PLC programming · Free online course
Schneider Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic
The Modicon M221 from the first download to a hundred solved ladder problems, with the official Schneider how-tos for the tooling.
- 18 modules
- 18h 50m of video
- Beginner
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹9,999 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 Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic
The Modicon M221 from the first download to a hundred solved ladder problems, with the official Schneider how-tos for the tooling.
Schneider Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic 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 18 modules and 18h 50m of video lessons by Instrumentation Tools, Schneider Electric, Tech Talk Lalitesh 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
- 18h 50m of video lessons
- 18 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 18 modules
18h 50m 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
Schneider PLCs and Machine Expert Basic
by Instrumentation Tools
Switch-Based Programs
by Instrumentation Tools
Counters, Comparisons and Operation Blocks
by Schneider Electric
Digital Logic Circuits and Alarms
by Instrumentation Tools
Timers: TON, TOF and TP
by Instrumentation Tools
Timer Applications II
by Instrumentation Tools
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 Machine Expert Basic and create an M221 project, build every logic gate in ladder, use memory bits, set and reset coils and latching, convert Boolean expressions and logic circuits into rungs, program TON, TOF and TP timers, count, compare and move values with counter and operation blocks, solve more than fifty worked applications, and use the official tooling: addressing, shift registers, online change, symbols, Modbus TCP and HMI sharing.
- Install Machine Expert Basic and pick the M221 from the controller catalogue
- Build AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR and XNOR in ladder and prove them with truth tables
- Latch with a seal-in or set/reset and know which one restarts after a power cut
- Turn a Boolean expression or a logic-circuit drawing into rungs
- Use TON, TOF and TP for delays, pulses and sequences
- Count with the counter block and compare and move values with operation blocks
- Solve fifty-plus worked applications: traffic lights, mixers, washers, ovens, garages, parking
- Use indirect addressing, shift registers, online change and symbol comments
- Configure Modbus TCP and share variables with a Vijeo Designer HMI
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
- 18
- Video lessons
- 109
- Of video
- 18h 50m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
Schneider PLCs and Machine Expert Basic
6 lessons · 38m - 02
Logic Gates in Ladder
7 lessons · 1h 2m - 03
Switch-Based Programs
6 lessons · 1h 13m - 04
Set, Reset, Memory Bits and Latching
6 lessons · 58m - 05
Counters, Comparisons and Operation Blocks
3 lessons · 15m - 06
Boolean Expressions to Ladder
7 lessons · 1h 6m - 07
Digital Logic Circuits and Alarms
5 lessons · 43m - 08
Push-Button Programs and Forcing
6 lessons · 1h 24m 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 16 hours
Solvent transfer skid: metered batch transfer on a Modicon M221 with Magelis HMI and Modbus TCP
Design, program, test and document the control panel for a paint depot's solvent transfer skid: two pumps duty/standby, a metered batch from a bulk tank to one of two day tanks, level and flow from 4-20 mA transmitters on a TM3AI4, overfill and dry-run protection, a Magelis HMISTU855 screen and a Modbus TCP register map for the depot's stock system. You deliver the Machine Expert Basic project, your own I/O list and FAT record, and the hand-over note. The sample document pack shows what each one looks like when a system integrator delivers it.
Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario
- URSUser Requirements: Solvent Transfer Skid SK-1
- FDSFunctional Design Specification: SK-1 Batch Transfer Control
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-201
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-201 and Field Devices
- Alarm listAlarm List: SK-1
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel CP-201
- O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Skid SK-1 (Operation section)
- Handover certificateSite Acceptance and Handover Certificate: SK-1
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 Machine Expert Basic (free from Schneider Electric) with its simulator
Hardware
None. The simulator runs every exercise.
Who it is for
Absolute beginner. Every instruction is introduced through a worked example.
Video lessons by
- Instrumentation Tools
- Schneider Electric
- Tech Talk Lalitesh
- Eight Min Automation
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
EcoStruxure Machine Expert - Basic
Schneider Electric
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11
- Account
- A free Schneider Electric (mySchneider) account
Schneider lists Machine Expert Basic as a free licence for programming Modicon M221 controllers.
Steps
- 1.Open the Machine Expert Basic download page on se.com.
- 2.Log in or create a free Schneider Electric account.
- 3.Download the installer.
- 4.Run the installer as administrator and follow the prompts.
- 5.Start Machine Expert Basic and create an M221 project.
- Schneider recommends Chrome or Firefox for large downloads from se.com.
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 Modicon PLC with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic
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.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need to buy the software?
No. EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic is a free download from Schneider Electric and includes a simulator that runs every exercise.
Which Schneider PLCs does this cover?
The Modicon M221 through Machine Expert Basic, including Modbus TCP on the M221. The M241, M251 and M262 use the full Machine Expert, and the M340 and M580 use Control Expert: both are different tools and not covered here.
Do I need a PLC?
No. The simulator stands in for it. The wiring and catalogue lessons prepare you for a real M221 when you meet one.
Why are there so many worked examples?
Because that is how ladder is learned. The source series solves one application per lesson, and the practice task asks you to solve it first and compare.
What computer do I need for the Schneider Modicon PLC course?
A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM. Machine Expert Basic is Windows-only.
Is the Schneider Modicon PLC 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 Modicon PLC 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 Schneider Modicon PLC 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 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 ₹9,999.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
- Format
- 18 self-paced modules, 18h 50m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Absolute beginner. Every instruction is introduced through a worked example.
- Brand
- Schneider Electric
- Software
- EcoStruxure Machine Expert Basic (free from Schneider Electric) with its simulator
- Hardware
- None. The simulator 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, Schneider Electric, Tech Talk Lalitesh, Eight Min Automation (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Learning paths with this course
- Machine-builder PLCs · 4 courses
Classroom course, Bangalore
Schneider PLC training 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.
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.
- Instrumentation Toolsthe 100-lesson Schneider PLC course series
- Schneider Electricthe official EcoStruxure Machine Expert how-to videos
- Tech Talk Lalitesha lesson in "Schneider PLCs and Machine Expert Basic"
- Eight Min Automationa lesson in "Counters, Comparisons and Operation Blocks"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.