Industrial control apparatus with short-circuit detection configuration

An industrial control apparatus comprising:

• a microcomputer;
• a first voltage supplying unit that outputs a signal of a first voltage;
• a second voltage supplying unit that outputs a signal of a second voltage different from the first voltage;
• a first circuit that has a first connection terminal and electrically connects the first voltage supplying unit and the microcomputer when a first input device is connected to the first connection terminal;
• a second circuit that has a second connection terminal and electrically connects the second voltage supplying unit and the microcomputer when a second input device is connected to the second connection terminal;
• an amplification command circuit that is electrically connected to the first circuit and the second circuit and compares an input signal from the first circuit with an input signal from the second circuit to output an amplification command signal indicating an amplification factor corresponding to a result of the comparison;
• and
• a voltage amplifier that is incorporated in the first circuit and electrically connected to the amplification command circuit and, upon reception of the amplification command signal, amplifies a pre-amplified signal with the amplification factor indicated by the amplification command signal for output to the microcomputer, the pre-amplified signal being inputted to the voltage amplifier from the first voltage supplying unit via the first connection terminal, wherein:
• the microcomputer includes an operation detecting unit that detects connection or non-connection of the first input device and occurrence of a short-circuit between the first circuit and the second circuit, based on a voltage of a signal inputted from the voltage amplifier;
• and
• the amplification command circuit outputs to the voltage amplifier the amplification command signal indicating an amplification factor that allows the pre-amplified signal after being amplified to have a voltage out of a range of detecting connection or non-connection of the first input device, if the comparison indicates agreement between the input signals.