Engineer guides to choosing the right product

The I/O count, scan speed, communication and expansion criteria to consider when choosing the right PLC for an application.

Evaluating torque, inertia matching, feedback and communication criteria for servo selection per application.

Evaluating load type (variable/constant torque), power, control method and braking needs when choosing a drive.

Choosing a sensor by target material, distance, environmental conditions (IP), output type and communication.

Choosing an operator panel by screen size, resolution, communication, environmental rating (IP) and software ecosystem.

Choosing a switch by managed/unmanaged, protocol support (PROFINET/EtherNet-IP), port count, redundancy and environment.

Sizing a UPS by load power (VA/W), backup time, topology (online/line-interactive) and DC/AC choice.

Criteria for choosing a 24 V DC power supply: current, efficiency, redundancy and inrush current.

Choosing between a safety relay and a safety PLC by number of safety functions, required SIL/PL and flexibility.

Choosing an encoder by resolution, incremental/absolute, output type (HTL/TTL/SSI) and mechanical mounting.

Choosing motor protection by motor power, utilization category (AC-3), short-circuit protection and thermal range.

Choosing an IPC by processing power, fanless/fanned, storage, environmental ruggedness and expansion (I/O, fieldbus).