Design and implementation of an IoT-based PLC-HMI trainer for pneumatic control system education

Abstract

Industrial automation education requires practical learning media that integrate control systems, visualization, and physical processes. However, many pneumatic training systems used in laboratories still operate as standalone devices and lack system integration and remote monitoring capability. This study presents the design and implementation of an internet of things (IoT)-based programmable logic controller (PLC) and human-machine interface (HMI) trainer for pneumatic control education. The proposed platform integrates PLC control, HMI visualization, pneumatic actuators, and IoT monitoring within a unified learning environment. A modular PLC software architecture was developed to support multiple pneumatic learning scenarios using a single control program. Functional testing was conducted to verify system reliability, actuator operation, and communication performance. An educational evaluation using pre-test and post-test assessments was also performed. The results show that the developed trainer operates according to the intended design specifications and improves student understanding. The average student score increased from 62 in the pre-test to 84 in the post-test, representing an improvement of approximately 35.5% in learning performance. These results demonstrate that the proposed PLC–HMI–IoT trainer effectively supports practical learning in pneumatic automation education.