Current sourcing vs sinking and wiring to PLC inputs.

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Multiple Choice

Current sourcing vs sinking and wiring to PLC inputs.

Understanding current direction helps you wire sensors and PLC inputs correctly. Sourcing outputs push current from the supply through the load toward the return path, while sinking outputs provide a path to ground, pulling current through the load back to the supply’s reference. The best choice captures both of these behaviors and the need to wire them with the PLC input configured for the correct reference so the PLC reads a stable, defined signal. So, sourcing outputs supply current to the load, and the return path is handled by the sinking side of the circuit to ground. You wire the load and the PLC input in a way that matches the output type, and you share the common reference (the same ground or 0V/return line) across the devices. This setup ensures the PLC input sees a clear high or low state rather than an indeterminate value. Why the other statements don’t fit as well: they either misstate the direction of current for sourcing versus sinking, or they imply wrong wiring roles (like a sourcing output simply sinking current, or a sinking output sourcing current). The correct description keeps the current flowing from a source through the load to the return path and emphasizes matching the PLC input configuration with the common reference.

Understanding current direction helps you wire sensors and PLC inputs correctly. Sourcing outputs push current from the supply through the load toward the return path, while sinking outputs provide a path to ground, pulling current through the load back to the supply’s reference. The best choice captures both of these behaviors and the need to wire them with the PLC input configured for the correct reference so the PLC reads a stable, defined signal.

So, sourcing outputs supply current to the load, and the return path is handled by the sinking side of the circuit to ground. You wire the load and the PLC input in a way that matches the output type, and you share the common reference (the same ground or 0V/return line) across the devices. This setup ensures the PLC input sees a clear high or low state rather than an indeterminate value.

Why the other statements don’t fit as well: they either misstate the direction of current for sourcing versus sinking, or they imply wrong wiring roles (like a sourcing output simply sinking current, or a sinking output sourcing current). The correct description keeps the current flowing from a source through the load to the return path and emphasizes matching the PLC input configuration with the common reference.

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