PLC programming · Free online course

CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming

The vendor-neutral PLC platform: ladder, function blocks, structured text, CFC and SFC, with Factory I/O projects and a visualization at the end.

  • 19 modules
  • 12h 17m of video
  • Beginner
  • English
  • ₹0, free
CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming course cover

₹0Free for good

Worth ₹6,999 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 CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming

The vendor-neutral PLC platform: ladder, function blocks, structured text, CFC and SFC, with Factory I/O projects and a visualization at the end.

CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 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 12h 17m of video lessons by Instrumentation Tools, plcgoods, Tohid Alizadeh 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

  • 12h 17m 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
  1. Step 1 of 3

    Learn the 19 modules

    12h 17m of video lessons, written notes and a practice task per module, at your own pace.

  2. Step 2 of 3

    Pass the final assessment

    15 questions drawn from every module, pass mark 60%, 3 attempts.

  3. 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

CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming: Syllabus at a glance
Syllabus at a glance
CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming: What you will be able to do
What you will be able to do
CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming: Tools and credits
Tools and credits

From the lessons

  • CODESYS Basics | How to Download and Install CODESYS

    CODESYS: What It Is and the First Project

    by RealPars

  • Create PLC Logic from Boolean Expressions | CODESYS Beginners

    Boolean Expressions to Ladder

    by Instrumentation Tools

  • CODESYS PLC Automation Project | Four LEDs Logic

    Pumps, LEDs and Multi-Output Exercises

    by Instrumentation Tools

  • CODESYS Counters | CODESYS PLC Counters Tutorial | CTU CTD CTUD Box Sorting Project

    Counters: CTU, CTD and CTUD

    by plcgoods

  • CODESYS: IF-ELSEIF instruction in Structured text programming

    ST Control Flow: IF, CASE and Loops

    by by Tohid Alizadeh

  • CODESYS CFC Tutorial | Factory I/O Sorting Station Project | Master PLC CFC Control

    CFC: Continuous Function Chart

    by plcgoods

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

Install CODESYS and create a project, program ladder from contacts to latching and gates, use TON, TOF, TP, CTU, CTD and CTUD, tell functions from function blocks, write structured text with IF, CASE, loops, timers, edges, structures, functions and function blocks, build CFC and SFC programs, and put a visualization on top.

  • Explain why CODESYS sits inside so many PLC brands
  • Build ladder from NO/NC contacts to gates, latching and exercises
  • Use the IEC timers and counters and read their pins
  • Tell a function from a function block and write both
  • Write structured text with IF, CASE, FOR, WHILE, REPEAT, edges and structures
  • Build CFC and SFC programs for a sorting station and a warehouse
  • Bind a visualization to program variables

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
55
Of video
12h 17m
Final questions
15
  1. 01

    CODESYS: What It Is and the First Project

    4 lessons · 34m
  2. 02

    Contacts, Coils and NO/NC

    4 lessons · 40m
  3. 03

    Logic Gates

    3 lessons · 35m
  4. 04

    Boolean Expressions to Ladder

    3 lessons · 26m
  5. 05

    Memory Bits and Latching

    4 lessons · 36m
  6. 06

    Toggle Switches and Solenoids

    4 lessons · 35m
  7. 07

    Pumps, LEDs and Multi-Output Exercises

    5 lessons · 43m
  8. 08

    Ladder Instructions in Depth

    2 lessons · 1h 20m

  9. 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

Polyhouse climate and fertigation control on CODESYS for Raspberry Pi: SFC, ST, FBD, Modbus TCP and WebVisu

Design, program, test and document the climate and fertigation control of a one-acre rose polyhouse in Kenya: staged fan-and-pad cooling and fogging in structured text, a three-zone fertigation cycle with EC control as a sequential function chart, wind and rain interlocks on the vents and shade screen in FBD, a Modbus TCP link to the farm weather station, and a WebVisu the owner checks from a phone, on CODESYS Control for Raspberry Pi with a PiXtend V2 -L- board. You deliver the CODESYS project, your own I/O list, interlock list and FAT record. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands a floriculture farm.

Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario

  • FDSFunctional Design Specification: PH-3 Climate and Fertigation Control
  • I/O listI/O List: Panel PH3-CP1 (PiXtend V2 -L-)
  • BOMBill of Materials: Panel PH3-CP1 and Field Devices
  • Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: PH-3
  • IP planIP Address Plan and Device List: PH-3 Control Network
  • FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel PH3-CP1
  • O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: PH-3 Control (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

CODESYS Development System (free from the CODESYS Store) with the soft PLC

Hardware

None. The soft PLC runs every exercise.

Who it is for

Beginner to intermediate. Ladder first, then the text and graphical languages.

Video lessons by

  • Instrumentation Tools
  • plcgoods
  • Tohid Alizadeh
  • RealPars
  • Shane Welcher SR

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.

Factory I/O is optional: two of the FBD and CFC videos drive its 3D scenes, and every exercise also runs in the CODESYS simulator alone.

Required

  1. 01

    CODESYS Development System V3

    CODESYS GmbH

    Free
    Runs on
    Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (8 GB RAM and 12 GB free disk recommended)
    Account
    A free CODESYS Store account (one-time registration)

    The Development System is free in the CODESYS Store. The setup also installs a demo of the CODESYS Control Win SL SoftPLC, which runs for two hours without a licence and then needs a manual restart.

    Official download pagestore.codesys.com

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

  1. 02

    Factory I/O

    Real Games

    Free trial: 30 days
    Runs on
    Windows 7 SP1 or newer, with a graphics card from 2006 (NVIDIA, AMD) or 2012 (Intel) onwards
    Account
    Your name and email on the Factory I/O trial form

    The 30-day trial includes the full Ultimate Edition. After that you need a paid edition; the Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Modbus and OPC, MHJ, Automgen and Starter editions each support different PLCs.

    Official download pagefactoryio.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 CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming

Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.

Sample Wartens Certificate of Completion for CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming, issued through the EDWartens training portal
Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, your final score, a unique certificate ID and its own QR code.

  • 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.

FAQ

Common questions

Is CODESYS free?

Yes. The CODESYS Development System and its soft PLC for testing are free from the CODESYS Store. Runtime licences for real hardware are separate and not needed here.

Which PLC brands use CODESYS?

Schneider Machine Expert, ABB Automation Builder, Beckhoff TwinCAT, WAGO, Festo, Eaton and many more are CODESYS-based, so what you learn here transfers directly.

Do I need Factory I/O?

No. The projects are shown so you can follow the logic; every practice task runs on the soft PLC.

Do I need to know ladder first?

No. The first seven modules teach ladder from scratch before structured text starts.

What computer do I need for the CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 Programming course?

A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM. CODESYS is Windows-only.

Is the CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 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 CODESYS GmbH qualification?

An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a CODESYS GmbH credential and is never described as one.

Who made the video lessons in the CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 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 CODESYS and IEC 61131-3 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, ₹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. 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 facts
Price
₹0, free for good. No trial, no card. Comparable classroom training of this length costs about ₹6,999.
Who it is for
Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
Format
19 self-paced modules, 12h 17m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level
Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. Ladder first, then the text and graphical languages.
Brand
CODESYS
Software
CODESYS Development System (free from the CODESYS Store) with the soft PLC
Hardware
None. The soft PLC runs every exercise.
Certificate
Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by
Instrumentation Tools, plcgoods, Tohid Alizadeh, RealPars, Shane Welcher SR (independent creators, credited below)
Language
English
Last updated
27 September 2026

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Learning paths with this course

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.

If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.