Walk into any factory and you will see a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). It’s the small box that has a memory card and an Ethernet cable on one side, and lots of colorful wires connected to the other end. Inside runs the logic that turns inputs from sensors into outputs to robots, conveyor belts and other machinery. PLCs evolved from relay banks in the 1970s and have ruled the world of industrial automation since then. In the first half of this talk we will take a look at how they …