AiVibePLC & Industrial Control
Programmable controllers and IEC 61131-3 programming, I/O, HMI, SCADA and DCS, PID and motion control, functional safety, fieldbuses and industrial Ethernet, and the ISA standards that structure plant control.
Where AiVibe comes in
AiVibe designs and manufactures the AiAmbA AI Factory, whose edge devices and AI agents let people talk to PLC, CNC and robot controllers in plain language. Agents only propose changes, a trained operator confirms each one, and the AI Factory never replaces a machine's control or safety systems.
55 terms
- 4–20 mA Current LoopThe 4–20 mA current loop is the long-established analogue signalling standard in process instrumentation, in which a transmitter…
- Alarm Management (ISA-18.2)Alarm management is the discipline of designing, implementing and maintaining industrial alarm systems so that every alarm is meaningful…
- Analogue I/OAnalogue I/O are controller channels that convert continuously varying signals, such as 4–20 mA or 0–10 V from transmitters, into digital…
- CANopenCANopen is a higher-layer communication protocol and device profile family, maintained by CAN in Automation (CiA), that runs on the…
- Cascade ControlCascade control is a strategy in which the output of an outer, primary controller becomes the setpoint of an inner, secondary controller…
- Common Industrial Protocol (CIP)The Common Industrial Protocol is a media-independent, object-oriented application protocol managed by ODVA that provides a unified set of…
- Discrete I/O (Digital Inputs and Outputs)Discrete I/O are controller channels that handle two-state signals: inputs sense on or off conditions from devices such as push buttons…
- Distributed Control System (DCS)A distributed control system is an integrated plant-wide automation system in which multiple controllers, each handling part of a process…
- EtherCATEtherCAT is a real-time industrial Ethernet protocol, developed by Beckhoff and managed by the EtherCAT Technology Group, in which devices…
- EtherNet/IPEtherNet/IP is an industrial Ethernet protocol managed by ODVA that implements the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) over standard Ethernet…
- FieldbusA fieldbus is a digital industrial network that connects controllers with field devices such as sensors, actuators, drives and remote I/O…
- Function Block Diagram (FBD)Function block diagram is a graphical IEC 61131-3 language in which a program is built by wiring together blocks, such as logic gates…
- Functional SafetyFunctional safety is the part of overall safety that depends on control systems performing their safety functions correctly in response to…
- HART ProtocolHART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) is a digital communication protocol for process instruments that superimposes a low-level…
- High-Performance HMI (ISA-101)A high-performance HMI is an operator display philosophy that uses restrained colour, clear hierarchy and contextual information so that…
- Human-Machine Interface (HMI)A human-machine interface is the screen, panel or software through which operators monitor and interact with machines and processes…
- IEC 61131-3IEC 61131-3 is the international standard that defines programming languages, data types and software structure for programmable…
- IEC 61499IEC 61499 is an international standard for distributed industrial automation that models applications as networks of event-driven function…
- IEC 61508IEC 61508 is the international basic safety standard for the functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic…
- IEC 62061IEC 62061 is the international standard for functional safety of safety-related control systems on machinery, specifying requirements for…
- Industrial EthernetIndustrial Ethernet is the use of Ethernet networking, with ruggedised hardware and real-time protocol extensions, to connect controllers…
- InterlockAn interlock is a control function that prevents a machine or process action unless specified conditions are met, or stops it when they…
- IO-LinkIO-Link is a standardised point-to-point digital communication technology (IEC 61131-9) that connects sensors and actuators to an IO-Link…
- ISA-88 (Batch Control)ISA-88, also published internationally as IEC 61512, is the standard for batch control that defines models and terminology for separating…
- ISA-95 (IEC 62264)ISA-95, published internationally as IEC 62264, is the standard for integrating enterprise business systems with manufacturing control…
- ISO 13849 and Performance Level (PL)ISO 13849 is the international standard for safety-related parts of machine control systems, in which the ability of each safety function…
- Ladder Logic (Ladder Diagram, LD)Ladder logic is a graphical PLC programming language, standardised as ladder diagram in IEC 61131-3, that represents control logic as…
- Mitsubishi MC ProtocolMC protocol (MELSEC Communication protocol) is Mitsubishi Electric's protocol that lets external devices such as PCs, HMIs and gateways…
- ModbusModbus is an open request-response industrial protocol, first published by Modicon in 1979, that lets a client read and write coils and…
- Motion ControlMotion control is the branch of automation that precisely governs the position, velocity and torque of machine axes, coordinating one or…
- PackML (ISA-TR88.00.02)PackML (Packaging Machine Language) is an industry technical report, ISA-TR88.00.02, that defines a standard state model, operating modes…
