Volume 6, Number 1, Fall 2005 (Book Review)
Programmable Logic Controllers
Third Edition
Frank D. Petruzella
McGraw-Hill Companies
The third edition of this textbook provides an up-to-date introduction to all aspects of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It focuses on how PLCs work and provides practical information regarding installation, programming, and maintenance of a PLC system. Although this textbook describes PLCs in a generic sense, the Allen-Bradley PLC-5, SLC-500, and Control Logix PLC instruction sets are used for the programming examples.
The textbook is written in a reader-friendly style. A list of objectives is provided at the beginning of each chapter. The subject material follows this list of objectives. Each chapter ends with a set of review questions and problems. All topics are covered in small segments to allow students develop a solid foundation for each concept before advancing to the next one. Technical terms are defined when they are first used. An extensive glossary provides a good referral to PLC terms.
This textbook consists of fifteen chapters. An entire chapter is devoted to digital logic circuits as they apply to PLCs. General troubleshooting procedures and techniques are emphasized and students are taught how to analyze PLC problems systematically. No previous knowledge of PLC systems or programming is assumed.
The third edition of this textbook includes the following new features:
- The Control Logix instruction set has been added.
- Equipment illustrations have been updated.
- All chapters have been expanded to cover recent developments.
A student activities manual and a computer simulation package may be purchased separately for use with the textbook. The student activities manual contains a large number of generic programming assignments and exercises. The computer simulation package includes Logix Pro simulation software as well as a printed lab manual with more than 250 programming assignments.
This textbook is suitable for an introductory course on programmable logic controllers. The subject material can be easily covered in one semester.
Sohail Anwar, Ph.D
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