PLC program for cyclic

starting of pumps

Application Sheet

Copyright © 2012 ComAp a.s. ComAp, a.s.

Prague, Czech Republic Kundratka 2359/17, 180 00 Prague 8
Czech Republic
Tel.: + 420 246 012 111, Fax: +420 266 316 647
E-mail: info@comap.cz, www.comap.cz
 1. Abstract
This sheet describes a function of PLC program for a sequential switching of any kind of a pump. It can be
useful in case where it is required for any reason to have running only one (or none) pump of maximum
four.

2. List of controllers
This feature is applicable for following controllers:
NT NT NT
InteliGen , InteliSys , InteliMains , InteliDrive DCU, etc. (generally every controller supporting PLC)

3. List of tools
Following tools are needed to re-produce this functionality:

GenConfig

4. System schematic diagram(s)

Sheet 1
1 Pump1

Inc / Dec Decomposer

1 Bin P ump1 2 Pump2
RemoteC ontrol1 O1
Inc P ump2
RemoteControl1 ZeroToThree O neO rN one[-] O2
Dec O I P ump3
Log Bout Res
O3
P ump4
O4 3 Pump3
Item 1 Item 4
M ux C onst.

BinO neO fF our[-]

4 Pump4
ZeroToThree
I O

Item 2

A na S w itch
0 [-]
I1
BinO neO fF our[-] O neO rN one[-]
I2 O
RemoteC ontrol1
I-S W
Item 3

-2-
SCHJ/HKJN
 5. Detailed description of solution
There are several possibilities how to do it. Two examples will be described below.
An input value (in the schematic named as RemoteControl1) can be for example an output of any timer.
According to the timer the PLC program will switch between pumps every minute, hour, day, week, etc.

Other possibility is to have any event as the input. Let’s say every new start of the engine.
The Inc / Dec block is counting up in a cycle from 0 to 3 every rising edge of the input. In cycle means
number 0 goes after number 3 again.
Mux Const. block converts decimal number (from 0 to 3 in our case) to binary “one out of four”. For
example when the output from Inc / Dec block is 0 then Mux Const. output is 0001, 0100 corresponds to
the output equals 2.
Ana Switch block ensures that all the pumps can be switched off. When RemoteControl1 input is inactive
(logical 0) then Ana switch block gives permanently 0 at its output. When remoteControl1 input signal is
active, Ana Switch block sends to the Decomposer value from Mux Const. block, therefore
BinOneOfFour value.

Decomposer chooses exactly one of the pumps by activating the required output according the binary
output signal from Ana Switch block. When Ana Switch output is 0001 then the Pump1 is running. When
Ana witch output is 1000 then the Pump4 is running.
Example sequence of the function is outlined in the schematic graph Running pump. Each rising edge of
the RemoteControl1 signal activates the following pump. Each falling edge deactivates the pump.
-3-
SCHJ/HKJN
 6. Other comments

Although it is unlikely to switch any pumps with higher frequency, be careful with short impulses. PLC is
computed once in 100ms, therefore shorter pulses have lower resolution. Even pulses shorter than 100ms
are not possible to generate. For that reason the function cannot be used for switching more than ten times
in a second.

-4-
SCHJ/HKJN