PLC Fundamentals (Level I)

This course is designed to equip the novice with no prior PLC programming experience with the basic tools necessary to create a complete PLC program using ladder logic common to most current platforms.

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What Do You Get?

14 hours of video instruction
129 lessons
12 articles
19 downloadable resources
Unlimited access
Certificate of Completion
30 day money back guarantee
Included software: RSLogix 500 Micro, RSLinx Classic Lite, Emulate 500 (everything you need to create and run your own PLC programs)

How Will This Course Benefit You?

By the end of this course, you will be able to create a PLC program from scratch.

The primary and overall objective of this course is to give you an understanding of PLC programming, ladder logic, and the inner workings of a standard HMI (Human-Machine Interface).

You will learn the difference between digital and analog signals and how to bring them into a PLC, process them, and send them back out.

You will be familiarized enough with a sufficient variety of ladder logic instructions to create a complete PLC program from scratch.

You will explore basic, standard controls techniques for things like HOA control, level control, pump control, and (on at least an introductory level) PID control loops.

You will develop an understanding of alarm and notification programming, and the relevant considerations to safety and operator usability.

You will be introduced to HMI development and given a general understanding of how an HMI program works.

Are There Any Requirements?

There is no software, hardware or experience required in order to complete this course, but practicing the techniques discussed on an emulator or live PLC are necessary steps toward eventual mastery.

Course Summary

This course is designed to equip the novice with no prior PLC programming experience with the basic tools necessary to create a complete PLC program using ladder logic common to most current platforms.

Using the Rockwell software RSLogix 500 and FactoryTalk View Studio, we will be covering such topics as general controls, digital and analog IO, ladder logic programming, alarm / notification handling, HMI, emulation, best practices and more.

In the end, we will go through an entire, working PLC program and HMI line by line to solidify comprehension of the learning objectives.

This course, teaches you how to program with the focus on ladder logic, which is the most popular PLC programming language. The goal is to teach you everything you need to know to make a PLC do what you want it to do. You are also given all the software necessary to both CREATE and RUN your own programs live - right on your own computer. For some people, that's all they really need.

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Course curriculum

1. Course Intro: Curriculum / Objectives
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2. Software and Course Notes
3. Contacting Your Instructor
4. 500 vs. 5000, PLC Languages, Manufacturers
1. Section Objectives
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2. PLC Automation
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3. RSLogix 500 Environment
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4. Basic Functionality of a Program (Inputs, Outputs, Conversion)
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5. Theory, Redundancy and Practice
6. PLC Programming Overview Quiz
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7. Section Wrap-up
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1. Section Objectives
2. IO Overview
3. Digital IO
4. Analog IO
5. IO Modules
6. Don't Be Intimidated by IO
7. IO (Inputs and Outputs) Quiz
8. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Data Management
3. A Bit More on Addresses
4. Rungs and Branches
5. Conditions and Instructions (Left to Right)
6. XIO, XIC, OTE
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7. OTL, OTU
8. ONS, OSR, OSF
9. TON, TOF, RTO
10. CTU, RES
11. Comparators
12. Mathematical Operators, CPT
13. SCP
14. A Bit More on Analog Scaling
15. MOV
16. JMP, LBL
17. PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) Control Loops
18. Instruction Set / References
19. Programming Fundamentals Quiz
20. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Setup Program / Processor
3. Module Configurations
4. Scaling / Resolution
5. Function Files
6. Program Files
7. Adding and Expanding Program and Data Files
8. Program Setup Quiz
9. Section Wrap-up
1. Relax and Unwind a Little - Clear Your Head
1. Section Objectives
2. Programming Digital IO
3. PROPER Digital Control Logic
4. A Bit More on Digital Control Logic
5. DEAD-WRONG, Crappy, Garbage Digital Controls
6. Programming Analog IO
7. Analog Process Control (LL, L, H, HH)
8. IO Programming Quiz
9. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Process Programming Overview
3. Blower HOA (Hand / Off / Auto) Control
4. A Bit More on HOA Controls
5. Digital Tank / Pump Control
6. Analog Tank / Pump Control
7. PID Heater Control
8. What It Takes to Develop Process Logic
9. Process Logic Quiz
10. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Alarms Overview
3. Considerations
4. Dual-bit Alarm / Notification Programming
5. When Alarms SUCK!
6. Setpoints
7. Alarms and Digital Control Logic
8. Alarms and Notifications Quiz
9. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. HMI Overview
3. HMI Alternatives
4. Basic Flow of an HMI Program
5. Setting Up a Screen
6. Alarms / Events / Notifications
7. Permissions
8. Designing Around UX
9. HMI (Human Machine Interface) Quiz
10. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Communications Overview
3. Learning Everything About Comms Isn't Necessary
4. Communications Quiz
5. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Overview
3. Main
4. D Input
5. D Output
6. A Input
7. A Output
8. Controls
9. Alarms
10. Display
11. How to Reverse Engineer a Program
12. DemoTest Program Report
13. Section Wrap-up
1. Section Objectives
2. Emulation
3. Dry Run
4. Forcing IO
5. Electromechanical Checks
6. Full-function Test
7. Troubleshooting Methodology
8. Consequences
9. Proper Programming Makes Debugging / Troubleshooting Easy
10. Shakedown / Debugging Quiz
11. Section Wrap-up
1. Topical Overview
2. Creating Your Architecture
3. Approaching the Logic
4. Start from a Template!
5. Get Yourself Primed for Level 2
1. Next Steps
1. Sample1 (Chemical Process System) Program Report
2. Sample1 Cause and Effect Matrix
3. Sample2 (Water Filtration) Program Report
4. Sample2 Control Description
5. Program Archive
1. Want to Learn MORE?
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About this course

