This is the first of a series of videos
about the Phoenix PLCnext Starterkit.
If you are interested in a powerful but inexpensive PLC,
you might want to consider the PLCnext Starterkit.
Here are a few reasons to help you decide to get one.
The programming software is free!
In addition to typical PLC programming languages
such as ladder logic,
function block diagram, and structured text,
you can also use other PLC programming languages such as Python,
C++, and Java amongst many others.
The RealPars Marketplace now has the PLCnext Starterkit available for purchase
at a discounted price for a limited time.
If you want to order the PLCnext Starterkit to test your plc programs,
you can find the link in the video description.
In this video,
we're going to identify all of the PLCnext Starterkit bits and pieces in the box
that arrived at your door.
We’re also going to familiarize you with everything in the box
and discuss the purpose and function of each item.
Alright…let’s get started.
The first thing you might notice is the 24 volt power supply
and a bag called AC plug-Mix.
All you need to do is pick out the AC plug that matches your wall receptacle
and slide it into the open slot on the 24 volt power supply.
The output male plug of the power supply plugs into the female connector
at the bottom left corner of the panel.
Next out of the box is the Ethernet cable.
The Ethernet cable is the communication link between your computer and the PLC.
Don't worry about Ethernet right now…
we will be talking about communications in more detail
in the next video in this series.
Let’s have a look at the PLC panel itself.
There’s lots of stuff on this panel, so here we go…
We will start by examining everything mounted on the DIN Rail.
Mounted on the far left side of the DIN Rail
is a PT 1,5 Quattro terminal block.
There are 4 actual terminal blocks on the DIN Rail.
A terminal block allows multiple outgoing wires
to connect to one singular incoming wire.
The Starterkit terminal blocks
are currently used to distribute the 24 volt power supply
where needed on the panel.
The red wire is the positive side of the 24 volt supply
and the blue wire is the negative side.
The terminal blocks are there for future use
if you choose to use the power supply in your projects.
Located beside the terminal block is the brain of the operation:
the controller itself.
The Controller Model Number is shown at the top.
On the right-hand side,
an SD-CARD Expansion slot is located under the plastic cover.
A very important piece of information is shown next.
This is the Administration Password for your Controller.
Be sure to note this password
as you will need it in the next video of this series.
There is a cluster of LED’s located in the middle of the controller.
These LED’s are there for Diagnostic and Status Indication.
We will explore the function of this cluster in more detail in later videos.
At the bottom left of the controller is the Power Supply Connector.
And, underneath the controller, you will find 2 Ethernet ports.
Next on the panel is the AXL F BP SE4 Module Carrier
which is the backplane allowing connections between the individual I/O modules,
the power supply, and the controller.
Four I/O modules can be inserted into the Module Carrier.
Phoenix refers to the I/O modules as Smart Elements.
Here is one interesting fact about this PLC.
In a typical PLC, when you have four input and output modules,
you need to put the modules next to each other on the rack.
So this is the space that these modules typically take from your panel.
Now with this new PLC,
having the same number of I/O modules takes half the space
compared to using a typical PLC.
This means in the same space that you could only have two modules,
you can now have four modules instead.
We’ve removed the I/O modules to give you a better look.
I/O modules are plugged into the slots
and each module will have a dedicated Slot number.
You might want to make note of these slot numbers
because they are not visible once the I/O modules are inserted.
We'll tell you about the Module Status Indicators in the next video.
Just a word of caution…
If you decide to remove or insert an I/O module,
be sure that the PLC is not powered!
OK…now it’s time to investigate the I/O Modules or Smart Elements
that are included with the Starterkit.
The Module Carrier has 4 Smart Elements plugged into it.
Slot 1 has a Digital Output Module with 16 outputs.
The Part number is AXL SE DO16/1.
Slot 2 has a Digital Input Module with 16 inputs.
The Part Number is AXL SE DI16/1.
Slot 3 has a blank or a Smart Element Cover.
The Part Number is Cover-AXL SE SC-A.
Slot 4 has an Analog Input module with 4 voltage channels.
The Part Number is AXL SE AI4 U 0-10.
Here’s something for you to remember for the next videos…
The Part Numbers and slot locations are very important for PLC and I/O configuration.
The modules can be removed and inserted by the orange tab.
Detailed specifications for each Smart Element
can be found at www.phoenixcontact.com.
You can find the link to this website in the video description.
Let’s move on to the Starterkit Field Devices.
You will see 4 Push button Normally Open switches to the right of the I/O modules.
For our discussion, we’ve labeled them as S1 through S4.
These switches are connected to the digital input module located in Slot 2.
If a switch is pushed,
24 volts will be applied to an input terminal.
For example, pushing S3 will apply 24 volts to Input 3.
We’ve seen how the field devices are connected to the digital input module
so now let’s explore the field device connected to the analog input module.
There is a Slider that provides an adjustable voltage from 0 to 10 volts DC
directly to Channel 1 on the Analog Input module.
Let's have a quick peek at how the Analog Voltage Input Adjustment is wired
and connected to the analog input module.
As discussed earlier,
the Analog module will accept an input voltage range of 0 to 10 volts.
There is a voltage divider circuit connected to the 24 volt supply
to ensure that the voltage applied to the analog input card
never exceeds 10 volts.
The gray wire connects the variable voltage from the potentiometer
to the positive input terminal of Channel 1 of the analog input card.
The negative input terminal of the analog input card
is connected to the negative terminal of the 24 volt power supply.
Here’s a small challenge for you…
Using your electronic circuit knowledge,
can you confirm that this voltage divider circuit design will perform as needed?
Let’s have a quick review and highlight some key points.
The Starterkit comes with its own 24 volt DC power supply.
The protocol used to communicate between your computer
and the Starterkit is Ethernet,
and an Ethernet cable is provided.
SD-CARD Expansion is available.
The Administration Password is written on the front face of the Controller.
There are 3 Smart elements, or I/O modules available for your use:
A digital output module
A digital input module,
and an analog input module
The digital input module and the analog input module
have field devices connected to them for your use.
That's it for this video!
You can order the PLCnext starter kit at a discounted price for a limited time
on the RealPars marketplace.
We will create more videos on
how to configure and program this new innovative PLC soon
so make sure to order your starter kit today while the promotion is available
and stay tuned for new easy-to-follow videos from RealPars.
You can find the link to order the starter kit in the video description.