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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Schneider Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic

The Modicon M221 from the first download to a hundred solved ladder problems, with the official Schneider how-tos for the tooling.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
18
Video
28 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Install Machine Expert Basic and create an M221 project, build every logic gate in ladder, use memory bits, set and reset coils and latching, convert Boolean expressions and logic circuits into rungs, program TON, TOF and TP timers, count, compare and move values with counter and operation blocks, solve more than fifty worked applications, and use the official tooling: addressing, shift registers, online change, symbols, Modbus TCP and HMI sharing.

  • Install Machine Expert Basic and pick the M221 from the controller catalogue
  • Build AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR and XNOR in ladder and prove them with truth tables
  • Latch with a seal-in or set/reset and know which one restarts after a power cut
  • Turn a Boolean expression or a logic-circuit drawing into rungs
  • Use TON, TOF and TP for delays, pulses and sequences
  • Count with the counter block and compare and move values with operation blocks
  • Solve fifty-plus worked applications: traffic lights, mixers, washers, ovens, garages, parking
  • Use indirect addressing, shift registers, online change and symbol comments
  • Configure Modbus TCP and share variables with a Vijeo Designer HMI

Software

EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic (free from Schneider Electric) with its simulator

Hardware

None. The simulator runs every exercise.

Syllabus

18 modules

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

  1. 1Schneider PLCs and Machine Expert Basic6 lessons
  2. 2Logic Gates in Ladder7 lessons
  3. 3Switch-Based Programs6 lessons
  4. 4Set, Reset, Memory Bits and Latching6 lessonsLab
  5. 5Counters, Comparisons and Operation Blocks3 lessonsLab
  6. 6Boolean Expressions to Ladder7 lessons
  7. 7Digital Logic Circuits and Alarms5 lessons
  8. 8Push-Button Programs and Forcing6 lessonsLab
  9. 9Timers: TON, TOF and TP5 lessonsLab
  10. 10Timer Applications I7 lessonsLab
  11. 11Timer Applications II5 lessons
  12. 12Home and Machine Examples6 lessonsLab
  13. 13Process and Site Examples8 lessons
  14. 14Longer Worked Problems I8 lessons
  15. 15Longer Worked Problems II8 lessonsLab
  16. 16Longer Worked Problems III8 lessons
  17. 17Machine Expert Basic Tooling: Indexed Addressing, Shift Registers, Online Change, Modbus TCP and HMI7 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

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 Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic. 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 Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic

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 to buy the software?
No. EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic is a free download from Schneider Electric and includes a simulator that runs every exercise.
Which Schneider PLCs does this cover?
The Modicon M221 through Machine Expert Basic, including Modbus TCP on the M221. The M241, M251 and M262 use the full Machine Expert, and the M340 and M580 use Control Expert: both are different tools and not covered here.
Do I need a PLC?
No. The simulator stands in for it. The wiring and catalogue lessons prepare you for a real M221 when you meet one.
Why are there so many worked examples?
Because that is how ladder is learned. The source series solves one application per lesson, and the practice task asks you to solve it first and compare.
What computer do I need?
A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM. Machine Expert Basic 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 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.

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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