PLC programming · Free online course
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder
The AC500 family and Automation Builder (CODESYS-based): first project, ladder, latching, interlocks, timers, counters, retentive data, PROFIBUS and PROFINET, visualization, CP600 HMI and platform features.
- 5.0· 1 learner review
- 10 modules
- 5h 25m of video
- Beginner
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹2,999 by length and depth against classroom training. It has always been free; that is not a former price.
No card. Checkout takes a minute and gives you a receipt.
Overview
About ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder
The AC500 family and Automation Builder (CODESYS-based): first project, ladder, latching, interlocks, timers, counters, retentive data, PROFIBUS and PROFINET, visualization, CP600 HMI and platform features.
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 10 modules and 5h 25m of video lessons by PLC SCADA Training, PLC Programming, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
Who it is for: Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
This course includes
- 5h 25m of video lessons
- 10 modules with written notes and diagrams
- One final assessment: 15 questions, pass mark 60%
- Ask-an-engineer support from practising engineers
- Lifetime access, the course does not expire
- Optional verifiable certificate when you finish
- Step 1 of 3
Learn the 10 modules
5h 25m of video lessons, written notes and a practice task per module, at your own pace.
- Step 2 of 3
Pass the final assessment
15 questions drawn from every module, pass mark 60%, 3 attempts.
- Step 3 of 3
Take the certificate, if you want it
Optional, paid once, only if you choose it. The course stays free either way.
See the certificate and its price
A look inside
From the lessons
The AC500 Platform and Automation Builder
by PLC SCADA Training
First Project and Commissioning
by PLC SCADA Training
Contacts, Coils and Gates
by PLC SCADA Training
Latching, Interlocks and Memory Bits
by PLC SCADA Training
Timers
by PLC SCADA Training
Counters and Retentive Data
by PLC SCADA Training
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits and are shown from YouTube.
What you learn
What you will be able to do
Describe the AC500 platform, install Automation Builder, create and commission a project, write ladder with latching and interlocks, use timers, counters and retentive data, connect PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO, build a visualization and CP600 project, upgrade projects and know safety I/O, hot swap and condition monitoring.
- Install Automation Builder and create an AC500 project
- Write ladder with contacts, coils, latching, interlocks and memory bits
- Use TON, TOF, TP, RTC, counters and retentive data
- Connect PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO devices
- Build a visualization and a CP600 HMI project
- Upgrade projects and know the safety, hot-swap and condition-monitoring features
Syllabus
Course content, module by module
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- Modules
- 10
- Video lessons
- 29
- Of video
- 5h 25m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
The AC500 Platform and Automation Builder
3 lessons · 32m - 02
First Project and Commissioning
4 lessons · 48m - 03
Contacts, Coils and Gates
2 lessons · 55m - 04
Latching, Interlocks and Memory Bits
3 lessons · 36m - 05
Timers
4 lessons · 51m - 06
Counters and Retentive Data
2 lessons · 22m - 07
PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO
2 lessons · 22m - 08
Visualization and CP600 HMI
3 lessons · 37m Final assessment · 15 questions, pass mark 60%
Project
The course project
Optional practice that ends in the kind of job the course prepares you for, with the documents that go with it.
About 18 hours
Conveyor and bucket-elevator start-up sequence on an AC500 PM573: narrative, interlock list, I/O and FAT
Design, program, test and document the group start-up and stop sequence for a belt conveyor feeding a bucket elevator at a cement mill: pre-start siren, downstream-first starting with run-feedback and speed proving, upstream-first stopping with run-out timers, and the belt-sway, pull-cord, zero-speed, chute-block and overcurrent interlocks, on an ABB AC500 PM573-ETH with a CP600 panel. You deliver the Automation Builder project, your own I/O list, interlock list and FAT record. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands a cement plant's electrical department.
Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Cement Mill 3 Feed Group (BC-301 and BE-302)
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: CP-301 AC500 Program
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-301
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-301 and Field Devices
- Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: Mill 3 Feed Group
- Alarm listAlarm List: Mill 3 Feed Group
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel CP-301
- O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Mill 3 Feed Group (Operation section)
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Tools
Software, hardware and lessons
Software
ABB Automation Builder (free basic licence)
Hardware
None required.
Who it is for
Beginner.
Video lessons by
- PLC SCADA Training
- PLC Programming
Independent creators, credited in full under Credits.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Required
- 01Free Basic edition
ABB Automation Builder
ABB
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11 (32/64-bit) Professional or Enterprise, Windows Server 2012 R2 or 2019
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- needs 5 to 18 GB free disk space
The Basic edition is free and covers AC500 PLC programming, PLC simulation and debugging. After installing you can also choose a free 30-day trial of the Standard and Premium features.
Steps
- 1.Open the Automation Builder download page on abb.com.
- 2.Download the current Automation Builder installer.
- 3.Run the installer as administrator.
- 4.When asked for a licence, choose the free Basic edition (or the 30-day trial).
- 5.Create an AC500 project and test it with PLC simulation.
- Minimum PC: 1 GHz processor and 4 GB RAM.
- Advanced virtual PLC simulation is a paid option; basic PLC simulation is in the free edition.
Official download pageabb.com
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales, company no. 15262249) through the EDWartens training portal, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold in India by Wartens Automation Private Limited. It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Learner reviews
5.0
1 review from learners who finished the course
- 51
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
- A learner· finished the course · September 2026
Excellent course
Excellent course eng ahmed roshdy
FAQ
Common questions
Is Automation Builder free?
ABB offers a free basic licence that covers everything here.
Is this the same as CODESYS?
Automation Builder is built on CODESYS, so the CODESYS course on this site transfers directly; this course adds the ABB hardware, networks and HMI.
Do I need an AC500?
No. The simulation runs every exercise.
Is the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder 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 ABB qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a ABB credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course?
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 ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course take?
Plan on about 11 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the ten modules at your own speed.
Is the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course free in India, and what does the certificate cost?
Yes. Learning costs ₹0 in India: every module, the written notes, the practice tasks and the final assessment, with no card and no trial period. The only paid item is the optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 including GST for this beginner course, paid in rupees through Razorpay, and only if you want it after passing the final assessment.
Is there classroom PLC training in India as well?
Yes. EDWartens India runs the Automation Engineer Program (AEP), a classroom programme at its Electronic City centre in Bangalore. The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) teaches ABB PLC programming in person at our Electronic City centre, alongside the other PLC brands it covers. This free course is separate and fully online; it is a good way to try the subject before deciding on classroom training. Details are at edwartens.co.in/abb-plc-training-bangalore, and the programme itself at edwartens.co.in/courses/aep.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- ₹0, free for good. No trial, no card. Comparable classroom training of this length costs about ₹2,999.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
- Format
- 10 self-paced modules, 5h 25m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner.
- Brand
- ABB
- Software
- ABB Automation Builder (free basic licence)
- Hardware
- None required.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- PLC SCADA Training, PLC Programming (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Classroom course, Bangalore
ABB PLC training in Bangalore
The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) teaches ABB PLC programming in person at our Electronic City centre, alongside the other PLC brands it covers.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- PLC SCADA Trainingthe AC500 Automation Builder tutorial series
- PLC Programmingthe ABB AC500 platform, network and visualization videos
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.