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EDWartens UK

Free course · Industrial networks

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet

The network under most Siemens plants: industrial networks and the automation pyramid, what PROFINET is, RT and IRT, GSD files, device names, addressing, installation and network design, PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET, AS-i and other devices through gateways, and advanced protocol training.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
8
Video
13 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain where PROFINET sits in the automation pyramid, describe RT and IRT, configure devices with GSD files, names and addresses, install and design PROFINET networks, add PROFIsafe and OPC UA, integrate AS-i and third-party devices through gateways, and compare industrial protocols.

  • Place networks in the automation pyramid and the OSI model
  • Explain PROFINET IO, RT and IRT
  • Configure devices with GSDML, names and addresses
  • Install and design networks with switches and redundancy
  • Add PROFIsafe and OPC UA
  • Integrate AS-i, ABB, drives and EtherNet/IP through gateways

Software

TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

8 modules

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

  1. 1Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid5 lessonsLab
  2. 2What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices8 lessons
  3. 3RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive4 lessons
  4. 4Configuration, Installation and Network Design5 lessons
  5. 5PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET4 lessons
  6. 6Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices6 lessons
  7. 7Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison4 lessonsLab
  8. 8Final 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 placing devices on the automation levels and splitting a flat plant network into zones, the network thinking that sits behind a PROFINET design.

Works alongside PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet. The Lab is ot security 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
OT security: Defend a plant network.

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 PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

  • M TG

    the PROFINET playlist collecting PI, vendor and training videos

  • Taskcoaz

    the TIA Portal training series

  • Eaton

    a lesson in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"

  • RealPars

    3 lessons in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid", "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices" and "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • Eli the Computer Guy

    a lesson in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"

  • RSP Supply

    2 lessons in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"

  • ProfiTelevision

    9 lessons in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices", "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "Configuration, Installation and Network Design", "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET" and "Final Assessment"

  • MinutePROFINET

    6 lessons in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices", "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "Configuration, Installation and Network Design" and "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET"

  • Indu-Sol GmbH

    a lesson in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices"

  • Siemens Knowledge Hub

    4 lessons in "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET" and "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"

  • C&E Advanced Technologies

    a lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"

  • PROCENTEC®

    a lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"

  • AMCI : Advanced Micro Controls Inc.

    a lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"

  • Pepperl+Fuchs USA

    a lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • Pepperl+Fuchs Group

    a lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • ABB PLC

    a lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • ProSoft, a Belden brand

    a lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • RealTimeAutomation

    a lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"

  • Dr. Arslan Ahmed Amin (E&I Control Specialist)

    a lesson in "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"

  • ICP DAS USA, Inc.

    a lesson in "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"

Questions

About this course

How is this different from the industrial communication course?
That course surveys every network; this one goes deep on PROFINET configuration, installation, design and safety.
Do I need hardware?
No. The configuration demos run in TIA Portal; the design exercises are on paper.
Does it cover EtherNet/IP?
For comparison and gateways, yes; the Rockwell networks have their own coverage in the Studio 5000 courses.
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 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 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.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 13 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eight 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