Estimating PLC programming time?

M

MattEng

Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Electrical PE
Hey guys, tricky one here. How do you estimate programming time for a project? Yeah you think of any similarish job you've done in the past and try to remember about how long that too you, but we've all seen how "simple" programming assignments can end up taking a month as you get stuck in a stream of catch-22s, meanwhile things that seem more complex end up being straightforward and just hammering out the lines.
 
We have a spreadsheet form our boss created. If nothing else it makes the wild guesses about programming time less inconsistent.

The thing is that the time required for similar projects varies from engineer to engineer, and between PLC brands. I find myself telling my boss from time to time it will take as long as it takes.
 
If it is adding to an existing program that's a lot more unknown than starting with new equipment and a new program. An existing program might be real simple or it might be a real bear and then there's always, "it needs another I/O and they are maxed out and they don't make that one anymore".
 
I don't think any of mine were similar and I added something else to whatever was even close. Make sense? I never made money on the initial programming. Installation and sale of items was the $$$$. Requested programming changes after initial installation could usually be done in an hour.

Go back after a few years and I would wonder what the heck was I thinking. HINT: Document.


I agree, it takes what it takes.
 
We finally got our integrator set up for remote access to some 40 sites, fiber optic, VPN, multiple firewalls. When I did start ups we tested program on site while the integrator was on line for changes. We had a boiler plate plate program as each site was similar.
 
tom baker said:
We finally got our integrator set up for remote access to some 40 sites, fiber optic, VPN, multiple firewalls. When I did start ups we tested program on site while the integrator was on line for changes. We had a boiler plate plate program as each site was similar.
Click to expand...
Most of our stuff we have some form of remote access to these days. It is tough though. The it departments are paranoid about it. We have one customer that is putting cellular Internet on their machines because the customers it departments won't let them on the corp network for remote access.
 
We used cellular for many years but our IT dept went with dark fiber to all sites. The cellular was secure but no service level outage agreement. With dark fiber can have video and VOIP phones
 
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