Siemens TIA Portal – Q&A Podcast – Episode 7
When working in TIA Portal, the ANY and Variant data types can seem deceptively similar because both can accept almost anything you pass into a function block. However, once you…
Using OPC UA as an Open Protocol for SCADA and HMI Communication
OPC UA is rapidly becoming the industry standard for PLC to SCADA communication and industrial automation networking, replacing legacy industrial protocols that rely on fixed memory addressing and vendor specific…
Why Every Plant Needs Someone to Call
Ongoing automation support shouldn’t begin when production stops. This article explores how structured PLC support packages give maintenance teams immediate access to experienced diagnostic thinking, reducing downtime, avoiding costly misdiagnosis,…
Siemens TIA Portal – Q&A Podcast – Episode 6
If you have spent any time working in TIA Portal, you have probably run into that puzzling moment when blocks show up as different online compared to your offline project,…
Migrating from Step 7 to TIA Portal: What You Need to Know
Migrating from Siemens Step 7 to TIA Portal is rarely as simple as running a conversion tool. While Siemens provides automated migration utilities, real-world projects often require manual logic restructuring,…
The True Cost of Poor PLC Documentation
Consulting Insight | Liam Bee Why the gap between “it works” and “we understand it” is where the real expense lives. Every automation engineer has inherited a project with no…
Automation Engineer Career Path: From Apprentice to Senior Controls Engineer
My journey from music technology student to senior automation engineer. Learn how I built a career in PLC programming, SCADA, and control systems without a degree.
Siemens TIA Portal – Q&A Podcast – Episode 5
Working with Siemens TIA Portal often means navigating data types that behave a little differently than expected. One question that comes up regularly is whether you can access the individual…
Siemens TIA Portal – Q&A Podcast – Episode 4
If you’ve ever gone online in TIA Portal and seen values flicker or change unexpectedly, it might not be your code, it might be your call environment. When the same…
Managing Pre-Sequence Issues in PLC Control Systems
Good pre-sequence handling means operators do not have to guess why something will not start. Instead of a single “not ready” state, the system evaluates each condition independently, blocks sequences…