PLC programming · Free online course
Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580
The large Schneider PLCs: Control Expert from install to hot standby, M340 and M580 hardware, ladder, FBD, ST and DFBs, analog and HART, Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP with DTMs, OPC UA and OFS, SCADA integration, IEC 61850 and DNP3, safety outputs, diagnostics and migration.
- 12 modules
- 21h 8m of video
- Intermediate
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹11,999 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 Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580
The large Schneider PLCs: Control Expert from install to hot standby, M340 and M580 hardware, ladder, FBD, ST and DFBs, analog and HART, Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP with DTMs, OPC UA and OFS, SCADA integration, IEC 61850 and DNP3, safety outputs, diagnostics and migration.
Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580 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 12 modules and 21h 8m of video lessons by Automation4all, Schneider Electric, Schneider Electric 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
- 21h 8m of video lessons
- 12 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 12 modules
21h 8m 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
Control Expert: Install, Licence, Simulator
by INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION MAVEN --- LOUIS WYN
M340 and M580 Hardware, IP Addresses and I/O Cards
by Automation4all
Programming Basics: Variables, Arrays, Values and Simulation
by Automation4all
Structured Text, FBD, DFBs and DDTs
by Schneider Electric
Analog Scaling and HART
by Automation4all
Modbus TCP, DTM Browser and I/O Scanning
by Automation4all
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 Control Expert and use its simulator, configure M340 and M580 hardware and IP addresses, program in ladder, FBD and structured text with DFBs and DDTs, scale analog and configure HART, set up Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP with DTMs and explicit messaging, expose data over OPC UA and OFS, integrate HMI and SCADA, configure IEC 61850, DNP3 and AS-i, understand hot standby and diagnostics, and migrate legacy projects.
- Install Control Expert, use libsets, the simulator and downloads
- Configure M340 and M580 CPUs, I/O cards, IP addresses and fail-safe outputs
- Program with variables, arrays, ST, FBD, DFBs and DDTs
- Scale analog signals and configure HART devices
- Set up Modbus TCP, I/O scanning, EtherNet/IP and explicit messaging with DTMs
- Expose data over OPC UA and OFS to UaExpert, Kepware and Ignition
- Integrate Vijeo Designer, InTouch, Citect, WinCC, FactoryTalk, Geo SCADA and more
- Configure IEC 61850, DNP3, counters and AS-i; understand hot standby, diagnostics and migration
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
- 12
- Video lessons
- 95
- Of video
- 21h 8m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
Control Expert: Install, Licence, Simulator
7 lessons · 22m - 02
M340 and M580 Hardware, IP Addresses and I/O Cards
9 lessons · 2h 39m - 03
Programming Basics: Variables, Arrays, Values and Simulation
8 lessons · 1h 46m - 04
Structured Text, FBD, DFBs and DDTs
6 lessons · 59m - 05
Analog Scaling and HART
4 lessons · 1h 31m - 06
Modbus TCP, DTM Browser and I/O Scanning
11 lessons · 3h 19m - 07
EtherNet/IP and Explicit Messaging
5 lessons · 1h 23m - 08
OPC UA, OFS and Data Servers
10 lessons · 2h 0m 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
Filter backwash on an M580: narrative, DFB library, SFC sequence and X80 I/O for a 60 MLD water works
Specify, design, program and test the backwash automation for the eight rapid gravity filters of a 60 MLD water-treatment plant: a control narrative, a hardware design with an M580 CPU and two X80 remote drops, a DFB library for valves, motors and analog inputs, one SFC section that backwashes whichever filter is due, interlocks that keep two filters from washing at once, and a FAT run on the Control Expert simulator. You deliver the project archive, your own I/O list and FAT record, and the DFB interface tables. The sample pack shows what an integrator delivers to a water utility's EPC.
Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Rapid Gravity Filter Backwash, Filters F-301 to F-308
- HDSHardware Design Specification: M580 Controller and X80 I/O
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: Backwash Program, DFB Library and SCADA Map
- I/O listI/O List: Local Rack CP-301 and RIO Drop 1 (Filter F-301 typical)
- BOMBill of Materials: CP-301, RIO Drops 1 and 2
- Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: Filter Backwash
- Alarm listAlarm List: Filter Backwash
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: CP-301 and RIO Drops
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
EcoStruxure Control Expert (30-day trial) with its built-in simulator
Hardware
None. Simulator for programming; hardware modules followed by watching.
Who it is for
Intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
Video lessons by
- Automation4all
- Schneider Electric
- Industrial Automation Maven (Louis Wyn)
- Jasmine Jones
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 trial: 30 days
EcoStruxure Control Expert
Schneider Electric
- Runs on
- Windows PC (check the release notes on the download page)
- Account
- A free Schneider Electric (mySchneider) account
Control Expert includes a 30-day trial licence that starts automatically the first time you launch it. The trial has the full XL feature set with the M580 Safety add-on; after 30 days you need a paid licence.
Steps
- 1.Open the Control Expert installation file page on se.com.
- 2.Log in or create a free Schneider Electric account.
- 3.Download the ISO file.
- 4.Mount the ISO and run the setup as administrator.
- 5.Launch Control Expert; the 30-day trial activates automatically.
- The download is a large ISO file; Schneider recommends Chrome or Firefox.
- Check the SHA256 value shown on the page after downloading.
Official download pagese.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 Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro) with Modicon M340 and M580
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 Control Expert free?
Schneider offers a 30-day trial; its simulator runs the programming modules, so install it when you reach them. The hardware and hot-standby modules are followed by watching.
Control Expert or Machine Expert Basic?
Machine Expert Basic is for the small M221; Control Expert is for M340, M580 and Quantum. Take the free Machine Expert Basic course first if you are new to Schneider.
Why so much about communication?
Because M580 projects are integration projects: Modbus, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA and SCADA links are most of the engineering time on a real site.
Is the Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert 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 Schneider Electric qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Schneider Electric credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert 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 Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert course take?
Plan on about 29 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the twelve modules at your own speed.
Is the Schneider EcoStruxure Control Expert 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. The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) teaches Schneider Electric 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/schneider-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 ₹11,999.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
- Format
- 12 self-paced modules, 21h 8m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Intermediate. Intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
- Brand
- Schneider Electric
- Software
- EcoStruxure Control Expert (30-day trial) with its built-in simulator
- Hardware
- None. Simulator for programming; hardware modules followed by watching.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹599 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Automation4all, Schneider Electric, Schneider Electric, Industrial Automation Maven (Louis Wyn), Jasmine Jones (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Classroom course, Bangalore
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The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) teaches Schneider Electric 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.
- Automation4allthe Unity Pro training series
- Schneider Electricthe official Control Expert how-to tutorials
- Schneider Electricthe official Control Expert and Unity Pro support videos
- Industrial Automation Maven (Louis Wyn)the Control Expert to HMI and SCADA integration masterclass
- Jasmine Jonesthe Modicon M580 hardware and hot standby videos
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.