Full-stack engineer is a buzzword in IT, referring to someone who possesses multiple skills and can independently complete a product using those skills. This concept extends to the industrial control automation industry as well; some engineers have broad but shallow knowledge, while others have deep but narrow knowledge. Like all-around athletes and specialized athletes in track and field, each has their own arena.
All-around engineers are suitable for developing small OEM equipment, such as positioning control, including PLC, drives, and HMI;
Specialized engineers are better suited for developing large-scale projects involving multiple collaborators and high levels of expertise, such as steel plant projects, which involve high-voltage and low-voltage electrical systems, as well as simple HMIs, complex databases, and the modeling of controlled objects.
In my opinion, it doesn't matter what kind of engineer a novice in automation becomes; what matters is how to grow quickly and significantly! Because the initial stages are the same for everyone, requiring painful training. Later, job requirements determine whether someone is a specialist or a generalist, just like university studies: the first two years are foundational courses, and the last two are specialized courses chosen based on interests. Sometimes the line between generalist and specialist is blurry, because a generalist engineer may have one or two main areas of expertise, while a specialist engineer will expand their knowledge base around that area.
Okay, before we get started, let's understand the general knowledge framework of the automation industry (divided by product):
1) PLC ;
2) HMI ;
3) Drive;
4) Instruments and general EMC.
The PLC component includes: system architecture, programming, communication, positioning control, etc.
The HMI component includes: operation panel, host computer, high-level language script development, etc., and further up, you can move into the MES and IT layers.
The drive components include: motors, AC/DC drives (including servo drives), etc., and can usually be divided according to high and low voltage.
The instrumentation section includes: fail-safe systems, DCS, field instruments, etc.
I believe that engineers need to pay attention to the following points for rapid growth:
01 Accumulation and Expansion of Initial Knowledge
Start with a specific knowledge point, and then build upon and expand upon that point. If your first project involves a PLC, then expand from there, including PLC-related diagrams such as control schematics (compare them with relay control schematics if possible), selection and parameter tuning of electrical components (voltage and electrical engineering knowledge), selection of I/O devices, CPU parameter settings, and communication with peripherals, such as MODBUS RTU and serial port polling.
02 Pay attention to potential knowledge points
Having a starting point is important, but you also need to be attentive and thoughtful, paying close attention to everything. The trials and tribulations mentioned earlier occur during this stage. In the beginning, you not only need to complete tasks but also spend more time figuring out what you encounter.
For example, when selecting an analog module and matching it with an instrument, you need to understand the difference between two-wire and four-wire systems. If you don't know, you can search for it on Baidu. If you pay a little more attention, consider why a two-wire module cannot be set to a range of 0~20 mA, while a four-wire module can. Just a general understanding is enough to build your knowledge base.
Similarly, why do some field sites recommend using two-wire instruments? Why do others recommend using current signals instead of voltage signals? Likewise, when programming, it's essential to understand the program's architecture and elements. For example, with various timers, which one should we choose? Is there any background information? If these things aren't taken into account, the learning curve will lengthen.
03 Develop a study plan
During this period of growth, you also need to make a plan for yourself. It can be a short-term plan, such as how long you need to study each day and what you need to study.
My suggestion is to expand from the starting point, such as different PLC communications, the use of advanced PLC functions, and advanced IT programming related to advanced applications.
The simplest plan is actually the PLC programming manual, divided by page number, but even understanding these is quite difficult.
If you're going to learn something, you must learn it thoroughly. A superficial understanding will quickly fade and you'll forget it. Write down what you don't know; reviewing it all might solve the problem. It's best to avoid learning things unrelated to the project (not recommended), as learning without application makes it easy to forget.
04 Take good study notes
Besides studying, it's also important to keep records at all times. A bad pen is worse than a good memory. First, you can review it when you forget something. Second, it can also serve as important material for future publications in journals or papers.
05 Integration and mastery
Knowledge is interconnected. Sometimes, after learning several subjects, one may not achieve complete understanding, but one can certainly say that one has a thorough grasp of them. For example, the antenna effect is mostly disabled in EMC, but needs to be enhanced in wireless communication.
06 Communication
Finally, it is necessary to communicate more, learn from others' experiences, verify the results of your own learning, and correct any misconceptions formed during the learning process (this is very important, as you may be misled).
Well, how could you not get good results after working so hard? So what if you become a specialized engineer or a generalist engineer? A specialized engineer isn't someone who is very deep in one area but weak in others; they might already be considered a generalist engineer by others.
