running a C# .NET Project

In this part of the series, we learn how to run a C# .NET Console application from the Command Prompt and what happens behind the scenes when you execute the dotnet run command.

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Siemens

PLC-PLC Communication with Modbus/TCP

Advantages, Disadvantages, and an Application Example of Modbus/TCP Communication in TIA Portal.

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Concepts

Fundamentals of Electric Power

In this post, we learn the fundamentals of electric power including how electromagnetism is used to generate both single-phase and three-phase electricity.

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Concepts

Fundamentals of Electricity

This post explains the concepts of and relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in a way that is easy to understand for people who don't have an electrical background or specialization.

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C# From Scratch

Creating a New C# .NET Project

In this part of the series, we learn how to create a new C# .NET Console Application using the .NET CLI.

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C# From Scratch

Working with the .NET CLI

C# From Scratch Part 1.2. In this part of the series, we learn how to interact with .NET using the .NET Command Line Interface, or .NET CLI.

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Siemens

Security by Default Features in TIA Portal v17

A first look at the security by default features of TIA Portal version 17

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Siemens

Working with Cause and Effect Matrix Programming in TIA Portal

A detailed look at how to work with the new CEM programming language available in TIA Portal and the advantages of this new high-level programming language.

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C# From Scratch

How to Install .NET

C# From Scratch Part 1.1. In this part, we learn how to install .NET on your machine.

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Siemens

How to Use Fast Commissioning Mode in TIA Portal

A step-by-step guide to working with Fast Commissioning, the new tool for efficiently modifying safety programs in S7-1200F and S7-1500F CPUs available from TIA Portal version 17.

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C# From Scratch

Hello .NET

C# From Scratch Part 1.0. In this post, we get an introduction to .NET and the major components that make up .NET.

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Miscellaneous

How to Design and Create Standard Software Modules

Part 3 of Software Standardization for OEMs

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Siemens

Introducing View of Things in TIA Portal

A first look at the new View of Things (VoT) mechanism for creating web applications for S7-1500 PLCs in TIA Portal v17 and greater.

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C# From Scratch

Introduction to C# From Scratch

An introduction to the C# From Scratch series.

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Miscellaneous

How to Analyze Machines to Identify Standard Modules

Part 2 of Software Standardization for OEMs

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Miscellaneous

An Introduction to Software Standardization for OEMs

Part 1 of Software Standardization for OEMs

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Miscellaneous

What's the ROI on Engineering Efficiency?

How Reducing Engineering and Commissioning Costs Can Dramatically Impact Your Profitability

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Miscellaneous

How is Your Team Structured?

Thoughts on the value of a well-structured engineering team for engineering managers

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Siemens

A First Look at Cross-Device Traces in TIA Portal

A hands-on guide to working with the new Project Trace function available in TIA Portal version 16.

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Miscellaneous

How to Improve OEM Engineering Processes with Systematization

How engineering managers can empower their teams to create more value and reduce costs with systems, standards, and automations

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Siemens

Working with the S7–1500's New Web API

A first look at how to use the S7–1500 Web API to interact with a CPU using JSON RPC2.0 and HTTP Requests

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Siemens

How to Import EPlan to Data to TIA Portal

Make your engineering processes more efficient by exchanging, instead of recreating, data used by different engineering systems like the TIA Selection Tool, EPlan Electric P8, and TIA Portal.

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Miscellaneous

How to Plan a PackML Compliant Machine

A Step by Step Guide for OEMs

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Miscellaneous

PackML Essentials

An Introduction to PackML for Industrial OEMs

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Miscellaneous

How Industrial OEMs and SIs can Overcome the Skills Gap

By 2025, there will be a shortage of skilled, train people available in the automation sector. Here's what you can do to prepare.

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Miscellaneous

How to Manage Automation Software

How industrial OEMs and SIs can get a handle on increasingly complex automation software

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Miscellaneous

Win with Standardization

The value of standardization for industrial OEMs and SIs

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Miscellaneous

How to Automate Your Engineering Processes with TIA Portal and Openness

Using TIA Portal and the Openness API to reduce engineering cost and time while increasing quality

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Siemens

PLC - PLC Communication with PUT/GET (S7 Communication)

Advantages, Disadvantages, and an Application Example

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Siemens

Introducing Add-Ins in TIA Portal

The powerful new way to use Openness functions directly in TIA Portal

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Siemens

Project Protection in TIA Portal

An in-depth guide to keeping TIA Portal Projects safe from accidental and malicious changes because your machines are only as secure as their source code.

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