The blurring lines between Programmable Logic Controllers and traditional PCs
Programmable logic controllers are one of the essentials of any modern factory. However, nowadays we are seeing a situation where traditional PCs are being designed to fulfil a lot of tasks that would be traditionally PLC’s purview and a lot of PLC’s which are taking forms resembling that of a traditional PCs . Let us explore this situation where the two are encroaching on each other’s territory and the differences that remain. The history of programmable logic controllers The industrial era has undoubtedly changed humanity. The advent of mechanised manufacturing increased productivity exponentially. However, the mechanised manufacturing involved many complex steps. A lot of them had to be managed manually by a machine operator who triggered the right functions according to what he observed or according to a set of sequences. Some advanced machines used some clever mechanical contraptions that could physically trigger the right actions based on parameters such as...