Integration of Embedded System and PLC for Industrial Automation

Abstract

Industrial automation systems increasingly require the integration of different control technologies to support intelligent and efficient manufacturing processes. This thesis investigates the integration of a Siemens Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), an Arduino-based embedded system, and a robotic arm within a unified automation architecture. The objective was to establish reliable communication between the PLC and the embedded system, which served as a communication gateway for processing and transmitting robot control commands to the robotic arm. The developed system consisted of a Siemens ET 200SP PLC, an Arduino Uno with an Ethernet Shield, and a Waveshare RoArm-M2-S robotic arm. The PLC generated robot joint angle values and transmitted them to the Arduino using the Modbus TCP protocol. The Arduino processed the data and forwarded movement commands to the robotic arm through UART serial communication. System performance was evaluated using TIA Portal online monitoring tools, Modbus diagnostics, outputs from the Arduino Serial Monitor, and observation of robotic arm movements. The results confirmed successful communication between all devices and reliable execution of robot movement commands. The thesis demonstrates that embedded systems can effectively serve as communication gateways between industrial PLCs and robotic devices. Furthermore, the integration of Modbus TCP and UART protocols provides a practical solution for industrial automation applications requiring data exchange between industrial controllers and external devices.