Lin, C. Y., & Shen, Y., & Tomovic, M. (2014, June), Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--20551

\bibitem{asee_peer_20551}
  Lin, C. Y., \& Shen, Y., \& Tomovic, M. (2014, June), \emph{Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)}
  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  10.18260/1-2--20551

Cheng Y. Lin P.E., Yuzhong Shen, and Mileta Tomovic.  "Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)".  2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2014.  https://peer.asee.org/20551 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_20551}
  Cheng Y. Lin P.E., Yuzhong Shen, and Mileta Tomovic.
  "Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)".
  \emph{2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2014.
  https://peer.asee.org/20551 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_20551
author = "Cheng Y. Lin P.E., Yuzhong Shen, and Mileta Tomovic"
title = "Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)"
booktitle = "2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2014"
month = "June"
address = "Indianapolis, Indiana"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/20551}
number = {10.18260/1-2--20551}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -   Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning          Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)[Abstract]When teaching PLC classes in the distance-learning program, one of the mainproblems is how to provide hands-on experience to the students. This is becausestudents can only use simulation software to do their homework and lab problemswithout being able to touch PLCs or wire ladder logic diagrams. In this paper, theauthor develops several homework and laboratory problems to help distance-learning students gain their hands-on wiring experience in the MechanicalEngineering Technology Program.Figure 1 shows the Boolean equation of “OR” function Y = A + B. Firstly theinstructor uses the real equipment to demonstrate the wiring. Output results basedon the input condition (the Truth Table) are also given. Secondly the instructortakes the photo of the real equipment and saves it in the Microsoft Paint, as shownin Figure 2. Lines, which are equivalent to electrical cables, are drawn to showhow to really wire the ladder diagram, as shown in Figure 3. The red lines shownin the figure are equivalent to the +24-Volt electrical cables; the blue linesrepresent the cables connected to the ground. After several examples includingbasic logical functions and lab problems are given, students are asked to do theirhomework and laboratory problems using this virtual equipment. Also a “nodetagging” approach will be presented in the paper to help students wire the ladderdiagram effectively. The photo shown in Figure 3 looks almost exactly the same asthe wiring on the real equipment.When students submit their homework or laboratory problems to the instructor,they will have to include not only the ladder diagrams (as shown in Figure 1)and/or PLC programs, but also the wiring diagrams (as shown in Figure 3). Thewiring problems are also included in the tests and final exam. Results show thatthis wiring technique enhances off-campus students their hands-on experience asthe wiring is almost exactly the same as the real equipment.With the support from a University grant, a team is able to develop the softwarewhich can animate the results. As shown in Figure 4, the OR circuit is connectedand results are shown. The development significantly improves the wiringexperience for distance learning students.         Figure 1: Ladder Diagram for the Boolean Equation: Y = A +B                Figure 2: The Photo Image of the Real Equipment            Figure 3: Wiring the Ladder Diagram Shown in Figure 1Figure 4: Wiring the OR Circuit Using Animation Software
AU  - Cheng Y. Lin P.E.
AU  - Yuzhong Shen
AU  - Mileta Tomovic
CY  - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA  - 2014/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Hands-on Homework or Laboratory Development for Distance Learning Students in Programmable Logical Controller (PLC)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/20551
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--20551
ER  -