🟢 TECHNICIAN TRACK • FOUNDATION

Python Readiness for PLC Engineers

The Only Python You Need to Safely Use Agentic AI

✅ CORE MISSION OF THIS TUTORIAL

By the end of this tutorial, the reader will be able to:

✅ Run Python scripts safely on their own machine
✅ Understand the basic Python syntax used in Technician Track tutorials
✅ Modify simple variables, conditions, and dictionaries
✅ Use for-loops and while-loops with industrial-style examples
✅ Install required Python packages
✅ Confidently run all Technician Track experiments without fear

This tutorial establishes the minimum Python foundation required for safe Technician use of AI systems.

⚠️

⚠️ SAFETY BOUNDARY REMINDER

This tutorial uses simulation only.

It must never be connected to:

Live PLCs
Production deployment pipelines
Safety-rated controllers
Motion or power systems

> All outputs are advisory-only and always require explicit human approval before any real-world action.

🌍 VENDOR-AGNOSTIC ENGINEERING NOTE

This tutorial uses:

▸ Standard Python 3.x
▸ Local execution only
▸ No vendor SDKs
▸ No PLC communication libraries
▸ No automation system access

Safe to use on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Estimated Time

45 min

Estimated Cost

$0.00

Difficulty

Beginner

1️⃣ CONCEPT OVERVIEW — WHY PYTHON IS USED IN THE TECHNICIAN TRACK

Python is used because it is:

▸ Simple to read
▸ Safe to sandbox
▸ Cross-platform
▸ Widely supported
▸ The standard language for AI tooling

In this track, Python is used only as a simulator and AI interface, never as a control system.

Python = your safe AI workbench
PLC = your real machine controller

They must never be confused.

2️⃣ REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE — HOW YOU WILL USE PYTHON

You → Run Python Script → AI Gives Advisory Output → You Decide

Boundaries

▸ Python does NOT control machines
▸ Python does NOT write PLC memory
▸ Python does NOT touch safety systems
▸ You remain the operator

3️⃣ CLEAN EDUCATIONAL EXAMPLE — YOUR FIRST PYTHON PROGRAM

Create a file called hello.py

Python

# hello.py
print("Hello from Python. This is my AI workbench.")

Run it from your terminal:

BASH

# Run your first Python program
python hello.py

Expected Output:

Hello from Python. This is my AI workbench.

4️⃣ PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTS

🧪 Experiment 1: Variables, Conditions, and Motor State

Objective

Understand how Python simulates simple industrial logic using variables and conditions.

Python Code

Python

motor_running = False
start_button = True
fault = False

if fault:
    motor_running = False
elif start_button:
    motor_running = True

print("Motor running:", motor_running)

Expected Output

Motor running: True

Interpretation

▸ ✅ Local only
▸ ✅ No hardware
▸ ✅ No side effects
▸ Cost: $0.00 | Runtime: <1 second

🧪 Experiment 2: Lists, for-Loops, and while-Loops with Alarm Scanning

Objective

Learn how Python processes collections of industrial data and how loops simulate repetitive machine checks.

Python Code

Python

# Part A: Using a List and a for-Loop (Alarm Log Scan)
alarm_log = [
    {"id": 101, "message": "Motor Overcurrent"},
    {"id": 102, "message": "Emergency Stop"},
    {"id": 103, "message": "Drive Ready"}
]

print("Scanning alarm log:")
for alarm in alarm_log:
    print(alarm["id"], "-", alarm["message"])

print()

# Part B: Using a while-Loop (Simulated Machine Polling)
scan_count = 0
max_scans = 3

while scan_count < max_scans:
    print("Polling machine status... Scan:", scan_count + 1)
    scan_count += 1

Expected Output

Scanning alarm log:
101 - Motor Overcurrent
102 - Emergency Stop
103 - Drive Ready

Polling machine status... Scan: 1
Polling machine status... Scan: 2
Polling machine status... Scan: 3

Interpretation

▸ ✅ Read-only data
▸ ✅ No writes
▸ ✅ No automation risk
▸ Cost: $0.00 | Runtime: <1 second

5️⃣ INSTALLING PACKAGES (REQUIRED SKILL)

All future tutorials will require installing packages.

Example:

BASH

# Install OpenAI package
pip install openai

To verify:

BASH

# List all installed packages
pip list

🔒 EXPLICIT OPERATIONAL PROHIBITIONS

❌ Using Python to control PLCs
❌ Using Python to bypass safety
❌ Using Python for live machine actuation
❌ Connecting Python to real industrial networks

✅ KEY TAKEAWAYS

✅ Python is your safe AI sandbox
✅ You only need: Variables, Conditions, Lists & dictionaries, for-loops and while-loops
✅ All Technician Track tutorials stay inside this boundary
✅ You never need to be a "software engineer" to succeed here

🔜 NEXT TUTORIAL

T1 — Agentic AI vs Traditional Automation

Understand the fundamental difference between agentic AI systems and traditional rule-based automation.

🧭 ENGINEERING POSTURE

This tutorial enforced:

▸ Simulation over real actuation
▸ Education over production control
▸ Human authority over automation
▸ Safety over convenience

✅ END OF PYTHON READINESS TUTORIAL