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Free course · PLC programming

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000

This free course teaches Rockwell's Studio 5000 on CompactLogix and ControlLogix, from the wiring up: connecting and downloading, tag-based ladder, timers and counters, data types, indirect addressing, a PowerFlex drive over EtherNet/IP, produced and consumed tags, MSG and Modbus TCP. It suits UK electricians, maintenance technicians and apprentices, and helps with PLC programmer and controls engineer roles. Logix controllers are common on UK packaging, food and drink and automotive lines.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
16
Video
17 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Install Studio 5000, wire and connect a CompactLogix, create tag-based programs with XIC, XIO, OTE, timers and counters, choose data types and arrays, use indirect addressing and produced/consumed tags, add I/O and Ethernet modules, put a PowerFlex 525 drive and a Modbus TCP device on the network, message between controllers, and clear faults when they happen.

  • Wire sinking inputs and sourcing outputs to a CompactLogix without guessing
  • Connect over Ethernet, download, upload, and fix RSLinx browsing problems
  • Write tag-based ladder with XIC, XIO, OTE, TON, TOF, RTO, CTU and CTD
  • Choose BOOL, DINT, REAL, arrays and user-defined types on purpose
  • Use indirect addressing to log data without faulting the controller
  • Add expansion and Ethernet modules and read the tags they create
  • Run a PowerFlex 525 drive from ladder over EtherNet/IP
  • Share data with produced/consumed tags, MSG and Modbus TCP, and recover from faults

Software

Studio 5000 Logix Designer and Logix Emulate are paid Rockwell software; check Rockwell's site for any current trial or student offer. Use a licence from work or college, or follow the exercises in the free Connected Components Workbench; see What to download on this page

Hardware

None. Logix Emulate stands in for the controller.

Syllabus

16 modules

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

  1. 1Studio 5000, Logix Designer and the Logix Family2 lessons
  2. 2Wiring a CompactLogix: Sinking Inputs and Sourcing Outputs1 lesson
  3. 3Connecting Over Ethernet, Uploading and Downloading6 lessons
  4. 4The Key Switch and Controller Modes1 lesson
  5. 5Bit Instructions: XIC, XIO and OTE2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Timers: TON, TOF and RTO5 lessonsLab
  7. 7Counters: CTU and CTD1 lessonLab
  8. 8Data Types: BOOL, INT, DINT, REAL and Arrays1 lesson
  9. 9Indirect Addressing and Storing Data1 lesson
  10. 10Expansion Modules and Ethernet Modules2 lessons
  11. 11A PowerFlex 525 Drive on EtherNet/IP1 lesson
  12. 12Messaging and Produced/Consumed Tags2 lessons
  13. 13Modbus TCP: Client and Server2 lessonsLab
  14. 14High-speed Counters and a SCARA Robot2 lessons
  15. 15Faults, Firmware and Recovery3 lessons
  16. 16Final 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 Allen-Bradley Studio 5000. 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 Allen-Bradley Studio 5000

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

Jobs

Jobs this course can lead to

The skills in this course are used in PLC and industrial automation work, for example as a PLC programmer, a controls engineer and a maintenance engineer. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Pay: Advertised PLC engineer roles show a median of £60,000, with 147 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 against 80 a year earlier. Source: ITJobsWatch (advert-based, an IT-category sample). Checked 27 Oct 2026.

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 28 October 2026.

Do I need a CompactLogix to follow the course?
No. Logix Emulate stands in for the controller, so you can write, download and test programs on your computer. Real hardware helps with wiring and connection problems, but it is optional and the lessons do not depend on it.
Is RSLogix 5000 the same as Studio 5000?
Studio 5000 Logix Designer is the current name for the software that used to be called RSLogix 5000. The tag-based programming model is the same, so older RSLogix 5000 skills carry over, and this course covers the modern interface.
Is this enough to get a job as a PLC programmer in the UK?
Not on its own. It gives you a solid Rockwell base, but UK employers also look for site experience, safety awareness and often Siemens as well. Treat it as a first step, add a project you can show, and check live vacancies for what they ask.
Is there a free version of Studio 5000?
No permanent free version: Rockwell sells Studio 5000 Logix Designer licences. Rockwell's own page offers a complimentary 30-day licence of FactoryTalk Logix Echo, its emulator, which needs a Logix Designer version that supports the features you want (checked 28 October 2026). The lessons do not need the software, and the Lab's PLC simulator covers the ladder ideas in the browser.
Do I need a CompactLogix?
No. Logix Emulate is a controller in software and every exercise runs on it. The wiring module uses a real trainer so you know what the hardware looks like, but you do not need one.
How is this different from the RSLogix 500 course?
RSLogix 500 programs the older MicroLogix and SLC 500 families, which use file-based addressing like N7:0. Studio 5000 programs the Logix family with tags. Both are still common on plant floors; this course is the modern one.
What computer do I need?
A 64-bit Windows PC that meets Rockwell's published requirements for your Studio 5000 version (check them before you install). Studio 5000 is Windows-only and does not run on macOS or Linux without a Windows virtual machine.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a Rockwell qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Rockwell Automation credential and is never described as one.
Will this course get me a job?
On its own, no course will. Allen-Bradley PLCs are widely used, particularly in North America, and being able to open a Studio 5000 project, add a drive and fix a fault is exactly what those adverts describe.

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Want a live class and career support?

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
Engineers talking beside an automation test rig, one looking up and smiling