About Control System Guide
Control System Guide is a free educational resource for industrial automation, written by a working automation engineer. The site exists to give students, electricians transitioning into controls, junior engineers, and self-taught learners the explanations I needed when I was learning PLC programming and could not find anywhere.
About the Author
Articles on this site are written by Daniel Reed, an automation engineer based in Asia, with hands-on experience in PLC programming, SCADA, and industrial control systems across multiple industries including oil and gas, power generation, food and beverage processing, and water treatment.
Engineering background and platforms worked with:
- Siemens — S7-300, S7-1200, and S7-1500 PLCs programmed in TIA Portal; WinCC for HMI and SCADA
- Allen-Bradley / Rockwell — CompactLogix and ControlLogix PLCs programmed in Studio 5000; FactoryTalk View for HMI
- Mitsubishi — MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F series programmed in GX Works3
- Schneider Electric — Modicon series programmed in EcoStruxure Machine Expert
- Industrial communication protocols — Modbus RTU/TCP, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and OPC UA
- IEC 61131-3 programming languages — Ladder Logic, Function Block Diagram, Structured Text, Sequential Function Chart, and Instruction List
Every article on this site is written from a working engineer’s perspective, drawing on patterns and lessons learned across real industrial commissioning and maintenance projects. Examples in articles are generic — motor starters, conveyor systems, tank level control, pump control — not specific to any one project, plant, or client.
What This Site Covers
- PLC fundamentals: hardware, scan cycle, components, input/output signals
- Ladder logic and other IEC 61131-3 programming languages
- Vendor-specific instruction syntax for Siemens, Allen-Bradley, and other major platforms
- Industrial signals: digital, analog, 4-20mA, wiring, scaling
- Timers, counters, math instructions, and comparison logic
- Industrial communication: Modbus, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA
- Career paths and learning roadmaps for new automation engineers
Who This Site Is For
Students learning PLC programming, electricians moving into controls work, junior automation engineers commissioning their first projects, and experienced engineers needing a clear reference. The reading level assumes electrical or mechanical background but no prior programming experience.
Editorial Standards
Content on this site is reviewed for technical accuracy before publication. Vendor-specific instruction names, addressing formats, and IEC 61131-3 syntax follow current standards. Where industry practice varies between regions or vendors, this is noted in the article. Corrections are welcomed and acted on quickly when reported.
Contact
For questions, corrections, or topic suggestions, reach out at contact@controlsystemguide.com. Reader questions sometimes become articles — if there’s a topic that should exist but doesn’t, I want to hear about it.
Educational content on industrial automation. The information on this site is for learning purposes and does not constitute professional engineering advice for specific industrial projects.