PLC programming
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder
Program an ABB AC500 PLC in Automation Builder, from your first project to timers, networks and an HMI screen.
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 10 modules and takes about 10.7 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 10.7 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
- 5.0 from 1 learner review
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: PLC programmer, controls engineer, automation technician and commissioning engineer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- ABB Automation Builder: the free Basic edition for the PLC work (check ABB's edition table for what the paid editions add). Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Create and commission an AC500 project in Automation Builder
- Write ladder logic with latching, interlocks, timers and counters
- Connect remote I/O over PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO
- Build a visualization and a CP600 HMI screen
- Plan the upgrade of an older AC500 project
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation.
Level: Beginner. Beginner.
What you need
Software: ABB Automation Builder: the free Basic edition for the PLC work (check ABB's edition table for what the paid editions add).
Hardware: None required.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
10 modules in order, at your own pace. 10.7 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1The AC500 Platform and Automation Builder3m
- 2First Project and Commissioning20m
- 3Contacts, Coils and Gates, with lab practice: 12m
- 4Latching, Interlocks and Memory Bits, with lab practice: 9m
- 5Timers, with lab practice: 12m
- 6Counters and Retentive Data, with lab practice: 9m
- 7PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO22m
- 8Visualization and CP600 HMI, with lab practice: 37m
Show the other 2 modules
- 9Upgrades, Safety, Hot Swap, Condition Monitoring21m
- 10Final Assessment
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.
Show what to download (1 tool)
Required
- 01Free Basic edition
ABB Automation Builder
ABB
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11 (32/64-bit) Professional or Enterprise, Windows Server 2012 R2 or 2019
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- needs 5 to 18 GB free disk space
The Basic edition is free and covers AC500 PLC programming, PLC simulation and debugging. After installing you can also choose a free 30-day trial of the Standard and Premium features.
Steps
- 1.Open the Automation Builder download page on abb.com.
- 2.Download the current Automation Builder installer.
- 3.Run the installer as administrator.
- 4.When asked for a licence, choose the free Basic edition (or the 30-day trial).
- 5.Create an AC500 project and test it with PLC simulation.
- Minimum PC: 1 GHz processor and 4 GB RAM.
- Advanced virtual PLC simulation is a paid option; basic PLC simulation is in the free edition.
Official download pageabb.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.
Practise in the 3D lab
Build the same ladder logic you write in Automation Builder on a working machine in the PLC lab: seal-ins, interlocks, timers and counters, then pass the lab's test.
- Motor start/stop with overloadPLC lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Motor start/stop with overload
- Forward/reverse conveyorPLC lab, about 60 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Forward/reverse conveyor
- Batch counter on a packing linePLC lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Batch counter on a packing line
- Tank filling pumpPLC lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tank filling pump
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 10 hours
Conveyor and bucket-elevator start-up sequence on an AC500: narrative, interlock list, I/O and test record
Design, program, test and document the group start-up and stop sequence for a belt conveyor feeding a bucket elevator at a cement mill. It has a pre-start siren and downstream-first starting with run-feedback and speed proving. It has upstream-first stopping with one elevator run-out time, and belt-sway, pull-cord, zero-speed, chute-block and overcurrent interlocks. You deliver the Automation Builder project, your own I/O list, interlock list and test record. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands a cement plant's electrical department.
- 8documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 6things to hand in
- 10 hof work, at your pace
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Cement Mill 3 Feed Group (BC-301 and BE-302)
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: CP-301 AC500 Program
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-301
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-301 and Field Devices
- Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: Mill 3 Feed Group
- Alarm listAlarm List: Mill 3 Feed Group
Do it in the lab: 5 steps.
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
PLC Programming
Eight short weeks of PLC ladder logic on free simulators: notes, diagrams, a few videos and auto-tested tasks. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipPart of a learning path
Courses in a planned order, so each one builds on the last.
More free courses
Roles that use this skill
- PLC programmer
- Controls engineer
- Automation technician
- Commissioning engineer
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: PLC Programming. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
PLC Programming. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
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.
- 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, and what comes after it.
- 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.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
Common questions
Is Automation Builder free?
Yes. ABB offers a free basic licence, and it covers everything in this course.
Is this the same as CODESYS?
Automation Builder is built on CODESYS, so what you learn in our CODESYS course carries over. This course adds ABB's own hardware, networks and HMI.
Do I need an AC500?
No. The simulator runs every exercise.
Is the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course really free?
Yes: every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and your final can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it an ABB qualification?
You get an EDWartens Certificate of Completion when you pass the final assessment. It has a verification code anyone can check. It is not an ABB credential, and we never describe it as one.
Who made the video lessons in the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. They are not linked to EDWartens. We wrote the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course take?
Plan on about 11 hours in all, including the videos, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you move through the ten modules at your own speed.
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.
What topics does the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course cover, module by module?
The ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course has 10 modules. It opens with "The AC500 Platform and Automation Builder", goes through "First Project and Commissioning", "Latching, Interlocks and Memory Bits", "PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO" and "Upgrades, Safety, Hot Swap, Condition Monitoring" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course?
After the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course: Install Automation Builder and create an AC500 project; Write ladder with contacts, coils, latching, interlocks and memory bits; Use TON, TOF, TP, RTC, counters and retentive data. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course, and does it cost anything?
For the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course, software: ABB Automation Builder: the free Basic edition for the PLC work (check ABB's edition table for what the paid editions add). Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course suitable for me, and what level is it?
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder is rated beginner. Beginner. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 10.7 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course?
Skills from the ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder course (for example: install Automation Builder and create an AC500 project) are used in roles such as PLC programmer, controls engineer, automation technician and commissioning engineer, and in automation engineer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
ABB AC500 PLC with Automation Builder, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.