Chapter 11 of 12: show all chapters
Chapter 11 of 12Part 4: Before your first lab · 4 min
Siemens and Allen-Bradley: the two big PLC brands
Lots of companies make PLCs. Two of them are by far the most common. This site teaches both, but you only need to pick one to start.
Like Canon and Nikon
Siemens and Rockwell both make PLCs that do the same job. Each does it in its own way, with its own software, much as Canon and Nikon both make cameras.
You will hear the name Allen-Bradley a lot. That is Rockwell's brand name for its PLCs. Same company.
| Siemens | Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) | |
|---|---|---|
| Most common in | Europe, including the UK, and much of Asia | North America, and many American-owned sites elsewhere |
| Popular PLCs | S7-1200, S7-1500 | CompactLogix, ControlLogix |
| Software engineers use | TIA Portal | Studio 5000 |
Which should I pick?
If you already work somewhere, use whatever is in its cabinets. If not, look at job adverts near you and see which name comes up more. In the UK and Europe that is usually Siemens, though plenty of sites use Rockwell.
The ideas are the same on both. Once you know one, learning the other is mostly learning new names for things you already understand. You can switch on this site at any time.
Try it
Answer two quick questions to get a suggestion.
Answer both questions to see a suggestion.
New words
- Siemens
- A German company. The most common PLC maker in Europe.
- Rockwell / Allen-Bradley
- An American company and its PLC brand. The most common in North America.
- TIA Portal / Studio 5000
- The programs engineers use to write code for Siemens and Rockwell PLCs.
Quick check
Allen-Bradley PLCs are made by which company?