- PID ControllerA PID controller is a feedback control algorithm that continuously adjusts an output based on the error between a setpoint and a measured…
- PID TuningPID tuning is the process of selecting proportional, integral and derivative parameters so that a control loop responds to setpoint…
- PLC Scan CycleThe PLC scan cycle is the repeating sequence in which a programmable controller reads its inputs, executes the user program, updates its…
- Process HistorianA process historian is a database application optimised for collecting, compressing, storing and retrieving large volumes of time-stamped…
- PROFIBUSPROFIBUS is a fieldbus standardised in IEC 61158 and managed by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International, used to connect controllers with remote…
- PROFINETPROFINET is an industrial Ethernet standard from PROFIBUS & PROFINET International, standardised in IEC 61158 and IEC 61784, for real-time…
- Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)A programmable logic controller is a ruggedised industrial computer that reads inputs from sensors, executes a stored control program in a…
- Remote I/O (Distributed I/O)Remote I/O places input and output modules close to field devices and links them to the controller over a fieldbus or industrial Ethernet…
- Remote Terminal Unit (RTU)A remote terminal unit is a ruggedised field device that collects measurements and status from equipment at remote sites, executes local…
- Rotary EncoderA rotary encoder is a sensor that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft into electrical signals, giving controllers and…
- RS-485 (TIA/EIA-485)RS-485, formally TIA/EIA-485, is an electrical standard for differential serial communication that supports multiple devices on a shared…
- Safe Torque Off (STO)Safe Torque Off is a drive-integrated safety function, defined in IEC 61800-5-2, that prevents a variable frequency drive or servo drive…
- Safety Instrumented System (SIS)A safety instrumented system is an independent automation system of sensors, logic solvers and final elements that takes a process to a…
- Safety Integrity Level (SIL)A Safety Integrity Level is a discrete level, from SIL 1 to SIL 4 in IEC 61508, that specifies how much risk reduction a safety function…
- Safety PLCA safety PLC is a programmable controller designed and certified for safety-related applications, using redundant processing, extensive…
- Safety RelayA safety relay is a self-monitoring safety device that evaluates signals from safety inputs such as emergency stop buttons, guard switches…
- Sequential Function Chart (SFC)Sequential function chart is an IEC 61131-3 graphical element for structuring control programs as steps linked by transitions, with…
- Servo Drive and Servo MotorA servo drive is an amplifier that controls a servo motor's position, speed and torque in a closed loop using feedback from an encoder or…
- Siemens S7 Communication (S7comm)S7 communication, often called S7comm, is Siemens' proprietary protocol for exchanging data with SIMATIC S7 PLCs, used by engineering…
- Soft PLC (PC-Based Control)A soft PLC is a software runtime that turns an industrial PC or embedded computer into a programmable controller, executing IEC 61131-3…
- Sourcing and Sinking I/O (PNP and NPN)Sourcing and sinking describe the direction of conventional current flow between a DC field device and a controller I/O channel; PNP…
- Structured Text (ST)Structured text is a high-level textual programming language defined in IEC 61131-3, with a syntax resembling Pascal, used in PLCs for…
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)SCADA is a class of software and systems that gathers real-time data from PLCs, RTUs and other field devices, presents it to operators and…
- Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)A variable frequency drive is a power electronic device that controls the speed and torque of an AC motor by converting the…
Other topics
- AI & Machine LearningMachine learning and deep learning fundamentals, LLMs and generative AI, RAG, AI agents and their protocols…
- Cloud & AI InfrastructureCloud computing and AI infrastructure terms: service models, containers and Kubernetes, DevOps and SRE practice, data…
- CNC & Precision MachiningCNC machine tools and machining practice: axes, spindles, feeds and speeds, G-code, offsets, CAM, tooling and tool…
- Cybersecurity & ComplianceApplication and enterprise security, from vulnerability classes and security testing to detection, response, identity…
- Industrial IoT & EdgeIndustrial IoT architecture and edge computing: OPC UA and MQTT, unified namespace, gateways and protocol translation…
- Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing OperationsIndustry 4.0 and smart factory concepts, OEE and production losses, lean methods, Six Sigma and statistical process…
- OT & Industrial CybersecuritySecurity of operational technology and industrial control systems: IEC 62443, the Purdue model, segmentation, secure…
- Quality, Reliability & MaintenanceMaintenance strategies, reliability metrics and analysis, condition monitoring techniques, maintenance management…
- Robotics & Physical AIIndustrial and collaborative robots, kinematics, programming and simulation, grippers, machine vision, mobile robots…
- Textile & Automotive ManufacturingTextile production from spinning, weaving and knitting to dyeing and finishing, and automotive and EV production from…