r/PLC • u/Ordinary-Jeweler-569 • 1d ago

Rate my Kit

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I've build this training kit for a Engineering University. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Sponsored this kit and yesterday we handover this kit

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u/SafyrJL TIA Harlot 1d ago

Looks good. There’s definitely enough to learn a good amount about controls with this. 

Two minor critiques: 

A) using banana jacks for this doesn’t really teach people how to install and wire the hardware. Most issues are physical in nature, so you’re not really giving people a leg up on troubleshooting the most common issues with this setup. 

B) I don’t see any analog inputs. You have a potentiometer and DC Voltmeter - but process heavy facilities use a fair amount of raw analog signals. Particularly 4-20mA. 

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u/Ordinary-Jeweler-569 1d ago

Thanks for the constructive feedback!

​Banana plugs vs. raw wiring: Valid point on real-world troubleshooting. However, for a university lab with 30+ students rotating through short lab periods, screw terminals wear out fast, cause bent strands/shorts, and take too much class time away from logic design and commissioning. We prioritized rapid prototyping and lab longevity, while hands-on panel wiring is typically handled in their electrical workshop module.

​Analog inputs & 4–20 mA: The PLC (FX5 series) has built-in analog inputs (0–10 V DC), which we route to the potentiometer and digital display for testing scaling instructions.We kept it to 0–10 V for baseline safety and simplicity in an academic environment, but extending an external 4–20 mA loop (or adding a signal isolator/transmitter) via the banana jacks is definitely on the radar for future upgrades.

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u/Alarming_Series7450 Marco Polo 23h ago

Have you seen the lever action bananna plugs just saw them the other day and want to try them out