Contact

Each network in LD consists on the left side of a network of contacts (contacts are represented by two parallel lines: | |) which from left to right show the condition “On” or “Off”.

These conditions correspond to the Boolean values TRUE and FALSE. A Boolean variable belongs to each contact. If this variable is TRUE, then the condition is passed on by the connecting line from left to right, otherwise the right connection receives the value “Out”.

Contacts can be connected in parallel, then one of the parallel branches must transmit the value “On” so that the parallel branch transmits the value “On”; or the contacts are connected in series, then contacts must transmit the condition “On” so that the last contact transmits the “On” condition. This therefore corresponds to an electric parallel or series circuit.

A contact can also be ‘Extras’ ‘Negate’ in LD, recognizable by the slash in the contact symbol: |/|. Then the value of the line is transmitted if the variable is FALSE.