Free PLC Courses for Mitsubishi, Omron, Delta, LS and Keyence

Yes, there is a free Delta PLC course: the EDWartens Delta DVP course with ISPSoft is free in full, with video lessons, written notes, practice tasks and a final assessment. The same catalogue has free Mitsubishi, Omron, LS Electric and KEYENCE courses, each taught in the maker's own software and simulator, and none needs a PLC on your desk.

Checked 26 September 2026 on each maker's own site, or its named distributor's where stated.

Why these five brands

A lot of free PLC material in English is about Siemens and Allen-Bradley. That is fair for Europe and North America, but many machines in the Philippines, Pakistan, South-East Asia and the Gulf arrive from builders who use controllers made closer to home: Mitsubishi Electric, Omron and KEYENCE from Japan, Delta from Taiwan and LS Electric from Korea.

When one of those machines stops at 2 a.m., the maintenance engineer needs to open that program, not a Siemens one. Free material for these brands exists, but it is scattered: vendor manuals, forum threads and single YouTube videos with no order to them. A course puts it in order, adds notes and practice, and tests you at the end.

The software each brand needs

This is the part most guides skip. Each brand's software comes on different terms, so here is what each maker's own site says.

Mitsubishi Electric: GX Works2 and GX Works3

GX Works2 programs the FX and Q series; GX Works3 programs the newer iQ-F (FX5) and iQ-R. Both are licensed software. On Mitsubishi Electric's FA download page, the software download links lead to a member login. Mitsubishi Electric Americas' GX Works3 training page says a free 30-day trial version can be provided for its class. Outside that, ask your local Mitsubishi office or distributor about trial access; practice differs by region.

Our Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course starts with the FX family and device addressing (X, Y, M, D, T, C). GX Works3 for iQ-R and iQ-F follows on.

Omron: CX-Programmer and Sysmac Studio

Omron has two worlds. CX-Programmer, part of the CX-One suite, programs the CP and CJ families. Omron Europe's software downloads page lists a CX-One trial download (version 4.61). Sysmac Studio programs the NX and NJ machine controllers, and Omron's form says you can download and try it free for 30 days. Omron Europe also offers a licence portal where you can create an account and obtain a trial licence.

Start with Omron PLC with CX-Programmer, which assumes nothing and includes a first project in the simulator. Move to Sysmac Studio once you are comfortable.

Delta: ISPSoft and DIAStudio

Delta says it provides two programming tools for its PLCs, ISPSoft and DIADesigner, both following IEC 61131-3. DIADesigner covers the AS series and the DVP-ES3, EX3, SV3 and SX3, and sits inside Delta's DIAStudio suite. When Delta launched DIAStudio in December 2020, its press release said it was free to register and download. ISPSoft is linked from Delta's download centre.

Our Delta DVP course with ISPSoft is the most complete in this group. It has 21 teaching modules, from memory maps and simulation with COMMGR through timers, counters, step ladder and SFC, to analog, PID, Modbus and a VFD.

LS Electric: XG5000

LS Electric is the easiest to start on. AutomationDirect, which sells LS Electric PLCs in North America, says XG5000 is 100% free with no licence or key needed. It includes XG-SIM, a Windows-based virtual PLC for running and debugging programs without hardware, and XGB controllers support ladder, structured text, SFC and instruction list. Our LS Electric XGB course uses XG5000 and its simulator.

KEYENCE: KV STUDIO

KEYENCE's KV Series support site offers trial versions of its PLC software for download. The page does not state the trial terms, so read them when you download. Our KEYENCE KV course covers KV STUDIO, ladder, structured text and VT STUDIO screens.

Same ideas, different names

Every one of these brands does the same job with different labels. Knowing the typical memory areas up front saves hours of confusion. The table shows the usual areas on the controllers our courses use; exact ranges depend on the model, so check the manual for yours.

Delta's DVP memory map will feel familiar after Mitsubishi, because it uses the same letters. Omron's channel-and-bit addressing is the one that surprises most people, which is why our Omron course gives it a module of its own before any logic.

Which brand should you learn first?

Do not pick by reputation. Pick by what is in front of you:

• If you already work in a plant, open the panels on the machines you look after and note the controller brand. The most common one is your first course.
• If you are looking for work, read twenty job adverts in your city and count which PLC brands they name. Adverts from machine builders and system integrators are the most useful.
• If you know the machines' origin, it is a strong hint. Japanese-built machines often carry Mitsubishi, Omron or KEYENCE controllers, Taiwanese ones often Delta, and Korean ones often LS Electric, although builders choose what their customers ask for.
• If you have no information at all, start with Delta or LS Electric, whose software is the easiest to get, and move on once you know what your target employers use.

If you already maintain one of these machines

The fastest way to learn is on a program you care about. With your supervisor's permission, take a copy of the backup of a machine you work on and open it offline in the maker's software. Do not go online to a running machine to practise. Then:

• Find the rung that starts the main motor and trace every condition that can stop it.
• Look up any instruction you do not recognise in the course notes or the maker's manual.
• Write your own version of one small section in the simulator and compare it with the original.

This turns the course from theory into something you can use on the next breakdown.

How to study one brand properly

The biggest mistake is dabbling in five brands at once. The instructions look alike, the addresses do not, and you end up fluent in none. Learn one well, then the second takes a fraction of the time.

A few practical points:

• Addressing first. Mitsubishi's X, Y, M and D devices, Omron's channel and bit addresses, and Delta's DVP memory map are where beginners get lost. Spend a module on them before writing logic.
• Use the simulator for everything. GX Works, CX-Programmer, ISPSoft, XG5000 and KV STUDIO all let you test without hardware. Build the habit of testing each rung as you write it.
• Keep your programs. A folder of working start/stop, timer, counter and analog examples is your own reference when you meet a real machine.

For the two Japanese brands together, follow the Japanese PLC platforms path. For Mitsubishi, Omron, Delta and Schneider as a set, see machine-builder PLCs.

Free courses by brand

• Delta: Delta DVP with ISPSoft, or all Delta courses
• Mitsubishi: GX Works2 and GX Works3, or all Mitsubishi courses
• Omron: CX-Programmer and Sysmac Studio, or all Omron courses
• LS Electric: XGB with XG5000
• KEYENCE: KV STUDIO

Each is free in full. The video lessons are by independent YouTube creators, credited on every course page. EDWartens writes the study plan, notes, practice tasks and the final assessment: 15 questions from the whole course, 60% to pass, three attempts. You need a free account so your progress is saved, and no card.

What the certificate costs

The certificate is optional and the only thing you pay for. After you pass, you can buy an EDWartens Certificate of Completion with a unique code and QR that anyone can check at edwartens.com/verification. All five courses above are beginner level. It is a small one-off fee, from US$2.99, and checkout shows your price. It is not a Mitsubishi, Omron, Delta, LS or KEYENCE certification, and it is not accredited or a university or government qualification.

Take the free course

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Delta DVP PLC with ISPSoft

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Omron PLC with CX-Programmer

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000