Online course | Siemens S7-1200 / S7-1500 PLC programming

Premium Siemens S7-1200 / S7-1500
PLC programming course in LAD/FBD

Program S7-1200 and S7-1500 in LAD and FBD in TIA Portal
Build HMI screens and test everything on PLCSIM
Finish with real projects in Factory I/O

A practical course in programming Siemens S7-1200 and S7-1500 PLCs in LAD and FBD in TIA Portal, with HMI basics. You train on the free PLCSIM simulator and Factory I/O, so you do not need a physical PLC.

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Lifetime access, certificate of completion and instructor support on Discord. Price: €249.

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Video lessons 98

Duration 17 hours

Level Beginner to intermediate

Certificate Yes, after completion

Trusted by engineers from leading industrial companies

What you will learn in this course

Master the Siemens TIA Portal environment, including its installation, licensing, setup, and integration with Factory IO for virtual simulations.
Learn how to work with variables and memory areas, including bit operations and advanced data types like arrays and structures.
Understand core PLC programming instructions, such as SET/RESET coils, timers, counters, and comparison operators, essential for industrial automation tasks.
Develop practical skills in structured programming, using organizational units like Organizational Blocks (OB), Function Blocks (FB), Functions (FC) and more.
Work with mathematical instructions and data type conversions, enabling precision in calculations and smooth data transitions between integer and floating-point numbers.
Pallet Measurement and Distribution Project - Create a PLC program to measure and distribute pallets efficiently, using timers, counters, and logic instructions.
Water Tank Proportional Controller Project - Design a PID controller for maintaining water levels, focusing on precise control and stability in a simulated environment.
Product Stacking with 2D Manipulator Project - Program a 2D manipulator for stacking products, implementing structured programming and precise motion control.
Vision System Integration: Sorting by Color - Develop a vision-based sorting system to classify items by color, integrating sensors and automation logic.
Conveyor Line Sorting with Vision Sensor - Automate a conveyor belt to sort products based on sensor inputs, optimizing efficiency and accuracy.
Factory Simulation Project - Build a comprehensive factory simulation, combining advanced data handling and structured programming techniques.

Why do engineers choose ControlByte courses?

Video lessons on our e-learning platform, available 24/7
Exercises based on ready project templates that you build step by step
Free simulators, so you do not need your own PLC to practice
Learn at your own pace, from any device, with lifetime access
Instructor support on Discord and feedback on your homework

Who is this course for?

PLC Programmers
Automation Engineers
Electrical Engineers
Industrial Engineers

Maintenance Technicians
Control System Technicians
Instrumentation Technicians
This course welcomes beginners, making it an ideal starting point for aspiring PLC programmers to build confidence and skills in automation.

What you get after enrolling

98 practical video lessons (about 17 hours)
Over 106 practical video lessons, totaling more than 18 hours of content.
The opportunity to test your programs in a virtual factory, Factory IO.
Support from instructors via Discord chat and live meetings.
Homework assignments to complete independently.
A certificate of course completion upon successful completion of all assignments.
Certificate of completion
Lifetime access and all future updates
Instructor support on Discord

Your instructor

Jacob K. Biedulski, MSc

Automation and Robotics · PLC programmer · Co-founder of ControlByte

“ In this course you will learn to work the way we do on real projects: step by step, with exercises you can repeat on your own, even if you are new to industrial automation.

Course curriculum - full table of contents

1. Introduction 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

1.1. Introduction to PLC programming course 0:52
1.2. How to get help? Join the Discord group for Automation Professionals and PLC Programmers! 1:42

2. TIA Portal Licensing 11 min · 1 lesson ▼

2.1. TIA Portal Licensing Explained 10:26

3. TIA Portal and Factory IO Installation 1h 6min · 6 lessons ▼

3.1. Siemens TIA Portal Installation troubleshooting 0:48
3.2. Siemens TIA Portal Installation 5:47
3.3. How to download TIA Portal project archives under the lessons! 4:21
3.4. Create First Project in Siemens TIA Portal 10:19
3.5. Add HMI panel to your project 9:04
3.6. Installation of Factory IO and first project! Free lesson 16:36

4. Introduction to variables and memory areas 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

4.1. Variables types - introduction (analog value 0-10V in Factory IO) 11:53
4.2. Memory areas - Inputs, Outputs, M 10:18

5. Introduction to Bit Operation Library in TIA Portal and variable types 33 min · 3 lessons ▼

5.1. Normally open contact -| |- AND operation (conveyor, switch and sensor in FIO) 13:29
5.2. Normally open contact -| |- OR operation (add selector switch in FIO scene) 8:00
5.3. Normally closed contact -|/|- (diffuse sensor introduction) 14:47

6. Exercises with bit logic operations 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

6.1. Start/stop button function - code with loop back 12:00
6.2. Homework 5:34

7. Assignment instruction, SET RESET coils 44 min · 4 lessons ▼

7.1. Assignment instruction (coil) - using tips 10:51
7.2. SET, RESET coils 12:18
7.3. Flips- flops Free lesson 15:35
7.4. Why hardware NC signals? 4:33

8. Edge detection instructions - triggers 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

8.1. SIM Table - how to simulate signals? 2:24
8.2. Edge detection instructions 21:27

9. FBD logic instructions 33 min · 3 lessons ▼

9.1. FBD logic instructions - theory 5:18
9.2. FBD logic instructions - example + homework 7:53
9.3. FBD logic instructions - homework - solution 0:52

