PLC Basics First Edition Remastered
The original PLC Basics™ course is back and remastered for it's Ten Year Anniversary! Learn everything you need to know to setup, use, and program PLCs, including:
| ✓ What PLCs are, and how they work | ✓ Different styles and types of PLCs |
| ✓ Numbering Systems, Data Types | ✓ How to read Ladder Logic |
| ✓ Inputs and Outputs, I/O Scan | ✓ Bits, Integers, Timers, Counters |
| ✓ Setting up RSLinx Drivers | ✓ Creating Programs in RSLogix |
| ✓ Testing Programs in Emulate | ✓ Up & Downloading to PLCs |
| Buy For Someone Else (Voucher) | Open Course Data Sheet (PDF) |
- NOTE: To purchase this course for someone else, choose "Voucher." If you need to enroll three or more people, contact us HERE to learn about our group enrollment program.
What You'll Receive With Your Purchase
- Immediate Online Access
- Forty Plus Online Lessons
- Ten File Downloads
- Online Instructor Support
- PLC Hardware & Software is NOT Included
- No Expiration Date
- Take Lessons In Any Order
- Retake Lessons As Needed
- Completion Certificate with PDHs
Learn to confidently setup, program, and troubleshoot PLCs with PLC Basics Remastered First Edition
You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to learn how to use, program, and troubleshoot PLCs. All you need is basic electrical knowledge, a Windows PC, and our affordable PLC Basics Second Edition Online Course.
PLC Basics is the perfect online course for electricians, technicians, and engineers who want to learn to setup, troubleshoot, and program PLCs. Taught by a factory certified PLC specialist with over thirty years of experience, in this course you will learn everything you need to know to get started using PLCs with confidence.
Unlike other vendor's courses that become available only after you purchase their expensive hardware or trainers, our PLC courses doesn't require you to purchase any additional parts as we show you how to download and use the free editions of the Allen-Bradley PLC Programming and Emulation software used in this course.
And unlike other companies whose job is done once the sale is complete, we're committed to your success and actively encourage students to post questions in the lesson discussion area. Our expert instructors visit The Automation School each weekday to support and answer student questions.
We also invite you to come back and retake any lesson as the need arises, which is made possible by the fact that none of our course come with an expiration date.
And when you finish your course and pass all the quizzes, you'll also be rewarded with an official Completion Certificate from from The Automation School that will list the Professional Development Hours you've earned by completing all of the course content.
Remastered First Edition Topics:
Below is a summary of the topics covered, and a complete lesson listing is also available in a following section:
- What a PLC is
- Styles and Types of PLCs
- Numbering Systems and Data Types
- What Ladder Logic is and how it works
- How to setup Serial and Ethernet Communications
- Creating, Testing, and Troubleshooting MicroLogix Programs in RSLogix
- How to integrate Push Buttons and Pilots Lights with PLC Logic
- How to use PLCs in a Motor Control circuit
- Elapsed Run Times
- Mathematical Equations
- Comparison Instructions
- And more!
Who should take this course:
Anyone who has basic electrical knowledge and wants to learn how to setup, program, and troubleshoot PLCs.
Instructor Bio:
Link to Instructor(s) Details
Student review: “I can honestly say that I have learned more with this course than I did with A-B's version. I feel so much more confident with communications between the computer, drivers, and the plc. And I understand better the functions and the processes that are taking place in the plc regarding XIC's, TON's, and Counters. This has really opened my eyes!” – R.A..
Student review: “Very nice course. You're a really good teacher who knows how to teach. I really enjoyed this course. Thank you very much” – S.S.
Student review: “Perfectly paced. He knows his stuff, and he's quite simply, a very gifted instructor. Thanks.” – J.C.
Student review: “Instructors presentation is clear and well organized. He walks the student through setting up the software so that the student may follow along at home.” – J.B.
Video: All MicroLogix Hardware, Software, and Simulation Options
Course and Bundle Pricing:
- Instant Access
- Lifetime Access
- Lesson Q & A Support
- Completion Cert. with PDHs
- Getting Started Course
- PLC App Sim (Win 10/11)
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- Instant Access
- Lifetime Access
- Lesson Q & A Support
- Completion Cert. with PDHs
- Updated Second Edition
- PLC App Sim (Win 10/11)
- Intermediate Lessons
- Bonus Videos
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- Instant Access
- Lifetime Access
- Lesson Q & A Support
- Completion Cert. with PDHs
- PLC Two Course Bundle
- PLC App Sim (Win 10/11)
- Intermediate Lessons
- +++Bonus Videos
- + Micro800 Course
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- Instant Access
- Lifetime Access
- Lesson Q & A Support
- Completion Cert. with PDHs
- Seven A-B Course Bundle
- PLC App Sim (Win 10/11)
- Intermediate Lessons
- +++Bonus Videos
- + Micro800 Course
- + CompactLogix Course
- + ControlLogix Course
- + PanelView Plus Course
- + FTViewSE Course
- + CCW VFD Quickstart
- X
- X
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- Instant Access
- Lifetime Access
- Lesson Q & A Support
- Completion Cert. with PDHs
- Seventeen A-B Course Bundle
- PLC App Sim (Win 10/11)
- Intermediate Lessons
- +++Bonus Videos
- + Micro800 Course
- + CompactLogix Course
- + ControlLogix Course
- + PVPlus Course
- + FTViewSE Course
- + CCW VFD Quickstart
- + Master Logix: PLCLogix
- + Master Logix: FactoryIO
- + SLC Course Pre-Order
- + PLC-5 Course Pre-Order
NOTE: To purchase this course as a gift, or for someone else to take, please choose the Voucher option at top of the page.
