Programmable logic controller (PLC)

Industry-leading semiconductor solutions for industrial control

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Overview

At the heart of control in factory automation systems a programmable logic controller (PLC) is located. Commonly referred to as the “brain” of factory floor control. PLCs either are deployed in centralized or decentralized system configurations. Distributed systems typically have the control distributed across many operational and physical areas adding control autonomy, flexibility, and intelligence on site, e.g. in process industrial.

Benefits

  • Reliable in operation
  • Matching computation performance
  • Realtime communication wired or wireless
  • Minimum power dissipation
  • Small footprints
  • Secure in data communication

Block diagram

About

Programmable logic controller - CPU control

The PLC CPU typically  runs customer specific code controlling activities at the factory floor and gets corresponding information back from there to monitor status of manufacturing flow and to react accordingly if given. Devices on the factory floor may be robots, conveyor belts, ovens, valves, drives and many more but as well process instruments as sensor signal sources. Depending on configuration a field bus system may be in place to enable PLC to communicate with other industrial automation system conponents in particular once distributed system units are in place. Complex systems require PLC software managing a high number of incoming and outgoing signals to be processed to avoid manufacturing sequences pausing or steps getting misaligned. 

Communication must be secure

PLCs as part of “Operational Technologies” (OT), constitute an interface to higher-level “Information technologies” (IT) and communicate typically via Ethernet-based protocols to edge servers, Industial PCs, access points, or any other monitor and control systems. Once linking to external dataprocessing or storage systems is necessary authentication and security of data transfer needs to be safeguarded  Looking more downwards towards the factory floor , the communication protocol landscape there is very much fragmented with protocols such as PROFIBUS, CC-Link, DeviceNet, or IO-Link and Hart. An aspect which deversifies PLC controllers in particular once going for an all-in-one-housing approach.  In order to have manufacturing throughput running smoothly and production steps being precise specific realtime communcation requirements may need to be taken into account as well. 

Requirements PLCs must meet

Since it is used close to the factory floor, a PLC must be robust to withstand harsh environmental conditions. In addition, a successful PLC design must provide reliability and system stability. Other factors that must be considered when designing a PLC controller include computation power, space constraints, and high number of input and output signals to be controlled along with multiprotocol handling. Minimum power dissipation is a must have to reduce system cooling in line with having factories becoming more “green”. Software updates as as well as data logging capabilities must be possible..

Advanced, high-quality semiconductor solutions for PLC controllers

Infineon understands the needs of its industrial customers and offers dedicated semiconductor solutions to meet the challenges of PLC projects. In our high-quality portfolio, you will find robust, reliable components, as well as a wide range of products for customizing PLC control applications. Infineon’s 32-bit industrial microcontrollers of the XMC™ family or AURIX™ family for functional safety aspects are the right choice. We also offer a broad range of volatile and non-volatile memories, including types such as SRAM, parallel and serial NOR flash, F-RAM, or non-volatile SRAM. 

Choose the OPTIGA™ Trust product family to get one of the best embedded security products on the market. Consider Infineon’s USB, AIROC™ Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® connectivity controllers to comply with state-of-the-art PLC IoT networking requirements.  Our standard components such as CAN transceivers or LDOs, DCDCs, gate drivers along low voltage MOSFETs for power supply, complement our offering.

More about microcontrollers
More about memories
More about securtiy solutions
More about connectivity solutions

Programmable logic controller - CPU control

The PLC CPU typically  runs customer specific code controlling activities at the factory floor and gets corresponding information back from there to monitor status of manufacturing flow and to react accordingly if given. Devices on the factory floor may be robots, conveyor belts, ovens, valves, drives and many more but as well process instruments as sensor signal sources. Depending on configuration a field bus system may be in place to enable PLC to communicate with other industrial automation system conponents in particular once distributed system units are in place. Complex systems require PLC software managing a high number of incoming and outgoing signals to be processed to avoid manufacturing sequences pausing or steps getting misaligned. 

Communication must be secure

PLCs as part of “Operational Technologies” (OT), constitute an interface to higher-level “Information technologies” (IT) and communicate typically via Ethernet-based protocols to edge servers, Industial PCs, access points, or any other monitor and control systems. Once linking to external dataprocessing or storage systems is necessary authentication and security of data transfer needs to be safeguarded  Looking more downwards towards the factory floor , the communication protocol landscape there is very much fragmented with protocols such as PROFIBUS, CC-Link, DeviceNet, or IO-Link and Hart. An aspect which deversifies PLC controllers in particular once going for an all-in-one-housing approach.  In order to have manufacturing throughput running smoothly and production steps being precise specific realtime communcation requirements may need to be taken into account as well. 

Requirements PLCs must meet

Since it is used close to the factory floor, a PLC must be robust to withstand harsh environmental conditions. In addition, a successful PLC design must provide reliability and system stability. Other factors that must be considered when designing a PLC controller include computation power, space constraints, and high number of input and output signals to be controlled along with multiprotocol handling. Minimum power dissipation is a must have to reduce system cooling in line with having factories becoming more “green”. Software updates as as well as data logging capabilities must be possible..

Advanced, high-quality semiconductor solutions for PLC controllers

Infineon understands the needs of its industrial customers and offers dedicated semiconductor solutions to meet the challenges of PLC projects. In our high-quality portfolio, you will find robust, reliable components, as well as a wide range of products for customizing PLC control applications. Infineon’s 32-bit industrial microcontrollers of the XMC™ family or AURIX™ family for functional safety aspects are the right choice. We also offer a broad range of volatile and non-volatile memories, including types such as SRAM, parallel and serial NOR flash, F-RAM, or non-volatile SRAM. 

Choose the OPTIGA™ Trust product family to get one of the best embedded security products on the market. Consider Infineon’s USB, AIROC™ Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® connectivity controllers to comply with state-of-the-art PLC IoT networking requirements.  Our standard components such as CAN transceivers or LDOs, DCDCs, gate drivers along low voltage MOSFETs for power supply, complement our offering.

More about microcontrollers
More about memories
More about securtiy solutions
More about connectivity solutions

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