Hi All,
Based on your extensive experiences, Could you please comment on what are the best practices to reduce PLC programming time especially for the ControlLogix PLC's. I know it is application specific, but is there anything based on prior experience.

Thank you for your suggestions

In my experience following should help to reduce programming time:-
1. Learn to use the keyboard shortcuts.
2. Rather than dragging and dropping the ladder elements, or adding elements by clicking from the menu, rung should be created through typing.
Eg: "XIO BST XIC NXB XIC BND OTE"
This will give you a rung containing NC contact followed by two NO contacts in parallel to each other and at last the output coil.
3. If you know before hand the tags that are going to be used in the programs, then create the tag list first.

I hope this might help you. All the best!!!

A Standard, a way to think, in the process... Every device has a list of permissives and triggers...
You can create your template or your addon to customize...
Regards

There is no application specific PLC, there can be application specific logic. But it is always on top of standard blocks which can be prepared and used many times. Make a blocks for motors, valves, sensors. At design time think of standardization of communication to scada. That's it! But I'm afraid if you asking that question, you will no understand my answer. Or you can think you understand, but you are wrong. When you spend a year on that, then you will get it, throw in a garbage what you done and then you will do it properly :). Good luck! But it will be much easer if someone show you ready results. I think control logix has a library PlantPax with some widely used blocks, already having scada faceplates ready for them. Can't tell you more, I use Siemens

Create your own Add On Instructions. One of the methods is using Function Blocks. By Function Block, i mean a Library which reduces the scan time. Creating a function block needs some patience though. If i try try to explain, you can take a standard part of your application like Communication with a Drive, calculating the frequency of the drive which needs to be fed to the drive based on pressure or temp set points. These parts can be programmed as a Function Block. Keep in mind the programming has to be as optimized as possible. Use the lowest possible data type for a particular variable.Programming should also keep the scan of the PLC in mind. If you have switch on a particular output at a given point of time, then your program should be such that the sequence is scanned in the given scan an all the other lines of codes/program are not scanned.Its like the first interlock itself eliminates reading of the whole program and reaches the line at which the required output is switched on.
That's the standard way of programming a PLC.
Regards

Think how you will achieve everything before you start coding (measure twice, cut once).
Create Add On Instructions, but only where efficient. Don't create an AOI that will only be used once/twice.
Design top-down (split large tasks into smaller tasks). For example split the program by plant area or function.
Design from the bottom-up using building blocks (create a AOI for a discrete input that allows a signal sense). Use this in a motor block. Use the motor block in a lead-lag block to achieve a complete lead-lag control that would be difficult if attempted from scratch.

You have to understand and be familiar with the process that you're going to design the program. Design an add on instruction blocks to make it uniform and simplify the program.