10. Timing Instructions 55 min · 5 lessons ▼

10.1. TP timer 7:03
10.2. TON timer Free lesson 6:23
10.3. TOF timer 8:24
10.4. TONR timer 8:00
10.5. TONR timer - homework 6:00

11. Counters 55 min · 5 lessons ▼

11.1. Counters 1 - CTU 14:25
11.2. Counters 2 - CTU homework 5:13
11.3. Counters 3 - CTD 4:49
11.4. Counters 4 - CTUD 6:47
11.5. Counters 5 - CTUD homework 8:10

12. Project - Pallet measurement and distribution 1h 39min · 9 lessons ▼

12.1. Introduction, line description Free lesson 3:21
12.2. Variable mapping 14:00
12.3. Systems testing 11:00
12.4. Starting system 7:21
12.5. Sequence programming - part 1 19:48
12.6. Sequence programming - part 2 13:06
12.7. Analysis of line operation 9:56
12.8. Height measurement programming Free lesson 19:00
12.9. Homework assignment 6:46

13. Comparison operators 33 min · 3 lessons ▼

13.1. Theoretical introduction 3:35
13.2. Comparator instructions 7:14
13.3. IN_RANGE, OUT_RANGE instructions 4:56

14. Sorting line by color with vision sensor 55 min · 5 lessons ▼

14.1. Description of the sorting line Free lesson 4:48
14.2. Sequence design for feeders 4:42
14.3. Sequence program for the input conveyor 6:26
14.4. Sequence program for the sorting conveyor 3:14
14.5. Sorting line homework assignment 4:57

15. Mathematical instructions 1h 17min · 7 lessons ▼

15.1. Math - intro 1:37
15.2. ADD (ENO enable - check if result's correct) 10:39
15.3. SUB, DIV, MUL instructions 12:38
15.4. MOD instruction 9:20
15.5. Calculate instruction 11:00
15.6. INC, DEC instruction 12:00
15.7. MIN, MAX, LIMIT instruction 9:36

16. Operations on integers 44 min · 4 lessons ▼

16.1. Introduction, integer variable in controller's memory 13:20
16.2. Integers - negative numbers 7:32
16.3. Error of exceeding variable range 9:39
16.4. Type conversion for integers 17:01

17. Operations on floating-point numbers 33 min · 3 lessons ▼

17.1. Introduction to floating-point numbers 21:03
17.2. Arithmetics of floating-point numbers 11:01
17.3. Special cases of floating-point numbers - NaN, Inf+, Inf- 13:06

18. Instructions for converting floating-point numbers 11 min · 1 lesson ▼

18.1. Instructions for converting floating-point numbers 21:35

19. Project: Proportional controller for a water tank 55 min · 5 lessons ▼

19.1. Description of the station and variable mapping Free lesson 11:34
19.2. Signals scalling 15:22
19.3. Regulator programming 16:44
19.4. Testing gain factors for P regulator 18:00
19.5. Sequential operation of the tank - homework assignment 4:00

20. Operations on Words and Bytes 1h 6min · 6 lessons ▼

20.1. Operations on Words and Bytes - intro 14:38
20.2. Slice access 10:16
20.3. AND operation on bytes and words 14:40
20.4. OR, XOR operations on bytes and words 9:35
20.5. INV, DECO, ENCO 15:24
20.6. SEL, MUX, DEMUX 17:55

21. Complex data types - arrays, structures 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

21.1. Arrays 19:24
21.2. Structures - STRUCT, UDT 15:08

22. Program blocks, structural programming 1h 6min · 6 lessons ▼

22.1. Structural programming - Introduction 4:53
22.2. OB organization blocks 10:50
22.3. FC functions 18:45
22.4. FB function blocks - part 1 21:54
22.5. FB functional blocks - part 2 Free lesson 21:15
22.6. FB - function block - homework 5:34

23. Program flow control instructions 22 min · 2 lessons ▼

23.1. JUMP and LABEL instruction 6:34
23.2. JUMP_LIST and SWITCH instruction 12:59

24. Project: Product stacking with 2D manipulator 1h 39min · 9 lessons ▼

24.1. Introduction, project description Free lesson 2:45
24.2. Project template and variable mapping 18:26
24.3. Position calculation, position flags 17:04
24.4. Starting system 13:14
24.5. Input and output conveyor 10:37
24.6. Manipulator sequence 20:28
24.7. Homing 13:30
24.8. Product database and search function 27:43
24.9. Product tracking with vision sensor 16:07

25. How to get a certificate? 11 min · 1 lesson ▼

25.1. How to get a certificate and share it on Linkedin 3:26

Sample lessons

Watch free fragments of the course before you buy.

16:36

Lesson preview

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Course completion certificate Premium Siemens S7-1200, S7-1500 PLC Programming Course in LAD/FBD

Support on Discord

You are not alone - an international community of automation engineers and PLC programmers is waiting for you.

Lifetime access to the support server with the instructors
Code reviews of your programs on a dedicated channel
Answers to your questions on business days
Conversations with other automation engineers from around the world

Bonuses included with the course

Discord forum and chat for students

Join our private Discord server for PLC programmers. Ask questions, share projects and get help from instructors and fellow engineers.

Homework review and feedback

Send us your homework. We review it and send comments so your programs get better and better.

Certificate of completion

A personalised certificate with a unique number that you can share on LinkedIn and add to your CV.

Lifetime access and updates

Permanent access to all course materials, updates and new content added in the future.