PLCdojo

Where the heck do I start? It's a question I get often from course participants now entering the field of automation. On the one hand, there has never been a time like this when skills training and knowledge have been so available and accessible. Sooooo great! On the other hand, with all of the new technologies powering Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, it can be overwhelming. Heck, I have been in this field for almost 30 years and I feel constantly overwhelmed with how much more there is to learn. That feeling of being behind is always with me. And yet, with all of the "fancy" technologies out there, they can't do a thing unless they have data. And data comes from the ability to Connect - Collect - Visualize. Are PLCs going anywhere? Nope. Are factory floor Protocols going anywhere? Nope (We can't even get rid of 1970's Modbus for heaven's sake!) Are SCADA systems going anywhere? Nope. So my advice (and I am open to being wrong here) to those who ask the question, is to find themselves in a place where they have to build a panel, program a PLC, get data from the PLC and toss it up on an HMI. Connect - Collect - Visualize. Hey, don't get me wrong, I am myself trying to learn all about Industry 4.0 and digital transformation. It's really important to me to do so. But most of my work is still Connect - Collect - Visualize. Paul Lynn (genius behind PLCdojo) was gracious enough to invite me and Muhammad Awais to the platform and together we try our best to teach you how to Connect - Collect - Visualize. PLCs, Protocols, HMIs, SCADA, and some IIoT to get you going further along. So to those just starting out, I feel the overwhelm (and I am old), but take heart, Connect - Collect - Visualize doesn't seem like it's going bye-bye any time soon, so start there!