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EDWartens UK

Free course · PLC programming

Siemens TIA Portal Program Structure and Best Practice

How professionals lay out a TIA Portal project so it is still readable in five years: modular blocks, FBs and instances, UDTs for I/O, arrays and shift registers, a structured drive block, and two live workshops that clean up real messy programs.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
8
Video
12 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Start a project the right way, structure it into modular function blocks with single and multi-instances, describe I/O and machines with UDTs, use arrays and shift registers where they belong, add a structured VFD control block, upload from a PLC, and refactor a chaotic program and its data into something a colleague can maintain.

  • Start a TIA Portal project cleanly and know what TIA Portal changed from SIMATIC Manager
  • Structure a program into modular blocks that scale
  • Use function blocks with single and multi-instances correctly
  • Describe I/O and machines with UDTs and use arrays and shift registers
  • Add a structured VFD control block and upload from a running PLC
  • Refactor a messy program and chaotic data into a maintainable project

Software

TIA Portal V21 (21-day trial) with S7-PLCSIM; V17 or later also works

Hardware

None, everything runs in simulation

Syllabus

8 modules

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

  1. 1Starting a Project the Right Way, and TIA Portal versus Simatic Manager2 lessons
  2. 2Structuring a Program Like a Pro, and Why Projects Become a Mess2 lessons
  3. 3Function Blocks: Expert Guide, Single and Multi-Instances, and Libraries3 lessons
  4. 4UDTs for I/O and Machines; Arrays and Shift Registers2 lessons
  5. 5A Structured VFD Control Block, and Uploading from a PLC2 lessons
  6. 6Workshop: Building a Modular PLC Application in Two Hours1 lesson
  7. 7Live Workshops: Cleaning Up a Messy Program and Re-Organising Chaotic Data; TIA Portal versus Studio 50003 lessons
  8. 8Final 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. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. 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 TIA Portal Program Structure and Best Practice. 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.

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 TIA Portal Program Structure and Best Practice

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

  • PLCskilltree

    the TIA Portal PLC programming tutorial videos and live workshops

  • FriendsInTech Automation

    a lesson in "Function Blocks: Expert Guide, Single and Multi-Instances, and Libraries"

Questions

About this course

Is this a beginner course?
No. It assumes you can already write working logic. It teaches how to arrange that logic so a whole team can work on it.
Why are there two-hour workshops?
Because structure is learned by watching a real program being reorganised, decision by decision. The notes give you the checklist; the workshops show it applied.
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.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 12 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eight modules at your own speed.
What software and hardware do I need?
TIA Portal V21 (V17 or later also works) with S7-PLCSIM, which runs on Siemens' 21-day trial. No hardware is needed, because everything runs in simulation.

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