Nowadays, there’s a growing interest than ever before for digital devices and interactive object development. Arduino, BeagleBone, and Raspberry Pi are getting very popular in the nuanced industry of microcontrollers and their larger-scale counterparts, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). They’re both almost similar in nature, where PLCs offer a myriad of benefits to the users.
Do you have a project where you can’t decide whether to use a microcontroller or PLC?
Sometimes this decision is a bit confusing if you’ve got a simple project. There’s also a matter of budget while doing a project. So, let’s delve deeper into the difference between microcontrollers and PLCs.
Contents
What is a Microcontroller?
Let’s start with the smaller component of the discussion. You can call a microcontroller a computer because it has all the basic elements of a computer.
However, what you’re used to identifying ‘computers’ are general-purpose computers capable of running thousands of programs and are useful for a variety of purposes. On the contrary, a microcontroller is specialized to one thing only.
What is a PLC?
Now you know the basics of a microcontroller, let’s find out how it connects to a PLC.
The most basic definition of a PLC is that it is a larger-scale microcontroller. This is also a computer but more of an industrial digital computer that’s ruggedized and adapted to assist tough manufacturing processes.
Its most frequent applications are assembly lines, robotic and machine learning devices, and any function that requires high-reliability control or process fault diagnosis
A PLC receives information from connected sensors and input devices. Then, it processes the data to create outputs based on preset parameters. A PLC can even analyze machine line productivity or operating temperature and monitor and record run-time data if an exact setup is provided.
Microcontrollers Versus PLC’s: A Detailed Comparison
In some applications, microcontrollers can do a similar task as a PLC, but users should think about each scenario to decide which system works for them.
I/O Compatibility
Mounting and Housing
Operating Systems
Shock and Vibration
Corrosion
Noise
Temperature Levels
If you don’t know how to test each of the above characteristics, check out the standards of The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Each PLC system has documentation that lists the completed tests on them and also the methodology used to run those tests. However, most microcontrollers don’t go through such extensive testing, which makes it difficult to measure their capabilities.
Conclusion:
Whether you need to PLC or microcontroller depends on your budget, case scenario, and program expectations. While microcontrollers are cheaper than PLCs, the spectrum of their use is limited in nature. So, if you want a system to go into a larger industrial networker, microcontrollers may not be up to the task. However, it is the perfect choice for DIY projects and other teaching tools that don’t deal with complicated tasks.