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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Siemens S7-300 with STEP 7

The classic Siemens PLC, from an empty SIMATIC Manager project to a commissioned, diagnosed, running machine.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
22
Video
23 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Configure an S7-300 rack in HW Config, write ladder logic with contacts, coils, edges, timers, counters, comparators and arithmetic, structure a program into OBs, FCs, FBs and DBs, scale analog signals and close a PID loop, build the production-line, mixer and elevator projects, read STL, go online, back up to a memory card, and read the diagnostic buffer to find why a CPU stopped.

  • Build an S7-300 rack in HW Config and read the addresses it assigns
  • Write ladder with contacts, coils, Set/Reset, edges and flip-flops that behave safely
  • Use S7 and IEC timers and counters, and know which one a problem needs
  • Structure a program into OB1, FCs, FBs and data blocks, one motor block for twelve motors
  • Scale a 4-20 mA signal with SCALE and UNSCALE, and close a PID loop
  • Read STL written by someone else without guessing
  • Go online over MPI, PROFIBUS or Ethernet, download, upload and compare
  • Read the diagnostic buffer and say why the CPU stopped

Software

STEP 7 V5.7 (SIMATIC Manager), latest service pack: Siemens offers registered users a 21-day trial, on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise; S7-PLCSIM V5.x for simulation (a separate Siemens product); optional Factory I/O (30-day trial) for the simulated-plant modules

Hardware

None. Every exercise runs in S7-PLCSIM.

Syllabus

22 modules

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

  1. 1Meet the S7-300 and SIMATIC Manager4 lessons
  2. 2Hardware Configuration in HW Config6 lessons
  3. 3Inside the CPU: Memory Areas and Properties6 lessons
  4. 4Bit Logic: Contacts, Coils, Set and Reset6 lessons
  5. 5Latching, Edges and Flip-flops4 lessonsLab
  6. 6Motor Control: Direction, Star-Delta and Interlocks3 lessonsLab
  7. 7Simulation: PLCSIM and Factory I/O3 lessons
  8. 8S7 Timers: S_PULSE, S_ODT, S_OFFDT and Friends7 lessonsLab
  9. 9IEC Timers and Timing in Practice5 lessons
  10. 10Counters5 lessonsLab
  11. 11Comparators, Arithmetic and Data Types2 lessonsLab
  12. 12Program Structure: OB1, FCs, FBs and Data Blocks3 lessons
  13. 13Symbols, Comments, Consistency and Cross-references6 lessons
  14. 14Analog Inputs and Outputs4 lessonsLab
  15. 15Closed-loop Control: ON/OFF and PID3 lessonsLab
  16. 16Projects: Production Line and Mixer4 lessons
  17. 17Project: Four-level Elevator with an HMI2 lessons
  18. 18Reading STL: Statement List Basics4 lessons
  19. 19Going Online: MPI, PROFIBUS, Ethernet and Downloads8 lessons
  20. 20Memory Cards, Backups and Archiving8 lessons
  21. 21Diagnostics: Why the CPU Stopped13 lessons
  22. 22Final 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 S7-300 with STEP 7. 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 S7-300 with STEP 7

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • plcgoods

    the S7-300 course lessons: hardware, logic, analog, PID and projects

  • The AutomationCentral

    the SIMATIC Manager Step 7 tutorial series: HW Config, CPU properties, timers, STL, online, memory cards and diagnostics

  • Control System Guru

    bit logic, edges, FC, FB and OB lessons

  • GearHead Nomad

    simulation, counters, comparators, arithmetic and process lessons

Questions

About this course

Why learn the S7-300 when Siemens has moved to the S7-1500?
Because the machines have not. The S7-300 was sold for over twenty years and plants around the world still run on it. Siemens stopped taking orders for new modules in October 2025 and promises spare parts until 2033. Maintaining, extending and eventually migrating those machines is paid work, and it needs someone who can read STEP 7 Classic and STL.
Do I need STEP 7 Classic installed?
Yes, for the exercises. STEP 7 V5.x is licensed software; a trial is available from Siemens, and many colleges and employers hold licences. The first three modules and every diagnostic module can be followed without it.
Do I need a real S7-300?
No. Every exercise runs in S7-PLCSIM, and the plant modules use the Factory I/O trial. A real rack helps later; nothing here requires one.
How is this different from the free TIA Portal course?
TIA Portal is the current tool and the S7-1200 the current small PLC. This course is the previous generation: SIMATIC Manager, HW Config, S5 timers, STL. The ideas overlap; the tools do not, and a maintenance engineer needs both.
What computer do I need?
STEP 7 V5.x runs on Windows. A 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise machine with 8 GB of RAM is comfortable. It will not install on macOS or Linux without a Windows virtual machine.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved. 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.
Will this course get me a job?
On its own, no course will. What it gives you is the ability to open a twenty-year-old STEP 7 project on a factory floor and understand it, which is exactly what maintenance and retrofit roles are looking for.

Siemens engineer path

Take it with

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