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EDWartens UK

Free course · Industrial networks

Industrial Communication: Serial, Fieldbus, Ethernet, Modbus, PROFINET and OPC UA

Every network a PLC engineer meets, from RS-485 and Modbus to PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and OPC UA, with hands-on PLC-to-PLC and Modbus configuration in TIA Portal.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
18
Video
23 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain the OSI model, Ethernet, IP and subnets, RS-232, RS-485 and Modbus RTU, ASCII and TCP, fieldbuses and industrial Ethernet, remote and distributed I/O, configure PROFINET devices and GSD files, PUT/GET and open user communication, Modbus RTU and TCP on an S7-1200, Modbus on other PLC families, OPC UA, industrial wireless and IIoT, and the web server, routing and backup tools.

  • Explain the OSI model, Ethernet, IP addressing and subnets
  • Wire RS-485 and read a Modbus frame, function code and address
  • Place PROFIBUS DP and PA, DeviceNet, AS-i and IO-Link
  • Compare PROFINET and EtherNet/IP and keep both healthy
  • Configure PROFINET devices, distributed I/O, shared devices and GSD files
  • Exchange data between PLCs with PUT/GET and TSEND_C/TRCV_C
  • Run Modbus RTU and TCP as master, slave, client and server
  • Explain OPC UA, industrial wireless, IIoT, MQTT and edge computing
  • Place HART and EtherCAT, build MRP and DLR rings, and segment a plant network into zones

Software

TIA Portal (21-day trial from Siemens) for the hands-on modules; free Modbus simulators, Wireshark and the free UaExpert OPC UA client

Hardware

None required. Two S7-1200 or PLCSIM instances help for PLC-to-PLC.

Syllabus

18 modules

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

  1. 1Networks, the OSI Model, Ethernet, IP and Subnets4 lessons
  2. 2Serial: RS-232, RS-485 and Modbus4 lessons
  3. 3Modbus RTU and TCP in Depth2 lessonsLab
  4. 4Fieldbuses: PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, AS-i, IO-Link7 lessons
  5. 5PROFIBUS Wiring and Network Health3 lessons
  6. 6Industrial Ethernet: PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Network Design6 lessons
  7. 7Remote and Distributed I/O4 lessons
  8. 8PROFINET in TIA Portal5 lessons
  9. 9PLC to PLC: PUT and GET3 lessons
  10. 10Open User Communication: TCP4 lessons
  11. 11Modbus RTU on the S7-12005 lessons
  12. 12Modbus TCP on the S7-12003 lessons
  13. 13Modbus in Practice on Other PLCs5 lessons
  14. 14Modbus Remote I/O and ASCII5 lessons
  15. 15OPC UA6 lessonsLab
  16. 16Wireless, IIoT, MQTT and Network Security8 lessonsLab
  17. 17Web Server, Routing, Backup, Node-RED and Single-Pair Ethernet6 lessons
  18. 18Final 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

Practise the data half of the course in the lab: decode Modbus registers, pick OPC UA nodes and publish them to an MQTT broker, then prove it with a numbered test.

Works alongside Industrial Communication: Serial, Fieldbus, Ethernet, Modbus, PROFINET and OPC UA. The Lab is process control 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
Process control: Tune a real process loop.

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 Industrial Communication: Serial, Fieldbus, Ethernet, Modbus, PROFINET and OPC UA

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 this a Siemens course?
The hands-on modules use TIA Portal because two of the source series do, but the protocols, Modbus map design and network principles apply to every brand. One module shows Modbus on AutomationDirect PLCs for contrast.
Do I need hardware?
No. The concept modules need nothing; the TIA modules can be followed with the trial and PLCSIM, and Modbus can be tested against a free simulator on your PC.
Do I need to know a PLC already?
Yes, at least one. This course teaches how PLCs talk, not how to program them. Any of the free PLC courses on this site is enough.
What is covered in the wireless and IIoT modules?
Industrial wireless, modulation, Wi-Fi versus industrial wireless, ISA100, IIoT, edge computing, OPC UA and its security, MQTT, Node-RED, network segmentation into zones, and single-pair Ethernet.
What computer do I need?
A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM if you install TIA Portal; any machine for the rest.
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 Siemens or any vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Siemens or any vendor 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.

PLC foundations

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