Discrete Input/Output System

DR. TAREK A. TUTUNJI

PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY, JORDAN
 Introduction to Discrete I/O Systems

 The discrete input/output (I/O) system provides the

physical connection between the CPU and field devices.
 Digital signals are non-continuous signals that have only
two states—ON and OFF.
 Through various interface circuits and field devices (limit
switches, transducers, etc.), the controller senses and
measures physical quantities (e.g., proximity, position,
motion, level, temperature, pressure, current, and voltage)
associated with a machine or process.
 Based on the status of the devices sensed or the process
values measured, the CPU issues commands that control
the output field devices.
I/O Rack Enclosures and Table Mapping

 An I/O module is a plug-in–type assembly containing

circuitry that communicates between a PLC and field
devices.

 All I/O modules must be placed or inserted into a rack

enclosure, usually referred to as a rack, within the PLC.

 The rack holds and organizes the programmable

controller’s I/O modules, with a module’s rack location
defining the I/O address of its connected device.
I/O Rack Enclosures and Table Mapping

 The I/O address is a unique number that identifies the

input/output device during control program setup and
execution.

 A rack recognizes the type of module connected to it (input

or output) and the class of interface (discrete, analog,
numerical, etc.).

 This module recognition is decoded on the back plane (i.e.,

the printed circuit board containing the data bus, power
bus, and mating connectors) of the rack.
I/O Rack Enclosures
I/O Rack Enclosures
I/O Rack Enclosures
 Table Mapping

 PLC manufacturers set specifications for placing I/O

modules in rack enclosures.
 For example, some modules accommodate 2 to 16 field connections,
while other modules require the user to follow certain I/O addressing
regulations.

 Several factors determine the address location of each

module.
 The type of module, input or output, determines the first address
location from left to right (0 for outputs, 1 for inputs).
 The rack number and slot location of the module determine the next
two address numbers.
 The terminal connected to the I/O module (0 through 7) represents
the last address digit.
I/O Rack and Table Mapping Example
I/O Rack and Table Mapping Example
I/O Rack and Table Mapping Example
 I/O Racks and Mapping

 The capacity of a single subsystem (rack) is normally

32, 64, 128, or 256 I/O points.

 A large system with a maximum capacity of 1024 I/O

points may have subsystem sizes of either 64 or 128
points—eight racks with 128 I/O, sixteen racks with
64 I/O, or some combination of both sizes equal to
1024 I/O.
 I/O Modules serve four basic functions

 Termination

 Signal Conditioning

 Isolation

 Indication
 I/O Module Selection

 Type of current (AC or DC)

 Voltage Level

 Number of terminals
PLC Instructions for Discrete Inputs

 A simplified 8-bit image

table is shown
 LS1 is known as input 014,
which stands for rack 0, slot 1,
connection 4.

 When an input signal is

energized (ON), the input
interface senses the field
device’s supplied voltage
and converts it to a logic-
level signal (either 1 or 0),
which indicates the status
of that device.
 Example

 For the rack configuration

shown, determine the
address for each field
device wired to each input
connection in the 8-bit
discrete input module.

 Assume that the first four

slots of this 64 I/O micro-
PLC are filled with outputs
and that the second four
slots are filled with inputs.
Example
PLC Instructions for Discrete Inputs

 The most common class of

input interfaces is digital
(or discrete).

 Digital input interfaces

have only two states
 ON/OFF
 OPEN/CLOSED
 TRUE/FALSE

 Those states signify either 1

or 0.
 Circuit Breaker

 A circuit breaker is an automatically-

operated electrical switch designed to
protect an electrical circuit from damage
caused by overload or short circuit.

 Unlike a fuse, which operates once and

then has to be replaced, a circuit breaker
can be reset (either manually or
automatically) to resume normal
operation
 Proximity Switch: Inductive

 Principle: coil
inductance vary as a
metallic object is near.
 Proximity Switch: Capacitive

 Principle: As the target is

moved closer to the sensor
face, the change in
dielectric increases the
capacitance of the internal
capacitor
Proximity Switch: Ultrasonic and Optical
Proximity Switch: sink /source
Limit Switch
Types of Discrete Inputs
 AC/DC Inputs
 An AC/DC input circuit has two primary parts:
 the power section
 the logic section

 These sections are normally, but not always, coupled

through a circuit that electrically separates them,
providing isolation.
AC/DC Inputs
 DC Inputs Sink/Source

 Compared with AC/DC modules, the DC input does not

contain a bridge circuit.

 DC input module varies between 5 and 30 VDC.

 If a device provides current when it is ON, it is said to be sourcing

current.
 If a device receives current when it is ON, it is said to be sinking
current.

 The most common are sourcing field input devices and

sinking input modules.
DC Inputs Sink/Source
DC Inputs Sink/Source
 Isolated AC/DC Inputs

 Isolated input interfaces operate like standard

AC/DC modules except that each input has a separate
return, or common, line.
 TTL Inputs

 Transistor-transistor logic
(TTL) input interfaces allow
controllers to accept signals from
TTL-compatible devices, such as
solid-state controls and sensing
instruments.

 Most TTL input modules receive

their power from within the rack
enclosure; however, some
interfaces require an external
power source.
 Register / BCD Inputs

 Multi-bit register/BCD input modules enhance input

interfacing methods with the programmable controller
through the use of standard thumbwheel switches.

 This register, or BCD, configuration allows groups of bits to

be input as a unit to accommodate devices requiring that
bits be in parallel form.

 Register/BCD interfaces accept voltages ranging from 5

VDC (TTL) to 24 VDC.

 They are also grouped in modules containing 16 or 32

inputs.
Register / BCD Inputs
Register / BCD Inputs
 PLC Instructions for Discrete Outputs

 Output interface circuitry switches the supplied voltage

from the PLC ON or OFF according to the status of the
corresponding bit in the output image table.

 This status (1 or 0) is set during the execution of the control

program and is sent to the output module at the end of scan
(output update).

 If the signal from the processor is 1, the output module will switch the
supplied voltage (e.g., 120 VAC) to the output field device, turning the
output ON.

 If the signal received from the processor is 0, the module will

deactivate the field device by switching to 0 volts, thus turning it
OFF.
PLC Instructions for Discrete Outputs
 Example

 For the rack configuration shown

in Figure, determine the
addresses for each of the output
field devices wired to the output
connections in the 8-bit discrete
input module.
 Assume that the first four slots of
this 64 I/O micro-PLC are filled
with outputs and that the second
four are filled with inputs.
 The addressing scheme follows a
rack-slot-connection convention
Example
Discrete Outputs
Solenoids
 Relays

Contact

Arm

Coil
 Valves

 A valve is a device that

regulates the flow of a
fluid by opening,
closing, or partially
obstructing various
passageways
AC Output
AC Output
DC Output sink/source
Isolated DC and AC Outputs
TTL Output
Register / BCD Outputs
Reference: Programmable Controllers: Theory and
Implementation by Bryan and Bryan