Classic embedded systems engineers tend to overlook the vast market for PLC development.  PLCs are widely used and provide high-margin jobs, especially in industrial automation. With the PLC starter kit, Arduino provides an educational kit to teach PLC skills on a teaching platform fit for productive use.

The core is based on the Arduino Opta, a PLC system developed in cooperation between Arduino and Italian relays specialist Finder. As shown in the figure, it comes in a DIN-mountable housing and is intended for both educational and production use. Furthermore, a WiFi transmitter option is available. The PLC provided in the starter kit includes this functionality to enhance the learning experience.

Should the I/O capabilities provided by the OPTA not suffice for the project at hand,  Arduino announced a variety of expansions at Embedded World. In particular, both an analog and a digital module are available.

The expansion boards connect to the primary unit using the expansion ports shown in the two figures. The  system is mounted to the DIN rail; the two PLC cases then sit side by side.

Efficient training in a wide variety of PLC languages

PLC programming is not uniform - different languages let PLC programmers use whatever tool best suits the task at hand. In the case of the Arduino Opta, a total of five different programming languages are supported:

The Arduino PLC IDE makes PLC programming easy. Choose any of the five programming languages defined by the IEC 61131-3 standard (Ladder, Functional Block Diagram, Structured Text, Sequential Function Chart, or Instruction List) and quickly code PLC applications or port existing ones to Arduino Opta. 

Since an IEC standard governs all of them, skills learned using the Arduino PLC Starter Kit can be easily transferred to other PLC systems.

In the case of the starter kit, the learner is provided with two simulator units. They generate a variety of stimuli intended to create realistic signals similar to those found in a real-world PLC project.

Conclusion

Embedded systems engineers looking for an introduction to the PLC field should consider the Arduino PLC Starter Kit (AKX00051). Due to its low price and wide variety of demonstrated technologies, it provides a realistic introduction to industrial electronics.