Skip to content
EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder

The AC500 family and Automation Builder (CODESYS-based): first project, ladder, latching, interlocks, timers, counters, retentive data, PROFIBUS and PROFINET, visualization, CP600 HMI and platform features.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
10
Video
11 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Describe the AC500 platform, install Automation Builder, create and commission a project, write ladder with latching and interlocks, use timers, counters and retentive data, connect PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO, build a visualization and CP600 project, upgrade projects and know safety I/O, hot swap and condition monitoring.

  • Install Automation Builder and create an AC500 project
  • Write ladder with contacts, coils, latching, interlocks and memory bits
  • Use TON, TOF, TP, RTC, counters and retentive data
  • Connect PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO devices
  • Build a visualization and a CP600 HMI project
  • Upgrade projects and know the safety, hot-swap and condition-monitoring features

Software

ABB Automation Builder (free basic licence)

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

10 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1The AC500 Platform and Automation Builder3 lessons
  2. 2First Project and Commissioning4 lessons
  3. 3Contacts, Coils and Gates2 lessonsLab
  4. 4Latching, Interlocks and Memory Bits3 lessonsLab
  5. 5Timers4 lessonsLab
  6. 6Counters and Retentive Data2 lessonsLab
  7. 7PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO2 lessons
  8. 8Visualization and CP600 HMI3 lessonsLab
  9. 9Upgrades, Safety, Hot Swap, Condition Monitoring5 lessons
  10. 10Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Write and test the same ladder logic in the Lab's PLC simulator, go online and force inputs. The Lab uses a vendor-neutral editor, so brand software stays in the course.

Works alongside ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder. The Lab is plc programming practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
PLC programming: Program a PLC, see it run.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is Automation Builder free?
ABB offers a free basic licence that covers everything here.
Is this the same as CODESYS?
Automation Builder is built on CODESYS, so the CODESYS course on this site transfers directly; this course adds the ABB hardware, networks and HMI.
Do I need an AC500?
No. The simulation runs every exercise.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a ABB qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a ABB credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 11 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the ten modules at your own speed.

IEC 61131 and software PLCs

Take it with

See the whole path

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module