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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming

PC-based control with TwinCAT 3 and EtherCAT: installation, tasks, structured text, function blocks and interfaces, I/O, libraries, version control, ADS, test-driven development, visualization and real machine applications.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
19
Video
31 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain PC-based control and EtherCAT, install TwinCAT 3 and connect to a target, structure tasks and programs, use data types, structures, functions, function blocks and interfaces, write structured text with Tc2_Standard, program in LD, CFC, SFC and FBD, configure EtherCAT I/O, manage libraries and versions, use git, ADS and the automation interface, apply test-driven development, build visualizations and study real integrations.

  • Explain why PC-based control and EtherCAT are used and install TwinCAT 3
  • Structure a project into tasks, programs, GVLs, DUTs and libraries
  • Use functions, function blocks, methods, properties and interfaces
  • Write structured text with timers, counters, edges, CASE and string operations
  • Program in LD, CFC, SFC and FBD and choose the right language
  • Scan and link EtherCAT terminals
  • Put projects under git, use ADS and the automation interface, write unit tests
  • Build visualizations, record with Measurement, and integrate servos, Festo modules, RS-232 and XTS

Software

TwinCAT 3 XAE (free download, 7-day renewable trial)

Hardware

None. The PLC runs on your PC.

Syllabus

19 modules

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

  1. 1Beckhoff, TwinCAT and EtherCAT4 lessons
  2. 2Installation, Basics and Connecting4 lessons
  3. 3Tasks, Programs and Hello World2 lessons
  4. 4Data Types, Arrays and Variables2 lessons
  5. 5Structures and Functions1 lesson
  6. 6Function Blocks and Interfaces2 lessons
  7. 7Instructions and ST Fundamentals3 lessonsLab
  8. 8Tc2_Standard: Timers, Counters, Edges3 lessonsLab
  9. 9ST Control Flow and Operations5 lessonsLab
  10. 10LD, CFC, SFC and FBD in TwinCAT4 lessonsLab
  11. 11TwinCAT Utilities and Functions2 lessons
  12. 12I/O and EtherCAT Terminals3 lessons
  13. 13Libraries and Version Handling2 lessons
  14. 14Version Control1 lesson
  15. 15ADS and the Automation Interface2 lessons
  16. 16Test-Driven Development3 lessons
  17. 17Visualization, Measurement and Recipes3 lessonsLab
  18. 18Applications: Temperature, Motion, Serial, Festo and XTS9 lessonsLab
  19. 19Final 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 Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming. 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 Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming

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 TwinCAT free to learn on?
Yes. TwinCAT 3 XAE downloads free and runs on a 7-day trial licence you renew by typing a captcha. No hardware needed.
Do I need Visual Studio?
No. TwinCAT installs its own XAE shell; a full Visual Studio is optional.
Why so much structured text?
Because TwinCAT projects in industry are mostly ST with object-oriented features. Ladder, CFC, SFC and FBD are covered too.
Is this CODESYS?
TwinCAT 3 shares the CODESYS editor heritage, so the CODESYS course on this site is a good preparation; TwinCAT adds Beckhoff's runtime, EtherCAT, ADS and tooling.
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 Beckhoff qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Beckhoff 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.

IEC 61131 and software PLCs

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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