Allen-Bradley SLC500: 1747/1746 Series

The Allen-Bradley SLC 500: 1747/1746 series is a mid-range Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system from Rockwell Automation. Here's a breakdown to help understand it better:

SLC 500 System: The SLC 500 is a popular PLC platform known for its affordability, user-friendliness, and reliability. It's well-suited for various industrial automation applications that don't require extremely high processing power or complex control logic.

1746/1747 Breakdown:

1746 Chassis: This serves as the physical housing for the SLC 500 system, containing core components like the power supply (often 1746-P1 or -P2) and mounting slots for other modules.
1747 Modules: These are various I/O modules that snap into the chassis, providing connection points for sensors, actuators, and other devices in your system. Common modules include digital input/output (DIO), analog input/output (AIO), and communication modules.

Applications: The SLC 500 with 1746/1747 modules finds use in diverse industrial settings such as:

Machine control: Starting, stopping, and monitoring machines.
Material handling: Conveyor systems, pick-and-place robots.
Building automation: HVAC control, lighting control.
Data acquisition: Collecting and logging data from sensors.

Strengths:

Cost-effective: Offering a good balance of features and affordability compared to high-end PLCs.
Easy to Use: Known for its user-friendly programming environment and well-established documentation.
Reliable: A mature platform recognized for its dependable performance.

While still widely used, it's worth considering newer PLC offerings from Allen-Bradley like the ControlLogix or CompactLogix series for their advanced features and capabilities.