Programmable Automation Controller (PAC)

Programmable automation controller (PAC) systems consist of PAC modules, each

of which performs a specific function. PAC systems are used in motion control,
machine control, machine vision, and other industrial control applications. They
include the following types of PAC modules: analog I/O modules, digital I/O
modules, relay modules, counter modules, serial modules, servo or stepper
controller modules, timer modules, and data acquisition modules. PAC systems
with analog I/O modules are used to measure and control industrial automation
devices such sensors and actuators. They can also be used to condition high or
low voltage signals, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTD) and
strain gauges. PAC systems with digital I/O modules are used to measure and
control industrial automation devices such sensors and actuators. PAC systems
with data acquisition modules digitize and process multiple sensor or signal
inputs for monitoring, analysing and/or controlling systems and processes. PAC
systems with serial modules coordinate the flow of data, control signals, and
timing information between data terminal equipment (DTE) and data
communication equipment (DCE).

Programmable automation controller (PAC) systems have backplane slots for

adding input/output (I/O) modules and differ by backplane bus type. The
VersaModule Eurocard bus (VMEbus) is a popular, 32-bit bus used in industrial,
commercial and military applications. VME extensions for instrumentation (VXI) is
an electrical and mechanical standard used with automatic test equipment
(ATE). Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) is a local bus system designed for
high-end computer systems. Compact PCI (cPCI) uses the electrical standards of
the PCI bus, but is packaged in a Eurocard. PCI extensions for instrumentation
(PXI) is a superset of CompactPCI that adds timing and triggering functions. In
terms of ports and interfaces, some programmable automation controller (PAC)
systems have an Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), or video graphics array
(VGA) port. Others have a keyboard, mouse, or printer port. Serial PAC systems
have RS232, RS422 or RS485 ports. IEEE 1394 or FireWire (Apple Computer,
Inc.) ports are also available.

Communication Standards and Network Protocols

Programmable automation controller (PAC) systems use popular communication
standards and network protocols. Ethernet is a local area network (LAN) protocol
that supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps. Transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) is the basis for standard Internet protocols.
Controller area network bus (CANbus) is a high-speed, serial data network
designed for harsh electrical environments and real-time control applications.
DeviceNet uses the CAN network protocol to connect industrial devices to PAC
modules. The process fieldbus or PROFIBUS (Profibus International) is an opencommunication standard used in factory automation, process automation,
motion control, and safety applications. The MODBUS (Modbus-IDA) protocol is
an open-standard, vendor-neutral messaging structure for communication
between intelligent devices. OPC defines a set of standard interfaces based upon
OLE/COM technology and can be re-used by human machine interface (HMI) and
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) applications. Java (Sun
Microsystems, Inc.) database connectivity (JDBC) allows PAC modules to access
to external structured query language (SQL) databases.

Selection
Selecting programmable automation controller (PAC) systems requires an
analysis of regulatory requirements and special features. PAC systems for
international markets should comply with Restriction of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS), a European Union (EU) directive that requires all manufacturers of
electronic and electrical equipment sold in Europe to demonstrate that their
products contain only minimal levels of hazardous substances such as lead and
mercury. The EUs Waste Electrical and Electronics Equipment Regulations (WEEE
Regulations) are designed to encourage the reuse, recycling and recovery of
electrical and electronic equipment such as PAC systems.

Features

Features for programmable automation controller (PAC) systems include surge

protection, visual indicators, watchdog timers, and real-clock timers. PAC
systems with a reset button, integral power supply, and built-in web server are
also available. Hot-swappable PAC systems allow the installation and removal of
modules during operation.

Fixed Automation
Fixed automation is a system in which the sequence of processing (or assembly)
operations is fixed by the equipment configuration. Each of the operations in the
sequence is usually simple, involving perhaps a plain linear or rotational motion
or an uncomplicated combination of the two; for example, the feeding of a
rotating spindle. It is the integration and coordination of many such operations
into one piece of equipment that makes the system complex. Typical features of
fixed automation are:
High initial investment for custom-engineered equipment
High production rates
Relatively inflexible in accommodating product variety

Advantages:

Low unit cost

Automated material handling
High production rate.

Disadvantages:

High initial Investment

Relatively inflexible in accommodating product changes.

Flexible Automation
Flexible automation is an extension of programmable automation. A flexible
automated system is capable of producing a variety of parts (or products) with
virtually no time lost for changeovers from one part style to the next. There is no
lost production time while reprogramming the system and altering the physical
setup (tooting, fixtures, machine settings). Consequently, the system can
produce various combinations and schedules of parts or products instead of
requiring that they be made in batches. What makes flexible automation possible
is that the differences between parts processed by the system arc not significant.
It is a case of soft variety. So that the amount of changeover required between
styles is minimal. The features of flexible automation can be summarized as
follows:
High investment for a custom-engineered system
Continuous production of variable mixtures of products
Medium production rate
Flexibility to deal with product design variations

Advantages:

Continuous production of variable mixtures of product.

Flexible to deal with product design variation.

Disadvantages:

Medium production rate

High investment.

High unit cost relative to fixed automation