PRD robotech solutions
Website:
prdrobotechsolutions.com
Job details:
Location
Noida (Preferred) / Hybrid
Experience
2-4 Years
Department
Robotics Engineering
Reports To
CTO
Employment Type
Full-time
Education
B.E./B.Tech/M.Tech. in Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, Instrumentation, Automation, or Robotics (Master's is a plus)
About the Role
We are looking for a highly skilled PLC & Automation Engineer to lead the development of the low-level control layer for next-generation Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).
This is not a conventional factory PLC programming position. The engineer will work closely with Robotics, Embedded, and Software teams to develop real-time control software, hardware abstraction, PLC logic, and Communication Control Unit (CCU) software that interfaces between Industrial PCs (IPC), servo drives, sensors, and robotic software stacks.
The ideal candidate has strong expertise in industrial automation, motion control, EtherCAT, and PLC programming — along with an understanding of robotic systems and distributed control architectures.
Key Responsibilities
1. PLC Software Development
- Develop modular PLC software for AMR/AGV systems
- Design reusable PLC function blocks and libraries
- Develop machine state machines and sequencing logic
- Implement motion control logic for robot operation
- Implement emergency handling and recovery sequences
- Develop reusable PLC templates for different robot platforms
2. Communication Control Unit (CCU) Development
Design and develop the CCU responsible for interfacing between: IPC, servo drives, motor controllers, safety PLC, digital & analog I/O, BMS, lift modules, charging station, navigation sensors, and external equipment.
- Hardware abstraction layer design and implementation
- Command interpreter and real-time command execution
- Communication watchdogs and redundancy
- Health monitoring and device diagnostics
3. Motion Control Development
Develop low-level motion algorithms for differential drive, Ackermann steering, omnidirectional drive, lift mechanisms, conveyor modules, and docking systems.
- Velocity mode and position mode control
- Homing, acceleration/deceleration profiles, and jerk limiting
- Motor synchronization across multi-axis systems
- PID tuning, trajectory generation, and kinematics implementation
4. Servo Drive Integration
Configure and integrate servo systems from Mitsubishi, Delta, INVT, Estun, and Panasonic — covering position mode, velocity mode, torque mode, electronic gearing, homing, and encoder feedback.
5. Industrial Communication
Develop communication interfaces using:
- EtherCAT (preferred) — CoE, SoE, PDO mapping, distributed clock, motion synchronization
- Modbus TCP / RTU, CANOpen, CAN, RS485
- Ethernet/IP, OPC-UA, MQTT, TCP/IP, UDP
6. Hardware Integration
Sensors: LiDAR, IMU, wheel encoders, QR reader, barcode scanner, RFID, safety scanner, depth camera, ultrasonic sensors.
Actuators: servo drives, BLDC controllers, contactors, relays, brakes, solenoids.
7. Safety System Development
- Emergency stop, safe stop, brake logic, and safe restart
- Safety scanner zone configuration and speed limiting
- Watchdog monitoring and fault recovery
- Compliance with ISO 3691-4, ISO 13849, and IEC 61508
8. Robot Hardware Commissioning
- PLC commissioning, I/O validation, and sensor validation
- Motor tuning, encoder calibration, and drive commissioning
- End-to-end safety validation
9. Diagnostics & Debugging
- Develop diagnostic tools for communication failures, I/O faults, servo faults, encoder mismatch, battery issues, and safety faults
- Alarm management, fault codes, event logging, and recovery logic
10. Integration with Robotics Software Stack
Collaborate with ROS 2 developers to integrate PLC with navigation stack, localisation, mission manager, fleet manager, GUI, and diagnostics.
Implement the full communication chain: ROS 2 → IPC → CCU → PLC → servo drives → robot hardware.
Technical Skills Required
- PLC Platforms Mitsubishi FX5U • Mitsubishi iQ-R • Mitsubishi Q Series • Siemens S7-1200 • Siemens S7-1500 • Delta PL, Good to Have Beckhoff TwinCAT • Omron NX
- Programming Languages Ladder Logic • Structured Text (IEC 61131-3) • Function Block Diagram (FBD) • Sequential Function Chart (SFC) Good to Have Python • C#
- Motion Control Multi-axis control • PID tuning • Velocity & position loops • Homing & trajectory generation • Kinematics
- Communication Protocol EtherCAT • CANOpen • Modbus TCP / RTU • RS485 • TCP/IP & UDP • OPC-UA Good to Have MQTT • Ethernet/IP
- Servo Systems Mitsubishi Servo • Delta Servo • Servo tuning & encoder setup • Electronic gearing Position & torque tuning Good to Have INVT Servo • Estun Servo • Panasonic Servo
- Industrial Networking Managed switches & VLAN • Industrial Ethernet • Network diagnostics Good to Have Time synchronization • Industrial cybersecurity
- Industrial Tools GX Works3 / GX Developer (Mitsubishi) • TIA Portal (Siemens) • Delta ISPSoft / WPLSoft Good to Have Beckhoff TwinCAT • Wireshark • EtherCAT master tools • Oscilloscope / logic analyser
Preferred Robotics Knowledge
- AMR, AGV, warehouse automation, and mobile robotics
- Material handling systems and conveyor integration
- Basic understanding of ROS 2, navigation, localisation, SLAM
- Differential drive kinematics and robot coordinate systems
Key Deliverables
- Modular PLC software framework for multi-platform AMR/AGV
- Communication Control Unit (CCU) software
- EtherCAT master/slave integration
- Motion control libraries (differential, Ackermann, omni)
- Hardware abstraction layer
- Servo commissioning documentation
- Safety control implementation (ISO 3691-4 compliant)
- I/O mapping documentation
- PLC–HMI interface
- PLC–ROS 2 communication layer
- Alarm & diagnostic framework
- Robot commissioning checklist
- Test procedures and validation reports
Nice-to-Have Experience
- VDA 5050 compatible AMR systems
- EtherCAT master implementation (SOEM, TwinCAT, or equivalent)
- Safety PLC programming (Pilz, Sick, Siemens F-PLC)
- Battery Management System (BMS) integration
- Automated charging and docking systems
- Conveyor, lift, or tugger attachment control
- CI/CD (GitHub, GitLab), version control, and software documentation
- Industrial cybersecurity practices for connected automation systems
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for an engineer who thinks beyond PLC programming and can architect the entire low-level control layer of an AMR platform. The ideal candidate should be comfortable designing scalable, reusable automation software that bridges industrial hardware with modern robotics software — enabling reliable and safe operation across multiple robot platforms.
They should be capable of building a hardware-agnostic control framework that supports different PLCs (Mitsubishi, Siemens, Delta), servo drives, and fieldbus protocols while integrating seamlessly with ROS 2 and future fleet management systems.
Click on Apply to know more.
