Electrical supply is used in bringing electrical energy to central processing unit. Most PLC controllers work either at 24 VDC or 220 VAC.
On some PLC controllers you’ll find electrical supply as a separate module.
Those are usually bigger PLC controllers, while small and medium series already contain the supply module.
User has to determine how much current to take from I/O module to ensure that electrical supply provides appropriate amount of current.
Different types of modules use different amounts of electrical current. This electrical supply is usually not used to start external inputs or outputs.
User has to provide separate supplies in starting PLC controller inputs or outputs because then you can ensure so called “pure” supply for the PLC controller.
With pure supply we mean supply where industrial environment can not affect it damagingly.
Some of the smaller PLC controllers supply their inputs with voltage from a small supply source already incorporated into a PLC.