What Is Ladder Logic Programming?

By Thomas Archibeque | March 31, 2018 | Web Traffic

If you don’t know much about ladder logic programming, you certainly aren’t alone. There are plenty of people that don’t have any knowledge about LLP. With that said, it’s important to learn more about ladder logic programming and how it works. It’s becoming more and more common, such as in ControlLogix control systems, which means this knowledge will really come in handy in the future.

The Basics of Ladder Logic Programming

If you’re completely new to this programming language, the first thing you’re going to want to do is get familiar with the basics. After you have the basics down, you can move on to gathering more in-depth information on the subject.

Learning the basics of ladder logic is much simpler than you might think. There are plenty of tutorials out there, and a number of them are aimed at novices. If you do look into ladder logic, you should be able to get a handle on the basics in a fairly short period of time.

How This Programming Language Has Evolved

This programming language hasn’t remained static over the years. It has a fairly long history behind it, and over the years, it has gone through all kinds of changes.

If you really want to gain a deep understanding of ladder logic, you’re going to have to look at some of the evolutions it has gone through. Take the time to see how it has changed and take time to figure out why those changes are made.

When you want to learn about something, you can’t just look at the present. You have to look at the past as well if you want to obtain a complete picture.

Learning How to Read Ladder Logic

If you want to learn how to read ladder logic, you’re going to have to learn about the way it is structured. Learning the structure of this programming language is essential if you want to be able to read it.

The structure of ladder logic is based on relay diagrams. That structure is still present in the programming language today. The positive power rail, which is on the left, should flow towards the negative rail, which can be found on the right.

What Is Ladder Logic Programming Similar To?

Ladder logic was specifically designed to be similar to electric ladder diagrams. However, even though there are plenty of similarities to be found, these two things aren’t actually identical. There are plenty of differences that you can spot if you examine ladder logic more closely.

The main difference you’ll find is that all of the physical contacts you’ll find in electric ladder diagrams are replaced with memory bits. Take the time to compare an electric ladder diagram to ladder logic programming and see what kinds of differences and similarities you can spot.

Now that you understand what ladder logic programming is, it’s time for you to put that knowledge to good use. Use the knowledge that you’ve gathered. Make sure you make wise decisions regarding ladder logic programming in the future.

Thomas Archibeque
Thomas Archibeque
Tom Archibeque is the instructor for Control Logic Training. He brings his experience as an electrical controls engineer to the classroom, giving them confidence to use their training.