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PLCs for Beginners: An introductory guide to building robust PLC programs with Structured Text
Unleash the power of PLCs by understanding and applying Structured Text, programming logic, and technologies like ChatGPT and much more
Key FeaturesBuild a solid foundation of Structured Text by understanding its syntax, features, and applicationsLearn how to apply programming logic and design by taking a design-first approach to PLC programmingIntegrate advanced concepts and technologies such as cybersecurity and generative AI with PLCsPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionWith the rise of smart factories and advanced technology, the demand for PLC programmers with expertise beyond ladder logic is surging. Written by M.T. White, a seasoned DevOps engineer and adjunct CIS instructor, this guide offers insights from the author’s extensive experience in PLC and HMI programming across industries. This book introduces a fresh approach to PLC programming, preparing you for future automation challenges through computer science and text-based programming.
Starting with the basic components of PLCs and their integration with other modules, this book gives you a clear understanding of system functionality and helps you master PLC program execution by learning about flow and essential components for effective programming. You'll understand program design with pseudocode and flowcharts, vital for planning programs, and cover Boolean logic intricacies, harnessing logical functions and truth tables for precise control statements. The book gives you a comprehensive grasp of Structured Text, its syntax and features crucial for efficient programming. The book also focuses on advanced topics like cybersecurity in PLC systems and leveraging generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT, to enhance productivity.
By the end of this book, you’ll be able to design real-world projects using pseudocode and flowcharts, and implement those designs in Structured Text.
What you will learnImplement PLC programs in Structured textExperiment with common functions in Structured TextControl the flow of a PLC program with loop and conditional statementsDesign a PLC program with pseudocode and flowchartsImplement common sorting algorithms such as bubble sort and insertion sort, and understand concepts such as Big OUnderstand the basics of cybersecurity to protect PLC-based systemsLeverage ChatGPT for PLC programmingGet to grips with troubleshooting hardware and fixing common problemsWho this book is forThis book is for automation engineering students and individuals who are aspiring to be software, electrical, mechanical, or automation engineers with an interest in reshaping the automation industry.
Table of ContentsComputer Science Versus Automation ProgrammingPLC Components – Integrating PLCs with Other ModulesThe Basics of ProgrammingUnleashing Computer MemoryDesigning Programs – Unleashing Pseudocode and FlowchartsBoolean AlgebraUnlocking the Power of STExploring Variables and TagsPerforming Calculations in Structured TextUnleashing Built-In Function BlocksUnlocking the Power of Flow ControlUnlocking Advanced Control StatementsImplementing Tight LoopsSorting with LoopsSecure PLC Programming – Stopping CyberthreatsTroubleshooting PLCs – Fixing IssuesLeveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)The Final Project – Programming a Simulated Robot
Key FeaturesBuild a solid foundation of Structured Text by understanding its syntax, features, and applicationsLearn how to apply programming logic and design by taking a design-first approach to PLC programmingIntegrate advanced concepts and technologies such as cybersecurity and generative AI with PLCsPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionWith the rise of smart factories and advanced technology, the demand for PLC programmers with expertise beyond ladder logic is surging. Written by M.T. White, a seasoned DevOps engineer and adjunct CIS instructor, this guide offers insights from the author’s extensive experience in PLC and HMI programming across industries. This book introduces a fresh approach to PLC programming, preparing you for future automation challenges through computer science and text-based programming.
Starting with the basic components of PLCs and their integration with other modules, this book gives you a clear understanding of system functionality and helps you master PLC program execution by learning about flow and essential components for effective programming. You'll understand program design with pseudocode and flowcharts, vital for planning programs, and cover Boolean logic intricacies, harnessing logical functions and truth tables for precise control statements. The book gives you a comprehensive grasp of Structured Text, its syntax and features crucial for efficient programming. The book also focuses on advanced topics like cybersecurity in PLC systems and leveraging generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT, to enhance productivity.
By the end of this book, you’ll be able to design real-world projects using pseudocode and flowcharts, and implement those designs in Structured Text.
