What We’re Looking For

The objectives of PLCdev are to provide practical instruction and help for anybody involved with PLCs from the maintenance staff to the PLC programmer.  You don’t necessarily have to be a “writer” to contribute.  If it has anything to do with any PLC and the devices connected to it then we are interested.

Examples of what you can submit may include:

• Articles on programming and hardware – These can be simple topics to more advanced subjects.  Some examples ready for the taking may be, “Essential Troubleshooting Tips”, “Understanding Timers”, “The Joys of UDTs in Step 7”, “Setting up a Profibus Network”, or “Installing a Vision System”.
• Quick tips – We all like a quick “tip of the day” from a simple key stroke that makes life simpler to an introduction of an instruction that’s obscure but useful.
• Cheat sheets – If you have a well worn cheat sheet then chances are there’s a lot of other people who will find it useful too.
• Step by step instructions – Not all of us are computer gurus so step-by-step instructions for any task are welcome.  For example, “How to connect a PC to an Allen Bradley PLC” or “How to open up and use a cross reference table.”
• Reviews and product comparisons – For those of us doing some shopping your past experiences can be golden.  Why not share your observations, conclusions and final decision in choosing one PLC over another.  HMIs, SCADA systems, third party devices are all fair game.  See an example of a software review.
• Book reviews - Sometimes you just like to hold a book while learning.  If you have found a particular book useful (like this one) or even if you want to warn others not to waste their money then write a review.
• Case studies – Everybody loves a good story with a happy ending… in this case a fully functioning machine or process.  How did you get there, what technology is used and how is it setup?  Share you foibles and triumphs with your fellow programmers and engineers.

We are looking to go beyond the typical general articles you see in automation magazines.  Articles should be in the range of 200~1500 words.   We pay more for solid practical examples (available for download) and plenty of screenshots (max 500px wide).  The style of writing should be, if possible, light hearted and entertaining.  You know how boring PLC documentation can be so let’s break the mold.

What You Get

PLCdev is a fast growing site read by automation professionals worldwide.  Your submission is great publicity for you or your company.  If desired, each submission can have an author byline, a short bio and a link.

You can earn money for unique content.  Be very careful as articles written on your employer’s time are legally their property.  We cannot accept internal company documents without permission. 

Payment varies widely depending on the quality of the submission, length, examples, screenshots and usefulness.  You can expect it to be anywhere from $20 to $50 (Canadian dollars).  If your article is accepted for publication on our site we’ll pay you by check or Paypal within 15 days.

We are only buying rights to edit and include your material in PLCdev.com for as long as PLCdev.com exists. You retain all other rights which means you can put your PLCdev.com contributions in a book, magazine article, or even another web site. There is no contract involved.  By submitting, you agree that PLCdev can edit the content of your submission to follow our style.  We also reserve the right to reject any submissions for publication.

Still Interested?  Why not give it a try? 

Submit your ideas, articles or further questions using our contact form.