Industrial automation is seeing modular application software grow

New programming technology called mapp (for “modular application”), which emphasizes the configurability of automation software objects and requires less structured programming than in the past, is putting ladder programming more into the forefront. Following a mantra of “configure more and program less,” the goal is to reduce the need for service engineers to delve into PLC code. They can deploy diagnostics remotely with simple connectivity tools like onboard web servers and VNC connections.