What you will learnImplement PLC programs in Structured textExperiment with common functions in Structured TextControl the flow of a PLC program with loop and conditional statementsDesign a PLC program with pseudocode and flowchartsImplement common sorting algorithms such as bubble sort and insertion sort, and understand concepts such as Big OUnderstand the basics of cybersecurity to protect PLC-based systemsLeverage ChatGPT for PLC programmingGet to grips with troubleshooting hardware and fixing common problemsWho this book is forThis book is for automation engineering students and individuals who are aspiring to be software, electrical, mechanical, or automation engineers with an interest in reshaping the automation industry.
Table of ContentsComputer Science Versus Automation ProgrammingPLC Components – Integrating PLCs with Other ModulesThe Basics of ProgrammingUnleashing Computer MemoryDesigning Programs – Unleashing Pseudocode and FlowchartsBoolean AlgebraUnlocking the Power of STExploring Variables and TagsPerforming Calculations in Structured TextUnleashing Built-In Function BlocksUnlocking the Power of Flow ControlUnlocking Advanced Control StatementsImplementing Tight LoopsSorting with LoopsSecure PLC Programming – Stopping CyberthreatsTroubleshooting PLCs – Fixing IssuesLeveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)The Final Project – Programming a Simulated Robot
622 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2024
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October 27, 2026
This book was an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to learn PLC programming, whether they're at the very beginning or even before that stage. What stands out most is how complete it is — it genuinely starts from zero. The book itself states that you need no prior coding experience or foundational knowledge to follow along, and it delivers on that promise. It walks step by step through programming fundamentals in general: drawing flowcharts, writing pseudocode, the various types of programming algorithms, and so on.
Another key strength is its focus on Structured Text as the primary language for PLC programming. Given how technology has advanced and what industry actually needs today, the book makes a solid case for Structured Text over Ladder Logic, though it still gives Ladder Logic brief coverage. It also goes beyond programming alone and addresses a range of topics in PLC-based control: cybersecurity, troubleshooting and diagnosis, the use of AI, the kinds of hardware a PLC can control, sensors and their types (including the PNP versus NPN distinction at a theoretical level), various motor types and how to control them, and more.
I also appreciated that each chapter ends with questions on its content for the reader to answer, with the answers provided at the back of the book — a real help for consolidating what each chapter covered. On top of that, every chapter closes with links for further reading on some of its concepts, which was wonderful; readers can follow those to explore in more detail what a single chapter couldn't fully cover.
Overall, this is a comprehensive and solid book. That said, there are moments of repetition and verbosity that can wear on the reader and make it harder to return to a particular topic later — some of the repeated material left me forgetting exactly which chapter or subsection had covered a given point. Even so, I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn PLC programming.
It's followed by a second book, Mastering PLC Programming, which takes PLC programming to a more advanced level, and readers who've finished this one will likely find plenty to surprise them there too.
Another key strength is its focus on Structured Text as the primary language for PLC programming. Given how technology has advanced and what industry actually needs today, the book makes a solid case for Structured Text over Ladder Logic, though it still gives Ladder Logic brief coverage. It also goes beyond programming alone and addresses a range of topics in PLC-based control: cybersecurity, troubleshooting and diagnosis, the use of AI, the kinds of hardware a PLC can control, sensors and their types (including the PNP versus NPN distinction at a theoretical level), various motor types and how to control them, and more.
I also appreciated that each chapter ends with questions on its content for the reader to answer, with the answers provided at the back of the book — a real help for consolidating what each chapter covered. On top of that, every chapter closes with links for further reading on some of its concepts, which was wonderful; readers can follow those to explore in more detail what a single chapter couldn't fully cover.
Overall, this is a comprehensive and solid book. That said, there are moments of repetition and verbosity that can wear on the reader and make it harder to return to a particular topic later — some of the repeated material left me forgetting exactly which chapter or subsection had covered a given point. Even so, I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn PLC programming.
It's followed by a second book, Mastering PLC Programming, which takes PLC programming to a more advanced level, and readers who've finished this one will likely find plenty to surprise them there too.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review