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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Omron PLC with CX-Programmer

Omron from first principles: automation, the PLC, CX-Programmer, every instruction family, and the worked programs that make it stick.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
16
Video
18 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain what a control system and a PLC do, install CX-Programmer and create a project, use Omron addressing and data types, write ladder with contacts, coils, KEEP, SET/RSET, DIFU/DIFD, interlocks, timers and counters, do arithmetic and comparisons, move and manipulate data, use shift registers, jumps and subroutines, scale an analog input, and solve the classic worked problems.

  • Explain automation, control systems and the PLC from scratch
  • Use Omron addressing: CIO, W, H, D, T, C and bit-of-word notation
  • Latch with a seal-in, SET/RSET or KEEP, and know which input dominates
  • Use IL/ILC interlocks and know what timers do inside them
  • Use TIM, TIMX, TIMH, TMMH and TTIM, and CNT and CNTR
  • Do arithmetic, comparison, block compare and area range compare
  • Move, block-set, transfer, shift and rotate data
  • Solve the conveyor, car park and tank programs from a specification

Software

CX-Programmer (part of CX-One; trial from Omron) with CX-Simulator

Hardware

None. CX-Simulator runs every exercise.

Syllabus

16 modules

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

  1. 1Automation, Control Systems and the PLC4 lessons
  2. 2Omron PLCs and CX-Programmer4 lessons
  3. 3Data Types, Addressing and Operating Modes3 lessons
  4. 4First Project and the Simulator2 lessonsLab
  5. 5Bit Logic and Logic Gates5 lessons
  6. 6Latching, Set/Reset, KEEP and Edges6 lessonsLab
  7. 7Interlocks: IL and ILC2 lessonsLab
  8. 8Timers: TIM, TIMX, TIMH, TMHH and TTIM6 lessonsLab
  9. 9Counters: CNT, CNTR and Reset4 lessonsLab
  10. 10Arithmetic and Comparison6 lessonsLab
  11. 11Move, Block Set, Data Exchange and Transfer6 lessonsLab
  12. 12Shift Registers, Rotate and Increment7 lessons
  13. 13Jumps, Subroutines and Number Conversion3 lessonsLab
  14. 14Analog Input Scaling1 lessonLab
  15. 15Worked Programs: Conveyor, Car Park, Sprinkler, Tank and More7 lessonsLab
  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 Omron PLC with CX-Programmer. 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 Omron PLC with CX-Programmer

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

Do I need CX-Programmer?
For the exercises, yes. It ships in CX-One, for which Omron offers a trial. CX-Simulator, included, runs every exercise without a PLC.
Do I need an Omron PLC?
No. CX-Simulator stands in for it throughout.
Which Omron PLCs does this cover?
The instruction set is common to the CP1, CJ1 and CJ2 families, which is most of the Omron installed base. Sysmac Studio and the NJ/NX series are a different tool and not covered here.
Some lessons in the source series are members-only. Are they in the course?
No. Four members-only lessons were deliberately left out so you never hit a paywall. Their topics are covered by the public lessons that remain.
What computer do I need?
A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM. CX-One is Windows-only.
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 Omron qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Omron 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.

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