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EDWartens UK

Free course · Motion control

Servo Drives and Motion Control

What a servo system is, how to wire, mode, home, tune and network one, then motion programming in Studio 5000 and Siemens TIA Portal technology objects.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
15
Video
18 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain servo motors, drives and feedback and choose a system, wire and jog a drive, use position, speed and torque modes, home and position, tune, handle braking and STO, network over EtherNet/IP and Modbus, program Logix motion with conversion constants, profiles, gearing and homing, and configure Siemens S120 drives, telegrams and technology objects with the MC_ blocks.

  • Choose a servo system by torque, speed, inertia ratio and feedback
  • Wire, configure and jog a servo drive
  • Use position, speed and torque modes and know the runaway risk
  • Home, position absolutely, gear electronically and tune with the scope
  • Design the stop chain: STO, brake, regen
  • Network a drive over EtherNet/IP and Modbus
  • Program Logix motion: MSO, MAH, MAM, MAG, conversion constants, profiles, faults
  • Configure Siemens S120, telegrams, technology objects and MC_ blocks

Software

SureServo2 Pro (free) for the drive modules; for the PLC motion modules, optionally Studio 5000 Logix Designer (paid) or TIA Portal V21 (21-day trial)

Hardware

None required. A small servo kit makes tuning and homing real.

Syllabus

15 modules

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

  1. 1Servo Systems and Selection5 lessons
  2. 2Hardware, Wiring and First Jog3 lessons
  3. 3Control Modes: Position, Speed, Torque6 lessons
  4. 4Homing, Absolute Positioning, Gearing3 lessonsLab
  5. 5Tuning3 lessonsLab
  6. 6Braking, STO and E-Stop5 lessonsLab
  7. 7Networking a Servo Drive6 lessons
  8. 8Studio 5000 Motion: From Scratch5 lessonsLab
  9. 9Conversion Constants and Mechanics4 lessonsLab
  10. 10Motion Instructions and Profiles5 lessonsLab
  11. 11Homing, Gearing, Groups and Faults8 lessonsLab
  12. 12Siemens: S120, Telegrams, Technology Objects4 lessons
  13. 13Siemens MC_ Blocks6 lessonsLab
  14. 14Siemens Gearing and Its Dangers2 lessons
  15. 15Final 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 the commissioning half of the course in the lab: scale and home a servo axis, set its limits, write the command sequence, tune it on a trend and prove the E-stop.

Works alongside Servo Drives and Motion Control. The Lab is robot cell 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
Robot cell: Teach a robot arm.

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 Servo Drives and Motion Control

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 a servo?
No. The drive modules can be followed with the free configuration software offline; a small servo kit makes tuning and homing hands-on.
Which vendors are covered?
AutomationDirect SureServo2 for the drive fundamentals (the same concepts apply to Delta, Yaskawa, Panasonic), Rockwell Kinetix for Logix motion, and Siemens S120 with TIA Portal technology objects.
How much maths?
Conversion constants and gear ratios: arithmetic. The rest is behaviour you see on a scope.
Is this safe to practise?
Servo axes move fast and hard. Practise with limits set, low speeds and torque limits, and never in torque mode without a speed limit.
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.

Industrial robotics

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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