Ladder Logic Basics in RSLogix: XIC, XIO, and OTE with Real Push Button Examples

THE DEEP DIVE

XIC, XIO and OTE: The Instructions Behind Every Rung

You open a program to find out why a motor won't start. The rung is full of contacts and coils, and you need to know which one is holding it off. The answer almost always comes down to three instructions.

XIC (Examine If Closed) is true when its bit is on. XIO (Examine If Open) is true when its bit is off. OTE (Output Energize) turns a bit on when everything to its left is true, and turns it off when it isn't. Each tutorial below uses a MicroLogix 1100 in RSLogix 500 with a real start button, stop button and motor contactor, and the same instructions work in Studio 5000.

The XIC Instruction: Examine If Closed - See how XIC checks a start button and lets the rest of the rung run while it's pressed.

The XIO Instruction: Examine If Open - Learn how XIO does the opposite of XIC, and why it fits a stop button.

The OTE Instruction: Output Energize - Watch OTE turn on a motor contactor output and drop it out when the rung goes false.

COURSE

PLC Programming | RSLogix & Studio 5000, 500 | Hardware Software

A complete Allen Bradley course that takes you from basic I/O to ladder logic in RSLogix 500 and Studio 5000, with hands-on labs along the way. It's built for technicians and electricians who want to work as entry-level PLC programmers.

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QUICK HITS

Siemens S7-300 to S7-1500 Migration

Plenty of plants still run S7-300 PLCs, and Siemens is phasing them out. When it's time to upgrade, you need to read the old project in SIMATIC Manager and then carry it into TIA Portal on an S7-1500.

An Introduction to Siemens SIMATIC Manager (STEP 7) - Find your way around the software that still programs S7-300 and S7-400 PLCs, from hardware setup to program blocks.

S7-300 PLC Programming in SIMATIC Manager - Build a small motor control program in ladder inside FB1, call it from OB1, and add a symbol table.

Migrating an S7-300 to an S7-1500 in TIA Portal - Archive the old project, migrate it into TIA Portal, swap in an S7-1500 CPU and add back the missing signal modules.

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INDUSTRY PULSE

GM to Invest More Than $2B in Lansing, Retool Plant for Hybrids

General Motors plans to invest more than $2 billion in the Lansing, Michigan region over the next several years. That includes $1.25 billion, announced earlier, to prepare Lansing Grand River Assembly for future vehicles. GM will also prepare Lansing Delta Township Assembly, which builds the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, for hybrid-electric production. The plant built more than 291,000 vehicles in 2025, its highest year ever. GM plans to spend about $9 billion on its U.S. plants this year.

In Other News:

Reshoring and Foreign Investment Added 247,000 Factory Jobs in 2025 - A new Reshoring Initiative report counts 247,000 manufacturing jobs announced through reshoring and foreign direct investment last year, about the same as 2024. Transportation equipment led all sectors, and the report projects 25% growth in 2026.

USDA Backs 8 Fertilizer Plant Projects Worth $1.3B - The USDA committed $573 million toward eight new and expanded fertilizer plants, totaling more than $1.3 billion in investment. The projects include two Agriculture Project Holdco plants in Kansas and Indiana.

No Tariffs for Now on Imported Robots and Industrial Machinery - After a Section 232 investigation, President Trump chose trade talks over tariffs on imported robotics, industrial machinery and their parts. Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative have 180 days to report back on progress.

RESOURCES

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🏁 What’s Next?

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With ❤️ from the SolisPLC team