PLC training in first year electrical engineering program

Abstract

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have had a profound impact on industry and society at large. PLCs are an integral part of a wide variety of control systems, ranging from industrial manufacturing to amusement park rides and filmmaking. Programming languages like ladder logic allow technicians and engineers without formal programming experience to build and debug complex automation systems much faster than if they needed to physically build arrays of relays and logic elements. While many engineering programs have already implemented PLC courses in their curricula, instruction remains lacking in many others. Since engineering students with some PLC training may have better career opportunities than those who do not, this may represent an area for improvement for some programs. Introduction to Projects and Tools is a freshman level course offered to electrical engineering students at [XXX University]. This one-credit laboratory course serves to provide students with hands-on experience with a variety of projects such as the implementation of 555 timers, basic logic circuits, and measurements of electrical quantities. A two-week PLC module was developed and implemented in the Introduction to Projects and Tools course in the Fall 2019 semester. Students were introduced to ladder logic programming and were required to design PLC programs for performing specific assigned tasks. Student feedback and comments were collected through a survey at the end of the semester to investigate the impact of the module on student learning. This study includes a description of the module and the results of the survey. The results indicated that students found the module both exciting and an excellent learning opportunity.