Factory automation: a controls course for every university

The majority of new control engineering positions is now in manufacturing and involves programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The paper describes two courses developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla to satisfy this demand. Both courses present the subject of programming PLCs with an emphasis on the design of the programs. Both courses contain an integral laboratory component that solidifies the concepts presented in the lectures. The philosophy and pedagogical features of the two courses are first described, followed by the structure of the lecture and the laboratory exercises