PLC programming · Free online course
Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming
PC-based control with TwinCAT 3 and EtherCAT: installation, tasks, structured text, function blocks and interfaces, I/O, libraries, version control, ADS, test-driven development, visualization and real machine applications.
- 19 modules
- 22h 37m of video
- Intermediate
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹12,999 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 Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming
PC-based control with TwinCAT 3 and EtherCAT: installation, tasks, structured text, function blocks and interfaces, I/O, libraries, version control, ADS, test-driven development, visualization and real machine applications.
Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming 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 19 modules and 22h 37m of video lessons by Jakob Sagatowski, ControlX Automation, Beckhoff Malaysia and others, 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
- 22h 37m of video lessons
- 19 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 19 modules
22h 37m 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
Beckhoff, TwinCAT and EtherCAT
by ControlX Automation
Data Types, Arrays and Variables
by Jakob Sagatowski
Instructions and ST Fundamentals
by Jakob Sagatowski
LD, CFC, SFC and FBD in TwinCAT
by ControlX Automation
Libraries and Version Handling
by Jakob Sagatowski
Test-Driven Development
by Jakob Sagatowski
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
Explain PC-based control and EtherCAT, install TwinCAT 3 and connect to a target, structure tasks and programs, use data types, structures, functions, function blocks and interfaces, write structured text with Tc2_Standard, program in LD, CFC, SFC and FBD, configure EtherCAT I/O, manage libraries and versions, use git, ADS and the automation interface, apply test-driven development, build visualizations and study real integrations.
- Explain why PC-based control and EtherCAT are used and install TwinCAT 3
- Structure a project into tasks, programs, GVLs, DUTs and libraries
- Use functions, function blocks, methods, properties and interfaces
- Write structured text with timers, counters, edges, CASE and string operations
- Program in LD, CFC, SFC and FBD and choose the right language
- Scan and link EtherCAT terminals
- Put projects under git, use ADS and the automation interface, write unit tests
- Build visualizations, record with Measurement, and integrate servos, Festo modules, RS-232 and XTS
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
- 19
- Video lessons
- 56
- Of video
- 22h 37m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
Beckhoff, TwinCAT and EtherCAT
4 lessons · 36m - 02
Installation, Basics and Connecting
4 lessons · 1h 9m - 03
Tasks, Programs and Hello World
2 lessons · 1h 5m - 04
Data Types, Arrays and Variables
2 lessons · 54m - 05
Structures and Functions
1 lesson · 35m - 06
Function Blocks and Interfaces
2 lessons · 1h 22m - 07
Instructions and ST Fundamentals
3 lessons · 1h 44m - 08
Tc2_Standard: Timers, Counters, Edges
3 lessons · 1h 16m 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 20 hours
VMC tool changer and pallet changer on a CX7000: SDS with FB interfaces, EtherCAT I/O list and bench FAT
Specify, program, test and document the auxiliary control of a vertical machining centre on a Beckhoff CX7000 with EL terminals: a 12-pocket umbrella tool changer with shortest-path indexing, a two-pallet changer with a locked load door, the M-code handshake with the CNC, and the E-stop and guard functions through a safety relay. You deliver the TwinCAT 3 project, your own I/O list by terminal, your SDS with the FB interfaces, and your FAT record. The sample pack shows what a machine builder's design office issues to its assembly shop.
Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Control narrativeSequence of Operations: VMC-850 Tool Changer and Pallet Changer
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: VMC-850 CX7000 Program
- SRSSafety Requirements Specification: VMC-850 Auxiliary Stations
- I/O listI/O List: VMC-850 CX7000 and EtherCAT Terminals
- BOMBill of Materials: VMC-850 Auxiliary Control (Cabinet Section 4 and Stations)
- Alarm listAlarm List: VMC-850 Auxiliary Stations
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: VMC-850 Auxiliary Control, Machine 850-004
- O&M manualOperation Manual: VMC-850 Tool Changer and Pallet Changer (Setter's 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
TwinCAT 3 XAE (free download, 7-day renewable trial)
Hardware
None. The PLC runs on your PC.
Who it is for
Intermediate. Structured text is taught from the start; prior PLC experience helps.
Video lessons by
- Jakob Sagatowski
- ControlX Automation
- Beckhoff Malaysia
- M B Automation
- Electrical Automation Hands-On
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
TwinCAT 3 Engineering (XAE)
Beckhoff Automation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11
- Account
- A free myBeckhoff account
The basic version of TwinCAT 3 Engineering is free of charge and can be installed on any number of PCs. Runtime and function licences can be covered by 7-day trial licences created in the engineering tool, which you can renew as often as you need.
Steps
- 1.Register for a free myBeckhoff account on beckhoff.com.
- 2.Download the TwinCAT Package Manager from the Beckhoff download finder.
- 3.Install the Package Manager, sign in with your myBeckhoff account and install TwinCAT 3 Engineering (XAE).
- 4.Create a PLC project and set your own PC as the target.
- 5.When asked, activate a 7-day trial licence and enter the security code shown.
- Trial licences cannot be put on a licence dongle; they bind to the target PC.
- PLC programming works in the free Visual Studio shell; C++ needs a full Visual Studio.
Official download pagebeckhoff.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 Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming
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$28.99, 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.
FAQ
Common questions
Is TwinCAT free to learn on?
Yes. TwinCAT 3 XAE downloads free and runs on a 7-day trial licence you renew by typing a captcha. No hardware needed.
Do I need Visual Studio?
No. TwinCAT installs its own XAE shell; a full Visual Studio is optional.
Why so much structured text?
Because TwinCAT projects in industry are mostly ST with object-oriented features. Ladder, CFC, SFC and FBD are covered too.
Is this CODESYS?
TwinCAT 3 shares the CODESYS editor heritage, so the CODESYS course on this site is a good preparation; TwinCAT adds Beckhoff's runtime, EtherCAT, ADS and tooling.
Is the Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming 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 Beckhoff qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Beckhoff credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming 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.
Is the Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Programming 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, ₹599 including GST for this intermediate 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. In the Automation Engineer Program (AEP) you write and test PLC programs on wired PLC panels, taught in person at our Electronic City centre. 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/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 ₹12,999.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
- Format
- 19 self-paced modules, 22h 37m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Intermediate. Intermediate. Structured text is taught from the start; prior PLC experience helps.
- Brand
- Beckhoff
- Software
- TwinCAT 3 XAE (free download, 7-day renewable trial)
- Hardware
- None. The PLC runs on your PC.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹599 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Jakob Sagatowski, ControlX Automation, Beckhoff Malaysia, M B Automation, Electrical Automation Hands-On (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Learning paths with this course
- IEC 61131 and software PLCs · 3 courses
Classroom course, Bangalore
Learn PLC programming on wired panels in Bangalore
In the Automation Engineer Program (AEP) you write and test PLC programs on wired PLC panels, taught in person at our Electronic City centre.
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.
- Jakob Sagatowskithe 18-part PLC programming using TwinCAT 3 series
- ControlX Automationthe Beckhoff beginner's guide and application videos
- Beckhoff Malaysiathe TwinCAT 3 quick guide, variables and XTS tutorials
- M B Automationthe structured text lessons
- Electrical Automation Hands-Ona lesson in "Applications: Temperature, Motion, Serial, Festo and XTS"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.