$12.00
128 lessons
14 hours of video content

Student Reviews

Great introduction for those with no prior experience

Herman Blenneros

PLC Fundamentals by Paul Lynn served as a great introduction to PLC programming for someone like me with no prior experience of PLCs. The package taught in t...

PLC Fundamentals by Paul Lynn served as a great introduction to PLC programming for someone like me with no prior experience of PLCs. The package taught in this course is complete in that I didn't feel like anything was missing. It combines the basic theory necessary to program PLCs with some very practical programming techniques and best practices. It also made me more excited about programming PLCs so I am definitively continuing on with level 2.

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Great Introductory course

Kyle Steinebach

I currently work in the operations side of an air separation plant, Paul's consideration of what an operator thinks and how they perform their job is a relie...

I currently work in the operations side of an air separation plant, Paul's consideration of what an operator thinks and how they perform their job is a relief. The pace of the course material is great and easy to follow, i did dial the speed up to 1.25x on his videos just cause sometimes his pace of talking while working can be a bit slow.

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Way more than I expected!!!!!!

ISMAILA NIANG

This course is the most detailed and results-driven course that I've taken so far and this comes from someone who took Rockwell Automation Advanced Training....

This course is the most detailed and results-driven course that I've taken so far and this comes from someone who took Rockwell Automation Advanced Training. Paul hammers down the most important concepts over and over until it becomes second nature. Best money I spent on a course.

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Rise Of The Machines

Luis Ortiz

The journeyman electrician that I will always be, really enjoyed this course. I have worked on most of the electrical systems that that you folks program PLC...

The journeyman electrician that I will always be, really enjoyed this course. I have worked on most of the electrical systems that that you folks program PLC's for. I may take level 2 just for kicks and grins.I learned many years ago that it isn't what you learn that matters most. But how you learn! You can learn anything once you understand that principle. So as Paul has said over and over again in teaching this course I need repetition practice (which is the mother of skill). Anything become mundane after doing it for so long, which is why I enjoy taking classes and learning new things. I enjoyed this course. I also enjoyed the extra video's.

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PLC Programming Level 1 Course

James Edwards

Excellent course. Gives you the fundamentals of PLC Programming and prepares you for the next steps toward career goals in this field.

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Awesome Course

Lucas Hargrave

This was a great course. From being someone who had only interacted with PLC's a handful of times to feeling like I could manage with a decent level of adeq...

This was a great course. From being someone who had only interacted with PLC's a handful of times to feeling like I could manage with a decent level of adequacy this course was exactly what I was needing!

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Feedback (Level I)

Tibor Henzsel

Ohh yeah, this was what I had seek from long time ago. I gained more information than in the University 15 years before. I can't wait for the next course to ...

Ohh yeah, this was what I had seek from long time ago. I gained more information than in the University 15 years before. I can't wait for the next course to attend.

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Good course

Claudio Di Pietro

Very effective way to start understanding how PLCs work and how they are programmed

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Great PLC Course

david hu

I learned a lot about PLC programming from this class. Paul explains things very well and he makes sure you understand it by explaining it repeatedly. Also, ...

I learned a lot about PLC programming from this class. Paul explains things very well and he makes sure you understand it by explaining it repeatedly. Also, he shows you how to get very useful software for free, which can come in very handy!

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Great teacher

Joseph Shoemaker

Not everyone is a great teacher. You definitely know how to teach in a way folks can understand.

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Fantastic Course!

Wally Rogers

I am an IT person that has recently been hired in a paper mill. This course was very informative and has given me the confidence to get more involved in su...

I am an IT person that has recently been hired in a paper mill. This course was very informative and has given me the confidence to get more involved in supporting our process network. I will definitely progress in PLC programming and eventually get in to Siemens PLC programming to be of more help in our power plant as well. Thanks Paul!

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Excellent Course!

Quentin Richard Lindeque

Enjoy the attention to detail and Excellent stepping stone. Thanks a Million Paul!

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Introduction

PLC Programming Overview

IO (Inputs and Outputs)

Programming Fundamentals

Program Setup

Intermission

IO Programming

Process Logic

Alarms and Notifications

HMI (Human Machine Interface)

Communications

Program Walkthru (Line by Line)

Shakedown / Debugging

Getting the Job Done - FAST!

Conclusion

Supplemental Material for Further Study

Bonus Content

About this course