Sample Lesson and Snapshots
Free Sample Lesson:
This lesson covers how to download the free versions of RSLogix, RSLinx, and Emulate 500.
NOTE: If the above Sample Lesson Video does not load, your company's IT department may be blocking our video host Vimeo.com. To verify this, try viewing the video on your Cell Phone or Home PC, or ask your IT department to unblock educational videos hosted on Vimeo.com.
Another sample lesson is available to preview HERE.
Course Requirements and Questions
After purchasing this course, the only requirement to take the course is an Internet Connection to access this website.
That said, students who would like to complete the optional hands-on exercises should read the below:
While the hands-on exercises in this course are completely optional, it's understandable that many students want to complete them as part of their learning journey.
If that's you, below are two common options you can choose from:
1) You either have, or can acquire, a physical MicroLogix 1000 or 1100 (if using the free version of RSLogix) or a MicroLogix 1200, 1400, or 1500 and the paid version of RSLogix Micro. This, along with your software installed and working on your PC, would be the ideal situation to complete the optional hands-on exercises, however we know most students will not have access to the hardware.
NOTE: A common question we get is if we provide hardware or software with this online course, and since both are many times the price of this course, we do not.
2) For those who don't have access to a physical MicroLogix PLC and software license, we do walk students through how to download the free version of RSLogix Micro, as well as the free PLC Emulator, Emulate 500, and together they can be used to complete most of the optional exercises.
Note: Currently, Rockwell states their free RSLogix PLC and Emulation software supports these Windows versions:
- Windows XP Pro SP3 32-bit
- Windows Vista, Home or Business
- Windows 7, Home or Pro
- Windows 8, Home or Pro
- Windows 10 (Unofficial, instructor tested)
License agreement and permitted use of our online courses:
This section covers the license agreement and permitted use of our online courses and course bundles, which also includes any course materials, code snippets, downloads, and provided software, which taken all together will henceforth be referred to collectively as a "course:"
The purchase of a single copy of a course grants a single individual with the right to use the course for personal instruction and reference only. Purchasing a course for yourself (or for another) does not grant you, them, or anyone the right to distribute or share that work beyond the single individual that registers to take the course.
This means the course and course materials may not be shared with friends, relatives, co-workers, students, or anyone else as each sale is for an individual license to access, view, and take the lessons, quizzes, exercises, and download any course materials, documents, code, files, and software that are included with the course.
This per-person licensing helps ensure that the instructor who created the course (and exclusively holds the copyright for it,) can cover the expense outlaid to create the course, as well as cover the continuing costs of keeping the course available to new and existing customers, and additionally cover the expense of answering new questions that paying customers may have, all while providing the instructor (and copyright holder) with fair compensation for access to their copyrighted course and course materials that are licensed on a per-person basis.
Note that it is unlawful to share this copyrighted course and course material *even* if you do not charge for doing so, or do not make a profit doing so - this includes non-profit and governmental organizations - as the nature of this unique, copyrighted, proprietary educational work (for which the instructor holds the sole copyright,) is that it is designed as a chargeable training resource that is not made freely available to the public, and as such its only value is in its controlled distribution.
Therefore, any unauthorized sharing of the course or the course materials would greatly reduce the potential for additional sales and licensing, directly impacting the ability of the instructor and copyright holder to cover their costs to produce the course, as well as to continue to make it available to new and existing customers, and to support customers who lawfully purchased it.
If you have any questions on the above, please contact us using the "contact link" in the site menu.
Course Content
Reviews
Shawn was very well prepared. The lessons were not only easy to follow but very instructional. Unlike other video courses Shawn walks you through the lessons. The theory and instruction comes WHILE actually writing a program. Can't say enough good about him and his course. Will definitely will be recommending him and The Automation School to peers.
Very nice course. You're a really good teacher who knows how to teach. I realy enjoyed this course. Thank you very much
I believe I have a pretty good understanding of PLC CORE Basics from taking this course, but there were some areas that could have used a more in-depth explanation, or reference to materials for getting a better grasp on certain aspects. I felt that if I was a true beginner (such as a student who has never stepped foot in an industrial setting), I would be lost, distracted by a lack of explanation for specific details, such as the test bench model and why it was set up in that fashion BEFORE starting to use it to show the functioning of the PLC. While some of this was covered a bit in the appendices provided, it still left something to be desired for the true beginner, one who has never seen a status light stack (for output status) or what typical installations might use a PLC as opposed to discreet controls alone, such as switches controlling relays and motors directly, and what the advantages/disadvantages would be for choosing to do either. Otherwise, after going back and reviewing some of the material a few times, it became clearer what was taking place, so I did learn everything that the course was intended to teach, I just had to figure it out on my own, which, in hindsight, may have been better than having all the details to meet my desire!
About the Instructors
