[karmicthreat]

I will be the anti-ladder logic person here. It is a good language for simple systems. But it breaks down as the system gets more complex. Its really only good as a glue layer between modules.

Also the inherently binary and visual nature of ladder (and HMIs) makes version control impossible or expensive. Many PLC workflows I have seen are basically just a directory of files that you hope someone has been keeping up to date. Maybe there are previous versions. You will also have a hard time getting a code change history. Orchestration and configuration are also pretty primitive.

Mostly I have dealt with Rockwell, maybe Siemens is different.

[cryptonector]

I agree. Fortunately this tends to lead to PLCs driving relatively small systems. Like a small number of stations on a small rotating assembly line. That's probably a plus, actually.