PLC programming · Free online course

TIA Portal: Build a Machine

One machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.

  • 9 modules
  • 6h 9m of video
  • Intermediate
  • English
  • ₹0, free
  • Lab practice in your browser
TIA Portal: Build a Machine course cover

₹0Free for good

Worth ₹3,999 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 TIA Portal: Build a Machine

Build one machine from start to finish in TIA Portal: a bottle filling line with stations, an operator screen and a hand-over.

TIA Portal: Build a Machine 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 9 modules and 6h 9m of video lessons by Instrumentation Tools, ControlByte Automation, PLC Automation Academy 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

  • 6h 9m of video lessons
  • 9 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 9 modules

    6h 9m 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

TIA Portal: Build a Machine: Syllabus at a glance
Syllabus at a glance
TIA Portal: Build a Machine: What you will be able to do
What you will be able to do
TIA Portal: Build a Machine: Tools and credits
Tools and credits

From the lessons

  • Factory IO tutorial for beginners | Get started and connect to TIA portal | Siemens S7-1200 PLC

    The Machine, the Spec and the I/O List

    by Technical Mindshare

  • Function Block in Siemens PLC - TIA Portal Courses Online

    Program Skeleton: Blocks, UDTs and a Tag Table That Scales

    by Instrumentation Tools

  • PLC Interlock Program - Interlocking Ladder Logic Example

    Infeed Conveyor: Start, Stop, Seal-in and Interlocks

    by Instrumentation Tools

  • Factory IO - 3 - Filling Tank (Timers) using a Siemens S7-1200 CPU with TIA Portal.

    Fill Station: Timers and a Scaled Tank Level

    by Smart Builds

  • Programming a Sequence for a Pneumatic Cylinder in TIA Portal

    Capping and Counting: Cylinder Sequence, Edges and Counters

    by ControlByte Automation

  • Factory IO - Separating Station PLC Tutorial

    Inspection and Reject: the Sorter Station

    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

By the end you will be able to:

  • Write a functional description and I/O list for a machine
  • Structure a TIA Portal project into station blocks with UDTs
  • Program a conveyor, fill station, capper and reject sorter
  • Build a WinCC screen with setpoints, alarms and a trend
  • Commission it against a test record and archive it for hand-over

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the lessons

    Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.

  2. Read the notes

    Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.

  3. Practise in the 3D labOptional

    Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.

  4. Check yourself

    Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.

  5. Final assessment

    Pass the final once you have been through the modules.

  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptional

    Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.

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
9
Video lessons
28
Of video
6h 9m
Final questions
15
  1. 01

    The Machine, the Spec and the I/O List

    1 lesson · 18m
  2. 02

    Program Skeleton: Blocks, UDTs and a Tag Table That Scales

    3 lessons · 37m
  3. 03

    Infeed Conveyor: Start, Stop, Seal-in and Interlocks, with lab practice:

    3 lessons · 1h 8m
  4. 04

    Fill Station: Timers and a Scaled Tank Level, with lab practice:

    4 lessons · 56m
  5. 05

    Capping and Counting: Cylinder Sequence, Edges and Counters, with lab practice:

    5 lessons · 45m
  6. 06

    Inspection and Reject: the Sorter Station, with lab practice:

    2 lessons · 40m
  7. 07

    The Operator Screen: Buttons, Counts, Alarms and a Trend, with lab practice:

    4 lessons · 39m
  8. 08

    Commissioning and Hand-over: Test, Trace, Archive, Protect

    5 lessons · 56m

  9. Final assessment · 15 questions, pass mark 60%

3D lab

Practise in the 3D lab

Practise the stations of a bottle line in the PLC lab: conveyor interlocks, a filled tank, a counted batch and a reject diverter, the same logic you write in TIA Portal.

Build a ladder rungWatch

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

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 14 hours

The bottle line, start to finish: specification, program, test record and hand-over

Submit the machine you built through the course. Hand in the functional description and I/O list, the archived TIA Portal project with its station blocks and HMI, the completed test record with the failure cases, the trace of one fill, and the one-page hand-over note. The reviewer marks it against the rubric below. A commissioning lead would use the same rubric.

This project at a glance
  1. 9documents in the pack
  2. 8steps to follow
  3. 5things to hand in
  4. 14 hof work, at your pace

Sample document pack, 9 documents, filled in for the scenario

  • Control narrativeSequence of Operations: Bottle Line BL-1
  • I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-1, Bottle Line BL-1
  • BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-1 and Field Devices, Bottle Line BL-1
  • SRSSafety Requirements Specification: Bottle Line BL-1
  • Risk registerMachinery Risk Assessment: Bottle Line BL-1 (ISO 12100)
  • HMI specHMI Screen Specification: KTP700 Basic, Bottle Line BL-1
  • FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel CP-1 and Bottle Line BL-1 Program
  • O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Bottle Line BL-1 (Operation section)
  • Handover certificateSite Acceptance and Handover Certificate: Bottle Line BL-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

TIA Portal V17+ (21-day trial) with S7-PLCSIM and the WinCC HMI simulator. Factory I/O (30-day trial) is optional and makes the machine visible; every stage can be proven in PLCSIM alone.

