The most common use for M8013 is to drive a pilot light or a tower light . By placing an M8013 contact in series with an output (Y), the indicator will flash once per second to signal a specific machine state, such as "Process Running" or "Maintenance Required". 2. Creating Long-Duration Timers
It is "read-only" for the programmer—you can use its contacts (NO/NC) as often as needed, but you cannot "write" to it or drive its coil manually. Practical Applications
Output Y0 (e.g., a beacon or pilot light) flashes once per second. Perfect for "standby" or "warning" indicators. m8013 mitsubishi plc
Do not confuse M8012 and M8013. If you use M8012 for a pilot light, it will blink 10 times per second. To the human eye, this looks like a steady, slightly dimmer light, not a blinking one. For human-machine interfaces (HMI), M8013 is almost always the correct choice.
|----[ T0 ]----------------( RST D100 )----| |----[ M8013 ]----[ T0 ]--( INC D100 )----| |----[ >= D100 K30 ]-------( M101 "Timeout Error" )----| The most common use for M8013 is to
However, if the scan time exceeds 0.5 seconds (which is extremely rare and indicates a poorly optimized program or a system hang), the reading of M8013 might become erratic. For 99% of applications, you can rely on M8013 to be highly accurate.
In Mitsubishi PLCs, System Special Auxiliary Relay that serves as a fixed-frequency internal clock pulse Creating Long-Duration Timers It is "read-only" for the
To prove that a PLC is running and not in a halted state, many engineers use M8013 to toggle a spare output or a bit in a data register. If you see the heartbeat blink stop, you know the PLC has stopped or entered an error state.
----[ M8013 ]----[PLS M10]----[MOV D100 D200] // Log every second
For beginners, mastering M8013 is often the first step beyond basic ladder logic. For veterans, it remains a trusted tool used daily in factories around the world.
Why is a simple 1-second blinker so important? In industrial control, visual feedback and time-based triggers are constant requirements.