Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of a PLC controller. CPU itself is usually one of the microcontrollers. Aforetime these were 8-bit microcontrollers such as 8051, and now these are 16-and 32-bit microcontrollers. Unspoken rule is that you’ll find mostly Hitachi and Fujicu microcontrollers in PLC controllers by Japanese makers, Siemens in European controllers, and Motorola microcontrollers in American ones. CPU also takes care of communication, interconnectedness among other parts of PLC controllers, program execution, memory operation, overseeing input and setting up of an output.

System memory (today mostly implemented in FLASH technology) is used by a PLC for a process control system. Aside form. this operating system it also contains a user program translated forma ladder diagram to a binary form. FLASH memory contents can be changed only in case where user program is being changed. PLC controllers were used earlier instead of PLASH memory and have had EPROM memory instead of FLASH memory which had to be erased with UV lamp and programmed on programmers. With the use of FLASH technology this process was greatly shortened. Reprogramming a program memory is done through a serial cable in a program for application development.

User memory is divided into blocks having special functions. Some parts of a memory are used for storing input and output status. The real status of an input is stored either as “1”or as “0”in a specific memory bit/ each input or output has one corresponding bit in memory. Other parts of memory are used to store variable contents for variables used in used program. For example, time value, or counter value would be stored in this part of the memory.

PLC controller can be reprogrammed through a computer (usual way), but also through manual programmers (consoles). This practically means that each PLC controller can programmed through a computer if you have the software needed for programming. Today’s transmission computers are ideal for reprogramming a PLC controller in factory itself. This is of great importance to industry. Once the system is corrected, it is also important to read the right program into a PLC again. It is also good to check from time to time whether program in a PLC has not changed. This helps to avoid hazardous situations in factory rooms (some automakers have established communication networks which regularly check programs in PLC controllers to ensure execution only of good programs).

Almost every program for programming a PLC controller possesses various useful options such as: forced switching on and off of the system input/outputs (I/O lines),