Skip to content
EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

OpenPLC: IEC 61131-3 on Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi

A real PLC for the price of a microcontroller: OpenPLC Editor and Runtime, ladder from contacts to arithmetic, timers and counters, two dozen worked programs, Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi hardware, Modbus, MQTT, Python, ScadaBR and Fuxa HMIs, Factory I/O projects, and the FOSSEE OpenPLC board (an open-hardware project from IIT Bombay) with LDmicro.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
13
Video
29 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Install OpenPLC Editor and Runtime, write IEC 61131-3 ladder with contacts, coils, memory bits, set/reset, edges, timers, counters, comparison and arithmetic, solve two dozen worked problems, run programs on Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi, communicate over Modbus, MQTT and Python, build ScadaBR and Fuxa HMIs, drive Factory I/O scenes with SFC, and program the FOSSEE OpenPLC with LDmicro.

  • Install the Editor and Runtime and simulate programs
  • Write ladder with contacts, coils, memory bits, SR/RS and edge triggers
  • Use TON, TOF, TP, CTU, CTD, CTUD, comparison and arithmetic blocks
  • Solve two dozen worked automation problems
  • Run OpenPLC on Arduino, ESP32, ESP8266 and Raspberry Pi with slave devices
  • Communicate over Modbus, MQTT and Python; build ScadaBR and Fuxa HMIs
  • Drive Factory I/O scenes and use SFC
  • Program the FOSSEE OpenPLC board with LDmicro

Software

OpenPLC Editor v4 and Runtime (open source; many videos show v3), optional Factory I/O 30-day trial, ScadaBR or FUXA

Hardware

Optional Arduino, ESP32 or Raspberry Pi; everything runs in simulation without them.

Syllabus

13 modules

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

  1. 1What OpenPLC Is: Editor, Runtime and the Scan3 lessons
  2. 2Hands-on Install; Contacts, Coils and Logic Gates8 lessons
  3. 3Memory Bits, Set/Reset, Edges and First Programs7 lessonsLab
  4. 4Timers5 lessonsLab
  5. 5Counters and Comparison9 lessonsLab
  6. 6Arithmetic6 lessonsLab
  7. 7Worked Examples I9 lessonsLab
  8. 8Worked Examples II14 lessonsLab
  9. 9Hardware: Arduino, ESP32, ESP8266, Raspberry Pi15 lessons
  10. 10Communication and HMI: Modbus, Python, MQTT, ScadaBR, Fuxa5 lessonsLab
  11. 11Factory I/O Projects and SFC8 lessonsLab
  12. 12FOSSEE OpenPLC Board with LDmicro (IIT Bombay)24 lessons
  13. 13Final 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 structured text and function block programs in the Lab's IEC 61131-3 simulator and watch them run.

Works alongside OpenPLC: IEC 61131-3 on Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi. 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 OpenPLC: IEC 61131-3 on Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

  • Instrumentation Tools

    the OpenPLC tutorial and worked-example series

  • Eric Romine

    a playlist of the official OpenPLC Basics series (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Python, ScadaBR), published on the OpenPLC channel

  • Igor Art

    a playlist of OpenPLC v4, ESP32 and MQTT videos by several creators, credited above

  • OnosTech

    the OpenPLC on ESP32 series

  • seafox c

    the Factory I/O, SFC, ScadaBR and Fuxa projects

  • Spoken-Tutorial, IIT Bombay

    the FOSSEE OpenPLC with LDmicro series

Questions

About this course

Is OpenPLC a real PLC?
It is a real IEC 61131-3 runtime used in research, education and small projects. It is not a certified industrial controller; the skills transfer directly to Siemens, Rockwell and CODESYS.
Do I need an Arduino?
No. Simulation covers the programming modules; an Arduino Uno or ESP32 is inexpensive and makes the hardware modules real.
What is the FOSSEE OpenPLC?
An open-hardware PLC from IIT Bombay's FOSSEE project, programmed with LDmicro. It is a different product from the OpenPLC Editor/Runtime and is covered in its own module.
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?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not an OpenPLC project or IIT Bombay 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 28 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the thirteen modules at your own speed.

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