3.4.

TANK FILLING LADDER PROGRAM 25

Address Title Comment

I 0/14 Start N.O. Switch
I 0/15 Stop N.O. Switch
I 1/0 High Level N.O. Switch
I 1/1 Low Level N.O. Switch
O 1/0 Inlet valve
O 1/1 Outlet valve

Table 3.2: Table of the hardware connected to the input and the output of the PLC for the Tank Filling
Program shown in figure 3.13.

Figure 3.13: Ladder program to control the water level in a tank with the hardware shown in table 3.2
%I 0/14 %I 0/15 %M 0/0

Start Stop Master

%M 0/0

Master

%M 0/0 %I 1/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/1

Master High Level Low Level Outlet Valve

%O 1/1

Outlet Valve

%M 0/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/0 %O 1/0

Master Low Level High Valve Inlet Valve

%O 1/0

Inlet Valve
%I 0/14

Start

3.4 Tank filling Ladder program

The Problem
The water level in an open tank is to be maintained. When the water level reaches the Level Low, the
Outlet flow valve is closed and the Inlet flow valve is opened until the High Level is reached at which time
the Outlet valve is opened and the Inlet valve is closed. To detect the High and Low levels of liquid in the
tank, two level switches are used.
A Ladder program solution is shown in figure 3.13.
26 CHAPTER 3. PLC

Address Title Comment

I 0/14 Start N.O. Switch
I 0/15 Stop N.C. Switch
I 1/0 High Level N.C. Switch
I 1/1 Low Level N.O. Switch
O 1/0 Inlet valve
O 1/1 Outlet valve

Table 3.3: Table of the hardware connected to the input and the output of the PLC for the Tank Filling
Program shown in figure 3.14.

Figure 3.14: Alternative ladder program to control the water level in a tank with the hardware shown in
table 3.3. Note the differences between the ladder programs. A ladder program is meaningless without
the table of connections.
%I 0/14 %I 0/15 %M 0/0

Start Stop Master

%M 0/0

Master

%M 0/0 %I 1/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/1

Master High Level Low Level Outlet Valve

%O 1/1

Outlet Valve

%M 0/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/0 %O 1/0

Master Low Level High Valve Inlet Valve

%O 1/0

Inlet Valve
%I 0/14

Start
3.4. TANK FILLING LADDER PROGRAM 27

Figure 3.15: START STATE: Tank filling ladder program shown figure 3.13 after the start button is
pressed and the state of the tank is empty. The tank will start filling because the inlet valve is open and
the outlet valve is closed.
%I 0/14 %I 0/15 %M 0/0

Start Stop Master

%M 0/0

Master

%M 0/0 %I 1/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/1

Master High Level Low Level Outlet Valve

%O 1/1

Outlet Valve

%M 0/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/0 %O 1/0

Master Low Level High Valve Inlet Valve

%O 1/0

Inlet Valve
%I 0/14

Start

Figure 3.16: BETWEEN EMPTY AND FULL: Tank filling ladder program shown figure 3.13 after the
start button is pressed and the state of the tank is empty. The tank is filling because the inlet valve is
open. and the outlet valve is closed.
%I 0/14 %I 0/15 %M 0/0

Start Stop Master

%M 0/0

Master

%M 0/0 %I 1/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/1

Master High Level Low Level Outlet Valve

%O 1/1

Outlet Valve

%M 0/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/0 %O 1/0

Master Low Level High Valve Inlet Valve

%O 1/0

Inlet Valve
%I 0/14

Start
28 CHAPTER 3. PLC

Figure 3.17: FULL: Tank filling ladder program shown figure 3.13 after the start button is pressed and
the state of the tank is empty. The tank will stop filling because the inlet valve is closed and the tank
will begin to empty because the outlet valve is open. The tank will continue to empty until the low level
switch is activated and the cycle will start again.
%I 0/14 %I 0/15 %M 0/0

Start Stop Master

%M 0/0

Master

%M 0/0 %I 1/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/1

Master High Level Low Level Outlet Valve

%O 1/1

Outlet Valve

%M 0/0 %I 1/1 %O 1/0 %O 1/0

Master Low Level High Valve Inlet Valve

%O 1/0

Inlet Valve
%I 0/14

Start