AUTO 101: Reviewing basic control systems from scratch

Perform a practical circuit review covering ac/dc basics and voltage and current calculations with loops and nodes. Explore relay logic and essential boolean concepts such as and, nand, and xor.

Explore relay logic fundamentals, including coils, contacts, and voltage considerations, and analyze a three-phase motor circuit with fuses, overloads, a motor-run relay, and troubleshooting templates.

Interpret relay ladder logic using coils, contacts, and latch bits to control a garage door opener with open, close, and stop inputs; understand the top-to-bottom scan and emergency stop safety.

Explore the differences between relay logic and relay ladder logic; relays involve physical voltage with bidirectional current, while ladder logic uses symbolic, unidirectional current.

Explore piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), understand symbols, and locate devices in containment areas. Identify common ambiguities, differentiate digital and analog signals, and spot deficiencies in a pump station drawing.

Explore a wet-well pump station diagram to identify mislabelled devices, validate temperature indicator transmitters and pressure alarms, and assess redundancy with multiple pumps.

Review instrument drawings and i/o lists, mark up corrections with red lines. Craft a detailed control narrative for lead/lag pump systems using level and pressure sensors and plc logic.

Translate piping and instrumentation diagrams into an IO list and wiring for PLC integration, clarify discrete vs analog inputs/outputs, account for three discrete inputs per analog input and 20% spares.

Explore how to control a wet well with PLC-driven lead-lag pump logic and level sensors. Emphasize soft-start motor controls, alarms, and narrative-driven design to protect equipment and maintain control.

Examine pump station control design choices, from IO routing through PLC to hardwired displays or HMI, weighing reliability against cost and selecting ladder logic or structure text.

Open Ty Portal, create a new project, set up a cpu from the 1200 series, and activate the license to begin building.

Explore configuring a Siemens TIA Portal processor, adding cards and slots, viewing device overview with I/O, addresses, pro bus and pro net, topology, program blocks, and PLC tags.

Learn to navigate the Siemens portal, view the CPU and IO tags, and create well-documented pump station tag tables with human-friendly comments and consistent naming templates.

Configure analog inputs and discrete outputs in a TIA Portal project, adding thermocouples, ultrasonic, bearing temperatures, discharge pressures, and run feedback, while planning 20% spare capacity.

Learn TIA Portal ladder logic basics, including boolean values, normally open and closed contacts, a comparator that checks bearing temperature against its maximum, and setting the pump run bit.

Explore structured text for Siemens in TIA Portal 6, mapping lead lag and pump run commands with useful comments on the memory bit and cyclic interrupt.