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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580

The large Schneider PLCs: Control Expert from install to hot standby, M340 and M580 hardware, ladder, FBD, ST and DFBs, analog and HART, Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP with DTMs, OPC UA and OFS, SCADA integration, IEC 61850 and DNP3, safety outputs, diagnostics and migration.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
12
Video
29 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Install Control Expert and use its simulator, configure M340 and M580 hardware and IP addresses, program in ladder, FBD and structured text with DFBs and DDTs, scale analog and configure HART, set up Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP with DTMs and explicit messaging, expose data over OPC UA and OFS, integrate HMI and SCADA, configure IEC 61850, DNP3 and AS-i, understand hot standby and diagnostics, and migrate legacy projects.

  • Install Control Expert, use libsets, the simulator and downloads
  • Configure M340 and M580 CPUs, I/O cards, IP addresses and fail-safe outputs
  • Program with variables, arrays, ST, FBD, DFBs and DDTs
  • Scale analog signals and configure HART devices
  • Set up Modbus TCP, I/O scanning, EtherNet/IP and explicit messaging with DTMs
  • Expose data over OPC UA and OFS to UaExpert, Kepware and Ignition
  • Integrate Vijeo Designer, InTouch, Citect, WinCC, FactoryTalk, Geo SCADA and more
  • Configure IEC 61850, DNP3, counters and AS-i; understand hot standby, diagnostics and migration

Software

EcoStruxure Control Expert (30-day trial) with its built-in simulator

Hardware

None. Simulator for programming; hardware modules followed by watching.

Syllabus

12 modules

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

  1. 1Control Expert: Install, Licence, Simulator7 lessons
  2. 2M340 and M580 Hardware, IP Addresses and I/O Cards9 lessons
  3. 3Programming Basics: Variables, Arrays, Values and Simulation8 lessonsLab
  4. 4Structured Text, FBD, DFBs and DDTs6 lessonsLab
  5. 5Analog Scaling and HART4 lessonsLab
  6. 6Modbus TCP, DTM Browser and I/O Scanning11 lessonsLab
  7. 7EtherNet/IP and Explicit Messaging5 lessons
  8. 8OPC UA, OFS and Data Servers10 lessonsLab
  9. 9HMI and SCADA Integration14 lessonsLab
  10. 10Utility Protocols and Special Modules7 lessons
  11. 11Hot Standby, Safety Outputs, Diagnostics and Migration13 lessons
  12. 12Final 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 Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580. 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 Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580

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 Control Expert free?
Schneider offers a 30-day trial; its simulator runs the programming modules, so install it when you reach them. The hardware and hot-standby modules are followed by watching.
Control Expert or Machine Expert Basic?
Machine Expert Basic is for the small M221; Control Expert is for M340, M580 and Quantum. Take the free Machine Expert Basic course first if you are new to Schneider.
Why so much about communication?
Because M580 projects are integration projects: Modbus, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA and SCADA links are most of the engineering time on a real site.
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 Schneider Electric qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Schneider Electric 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 29 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the twelve 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