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EDWartens UK

Free course · DCS

Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 DCS

Siemens' process control system as refineries, fertiliser and power plants run it: components and buses, AS and OS configuration, the multi-project, CFC and run-time groups, STEP 7 blocks inside PCS 7, the MotL block and interlocks, custom logic, OS alarms, trends, logging and users, reusable charts, PID and voting, SFC sequences and control templates, and full projects from tank station to compressor anti-surge.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
15
Video
35 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain PCS 7 architecture, configure AS and OS in a multi-project, build CFC charts with run-time groups, use STEP 7 FCs, FBs, DBs and OBs inside PCS 7, drive motors and valves with MotL and interlock blocks, write custom FB and SCL logic, configure OS alarms, trends, logging and users, build reusable charts, PID and SFC sequences, and deliver a complete project.

  • Explain PCS 7 architecture, stations and buses
  • Configure AS, OS and the multi-project
  • Build CFC charts with run-time groups and STEP 7 blocks
  • Drive motors with MotL, interlocks and custom logic
  • Configure OS alarms, trends, logging and users
  • Build SFC sequences, PID, voting and complete projects

Software

SIMATIC PCS 7 is licensed engineering software with no public download. Use a licence at work or college, or do every practice task on paper; the videos show each step

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

15 modules

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

  1. 1PCS 7 and Its Components6 lessons
  2. 2Hardware, AS and OS Configuration and the Multi-Project10 lessons
  3. 3Creating a Project and Channel Drivers5 lessons
  4. 4CFC: Function Blocks, Interconnections and Run-Time Groups11 lessons
  5. 5STEP 7 Inside PCS 7: Memory, Addressing, Analog and Timers11 lessonsLab
  6. 6Functions, Function Blocks, Data Blocks and UDTs13 lessons
  7. 7Organisation Blocks and Time-Driven OBs6 lessons
  8. 8The MotL and VlvL Blocks: Local, Automatic and Selector Control5 lessons
  9. 9Interlocks and Protection with MotL2 lessons
  10. 10Custom Logic, Parameter View, Permissions and Features6 lessons
  11. 11OS: Alarms, Trends, Logging and Users7 lessonsLab
  12. 12Reusable Charts, Voting, PID and Calculations in CFC8 lessonsLab
  13. 13SFC Sequences and Control Templates7 lessons
  14. 14Projects: Tank Station, Chiller, Compressor, Desalination14 lessonsLab
  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

Run a tank and pump process in the Lab, read the trends and check alarms the way an operator screen would show them.

Works alongside Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 DCS. The Lab is process control practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Process control: Tune a real process loop.

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 Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 DCS

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 PCS 7 installed?
No. PCS 7 is licensed software Siemens does not offer as a public download, so every practice task has a paper route and the videos show each step on a real system. If your workplace or college has a licence, use it; the concepts transfer to any PCS 7 version from 8 to the current 10.0.
Is this the same as the S7-1500 course?
No. PCS 7 is the DCS layer on top of STEP 7: charts, libraries, OS and plant hierarchy. Take the S7-300 course first if STEP 7 is new.
Where is PCS 7 used?
Around the world in refineries, fertiliser, petrochemicals, cement, power and pharma plants that chose Siemens as the DCS vendor.
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 35 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the fifteen 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