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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal

Beyond the basics: block design, optimized DBs, UDTs, S7-GRAPH, SCL, drives, libraries, software units, multiuser, testing tools and worked projects on the S7-1500.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
19
Video
28 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Simulate an S7-1500, choose FC, FB and DB correctly, use optimized access, instances, libraries and versioning, design with UDTs into faceplates, write sequences in S7-GRAPH and LAD, program SCL to a complete example, commission a G120, read the three views, manage firmware and archives, use software units and multiuser, test with watch, force and trace, and build worked projects with fault handling.

  • Simulate on PLCSIM and use clock memory and time functions
  • Choose FC, FB, DB and instance types deliberately, with libraries and versioning
  • Use optimized block access and know when standard access is still needed
  • Design with arrays, structs and UDTs into HMI faceplates
  • Write sequences in S7-GRAPH with interlocks and supervision, and in LAD
  • Program in SCL from operators to a complete worked example
  • Commission a G120 with Startdrive, read device, network and topology views, handle firmware and archives
  • Split projects into software units and multiuser sessions, and test with watch, force and trace
  • Handle errors with OB80, OB82, OB86 and OB121, and use cyclic and hardware interrupts

Software

TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules

Hardware

None. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs every exercise.

Syllabus

19 modules

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

  1. 1PLCSIM, Clock Memory and Time4 lessons
  2. 2Logic in Four Languages, Latches and Edges4 lessonsLab
  3. 3Functions and Function Blocks2 lessons
  4. 4Data Blocks and Optimized Access2 lessons
  5. 5Instances, Libraries and Versioning3 lessons
  6. 6Timers: IEC and Legacy2 lessonsLab
  7. 7Analog Processing2 lessonsLab
  8. 8Arrays, Structs, UDTs and Faceplates4 lessons
  9. 9Sequential Programming: S7-GRAPH and LAD4 lessonsLab
  10. 10SCL Fundamentals: Logic, Timers, CASE and Loops9 lessonsLab
  11. 11SCL Worked Example I4 lessons
  12. 12SCL Worked Example II4 lessons
  13. 13Drives: G120 with Startdrive3 lessons
  14. 14Device, Network and Topology Views, GSD, Shared Devices3 lessons
  15. 15Firmware, Backups and Archives4 lessons
  16. 16Software Units and Multiuser Projects4 lessons
  17. 17Diagnostics and Testing: Error OBs, Interrupts, Watch, Force, Trace8 lessons
  18. 18Worked Projects6 lessonsLab
  19. 19Final 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 Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal. 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 Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal

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 the free TIA Portal course first?
Strongly recommended. This course assumes you can already create a project, wire a rung, use IEC timers and download to PLCSIM.
Which TIA Portal version?
V16 to V19 all work for the material; software units and multiuser need V16 or later and an S7-1500.
Some source lessons are members-only. Are they included?
No. Six members-only lessons were left out; their topics are covered by the public lessons and the notes.
Is S7-GRAPH included in the trial?
STEP 7 Professional includes GRAPH and SCL; the trial is the Professional edition.
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 Siemens qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Siemens 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.

Siemens engineer path

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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