plc

Definition

A programmable logic controller: the ruggedized industrial computer that runs factory lines, and an increasingly common target for code-generation research. Programs are written in the IEC 61131-3 family — ladder logic, structured text, function block diagrams — and execute on a deterministic scan cycle. The engineering culture differs sharply from general software: a wrong output moves physical machinery, so determinism, safety interlocks, and verification outrank expressiveness.

Explainers using this term

• Paper Explainer: SemaPLC — The Agent That Isn't Allowed to Say "Done"SemaPLC: A Project-Grounded, Verification-Gated Agent Harness for PLC Code Generation