The last word on terminal blocks and I/O

Cabinet classroom videos

This series of 24 short videos, “Control cabinet classroom” by Karen Day and Zach Stank of Phoenix Contact, covers numerous topics, such as power fundamentals, transients, circuit breakers, power relays, terminal blocks, connection styles. Signal conditioning, remote connectivity, Ethernet switches, safety, security and more.

Phoenix Contact

Basic types of blocks

This online article, “Connectors: basics of terminal blocks and types,” covers screw, barrier, push-fit and pluggable terminals, and how to choose suitable ones based on current, voltage, wiring and environmental/manual strength. It also has links to several other articles, including “Game-changing trends in portable connectors,” and “Choosing a connector: seven questions to ask.”

Arrow Electronics

Professional panels, etc.

This four-minute video, “Terminal blocks: important for a professional industrial control panel” by Tim Wilborne, covers internal, spring-loaded, screw, multiples, jumpers and terminal markers. This video is the 20th in Wilborne’s 30-video series on panel building and related topics.

Tim Wilborne

Digtial/analog I/O facts

The first of these two online articles, “Digital I/O basic knowledge,” covers digital I/O board types and applications, output and input circuits, bidirectional I/O circuits and selection hints. The second, “Analog I/O basic knowledge,” covers device classification, signal quantization, isolation types, photocouplers, channels, single-ended and differential inputs, resolution, range, gain, conversions and sampling rates, accuracy and other topics.

Contec

Internal I/O workings

This 33-minute video, “Anatomy of an I/O slice” by Cory Dowless, covers B&R’s X20 DIN-rail-mounted I/O modules, and how to connect them to PLCs or bus controllers, but its basic details are applicable to all kinds of similar devices. It also covers bus modules, shielding, electronics modules, terminal blocks and keying.

This is Automation

Terminal/interface/interposing relays

This online article, “Terminal block relays; understanding the basics,” defines terms, construction details, and essential components like relays and sockets. It also includes features to consider, advice on choose variants for individual applications and use cases, and accessories.

C3Controls

PLC I/O modules explained

This short video, “How to protect PLC I/O modules with fused terminal blocks,” covers normal and fused terminal blocks, and shows how to protect against overcurrent situations.

It’s accompanied by a nine-minute video, “Terminal blocks explained,” which covers  classifications and connection and mounting methods. 

RealPARS

How data gets in and out

This 18-minute video, “Controls engineering project, part 10—I/O   configuration explained,” describes how information gets into and out of microprocessor memory, and is generic to all industrial control systems. It covers hardware, ControlLogix and programming, and is accompanied by an 11-video series on engineering controls. 

PLCprofessor

Best of before

This online article, “Resource guide: I/O, terminal blocks,” contains links to all materials in 2018’s coverage of this topic.

Control