Hardware

None, everything runs in simulation

Who it is for

Intermediate. You have finished the Siemens TIA Portal course, or can already write ladder logic with timers, counters and a function block in TIA Portal.

Video lessons by

  • Instrumentation Tools
  • ControlByte Automation
  • PLC Automation Academy
  • Smart Builds
  • Technical Mindshare
  • The Automation Craze
  • Hegamurl
  • PLCskilltree

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.

The WinCC HMI simulator comes with the TIA Portal trial. Factory I/O makes the machine visible; every stage can also be proven in PLCSIM alone.

Required

  1. 01

    SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial

    Siemens

    Free trial: 21 days
    Runs on
    Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
    Account
    A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
    Size
    about 8.1 GB for the main ISO, plus an optional 3.1 GB DVD 2 with hardware support packages

    Siemens lets registered users download the V21 trial of STEP 7 (Basic and Professional), STEP 7 Safety and WinCC and test it for 21 days. The same package is used for the full product; after 21 days you need a purchased licence to keep working.

    Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com

    Alternatives

    • TIA Portal Cloud trial: 21 days free in a cloud virtual machine, no install. Sessions are limited to one hour and it is not available in every country.
  2. 02

    S7-PLCSIM V21 (TIA Portal) Trial

    Siemens

    Free trial: 21 days
    Runs on
    Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
    Account
    A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
    Size
    about 2.5 GB (ISO)

    S7-PLCSIM V21 is offered as a 21-day trial on the same Siemens page as the STEP 7 and WinCC V21 trial. It needs STEP 7 V21 installed on the same PC.

    Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

  1. 03

    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 TIA Portal: Build a Machine

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

Sample Wartens Certificate of Completion for TIA Portal: Build a Machine, 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$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.

Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

See the 3D lab
  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Why learn with EDWartens

What you get with this course.

  • Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
  • Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
  • Video lessons with written notes and a project.
  • An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.

FAQ

Common questions

How is this different from the Siemens TIA Portal course?

The TIA Portal course teaches the instructions one module at a time. This course uses all of them on one machine, in the order a commissioning engineer would. It ends with a project you submit rather than only a paper you sit. If you finished the flagship course and wondered what to do with it, this is the answer.

What does the project ask me to submit?

You submit the archived TIA Portal project, the functional description and I/O list, and the completed test record with the failure cases. You also submit the cross-reference finding for a fault you plant on purpose, with a trace screenshot, and a one-page hand-over note. The brief on module 8 lists them, with the marking rubric printed beside it. Submitting is strongly recommended, because the machine is the point of the course. The certificate is issued when you finish the modules and pass the final.

Do I need Factory I/O?

No. Factory I/O has a 30-day trial and makes the line visible, which many people enjoy. But every stage of the machine can be proven in S7-PLCSIM by forcing inputs and watching outputs. The test record is written to be run either way.

Do I need to buy TIA Portal?

No. Siemens publishes a free 21-day trial of TIA Portal with S7-PLCSIM and WinCC Basic included. It needs only a free Siemens account. The course is about fourteen hours of work, so the trial covers it if you install when you start module 2.

Who marks the project?

An automated reviewer marks it against the printed rubric and gives you the score and comments. The EDWartens team reads submissions too. The project is optional practice. Your certificate depends on the modules and the final assessment, not on the project or its mark.

Is the TIA Portal: Build a Machine course really free?

Yes. Every module, the project brief, the review and the final assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The only paid item is the certificate, and only if you decide you want it.

What certificate do I get, and is it a Siemens qualification?

You get an EDWartens Certificate of Completion for the project course. It is issued when you have finished the modules and passed the final. The project is strongly recommended practice, but not a condition. The certificate has a unique number anyone can verify on our site. It is not a Siemens credential and we will never describe it as one.

Do I have to use the lab?

No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.

Is the lab free?

Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.

Is the TIA Portal: Build a Machine 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 Siemens PLC programming in TIA Portal 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/siemens-tia-portal-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 ₹3,999.
Who it is for
Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
Format
9 self-paced modules, 6h 9m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level
Intermediate. Intermediate. You have finished the Siemens TIA Portal course, or can already write ladder logic with timers, counters and a function block in TIA Portal.
Brand
Siemens
Software
TIA Portal V17+ (21-day trial) with S7-PLCSIM and the WinCC HMI simulator. Factory I/O (30-day trial) is optional and makes the machine visible; every stage can be proven in PLCSIM alone.
Hardware
None, everything runs in simulation
Certificate
Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹599 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by
Instrumentation Tools, ControlByte Automation, PLC Automation Academy, Smart Builds, Technical Mindshare, The Automation Craze, Hegamurl, PLCskilltree (independent creators, credited below)
Language
English
Last updated
27 September 2026

Pairs well with

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Classroom course, Bangalore

Siemens PLC and TIA Portal training in Bangalore

The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) teaches Siemens PLC programming in TIA Portal 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.

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