DCS · Free
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS
ABB's DCS in metals, cement, paper and power plants worldwide: what 800xA is, Select I/O and xStream engineering, Control Builder's control diagram editor with function blocks, structured text, SFC and PID, the 800xA training sessions, and the cyber security reference architecture.
Inside the course
From the lessons
What System 800xA Is
ABB Control Systems
Select I/O and xStream Engineering
ABB Control Systems
Control Builder: Control Diagram Editor
ABB Control Systems
Servers, Workplaces and Plant Explorer
Jitendra Anne
Engineering a Loop: Graphics, Alarms and History
Jitendra Anne
Cyber Security and Connectivity
ABB Control Systems
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Explain System 800xA and its place, describe Select I/O and xStream engineering, build control diagrams in Control Builder with function blocks, structures, SFC, structured text and PID, follow the 800xA training sessions on structure, operation and engineering, and explain ABB's cyber security reference architecture and Modbus connectivity.
- Explain a DCS and where 800xA fits against PLC and SCADA
- Describe Select I/O, xStream engineering and Edgenius
- Build control diagrams with function blocks, structures, SFC, ST and PID in Control Builder
- Understand the 800xA workplace: aspects, objects, structures, Plant Explorer
- Add a loop from Control Builder to an operator graphic
- Explain the cyber security reference architecture and Modbus connectivity
For you
Taking ABB Ability System 800xA DCS from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$28.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project · about 20 hours
Pulp-mill bleach plant on System 800xA: AC 800M applications, object-oriented library, S800 I/O, alarm rationalisation, redundancy FAT
Design, configure, test and document the System 800xA control of a three-stage ECF bleach plant at a pulp mill near Coimbra, Portugal: a redundant AC 800M on S800 I/O joining the mill's existing 800xA system, Control Builder M applications built from one mill library of control module types, Process Graphics displays, alarm and event configuration with hiding rules, and a rationalised alarm list. You deliver the configuration in 800xA's own terms, your own I/O list, alarm list and FAT record. The sample pack shows what an ABB integrator hands a pulp mill.
Sample document pack, 10 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Network architectureSystem and Network Architecture: Bleach Plant Extension to the KRPP 800xA System
- HDSHardware Design Specification: AC 800M, S800 I/O Allocation and Loading
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Bleach Plant D0-Eop-D1
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: KRPPBleachLib Control Module Types, Applications and Naming
- I/O listI/O List: Bleach Plant, Ctrl_BLE_01 S800 Clusters 0 and 1
- Alarm philosophyAlarm Philosophy: KRPP Coimbra Mill (applied to the bleach plant)
- Alarm listMaster Alarm Database: Bleach Plant
- Cause & effectCause and Effect Matrix: Bleach Plant DCS Interlocks and Hardwired ESD
- HMI specDisplay Hierarchy and Screen Specification: Process Graphics, Bleach Plant
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Ctrl_BLE_01, S800 Clusters and Bleach Plant Workplaces
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.
Course content
7 modules · 28 lessons · 5h 59m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01What System 800xA Is8 lessons48m
- 02Select I/O and xStream Engineering3 lessons8m
- 03Control Builder: Control Diagram Editor8 lessons35m
- 04Servers, Workplaces and Plant Explorer3 lessons1h 52m
- 05Engineering a Loop: Graphics, Alarms and History3 lessons2h 16m
- 06Cyber Security and Connectivity2 lessons19m
- 07Final Assessment1 lesson4m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
- Software
- Compact Control Builder and System 800xA are licensed ABB software with no public trial. Every practice task has a paper route, and the videos show each step on a real system What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None. Follow by watching and re-drawing.
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.
Nothing to install to finish the course
System 800xA is licensed plant software; the lessons are recorded on training systems.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 01Paid only
Compact Control Builder AC 800M (and System 800xA)
ABB
- Runs on
- Windows (check the product guide for your version)
- Account
- Purchase through ABB or an ABB channel partner
No public trial of Compact Control Builder was found on ABB's site; it is bought through ABB. System 800xA is an enterprise DCS supplied only as part of a licensed system.
Steps
- 1.Read the Compact Product Suite page to understand the AC 800M tools.
- 2.If your employer or college uses AC 800M, ask them for access to a licensed copy.
- 3.Otherwise, learn AC500 PLC programming with the free Automation Builder Basic edition.
- 4.For formal AC 800M or 800xA training, contact ABB University.
ABB product pageabb.comLegitimate free routes
- ABB Automation Builder (Basic edition): Free ABB PLC engineering tool with PLC simulation.
- ABB University: ABB's own training courses, including control systems.
- CODESYS Development System: Free IEC 61131-3 tool; the programming languages carry over to AC 800M.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS at a glance
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in process control. It has 7 modules and 5h 59m of video lessons by ABB Control Systems, ABB Control Systems, Jitendra Anne 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.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in process control
- Format
- 7 self-paced modules, 5h 59m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Intermediate. Intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
- Brand
- ABB
- Software
- Compact Control Builder and System 800xA are licensed ABB software with no public trial. Every practice task has a paper route, and the videos show each step on a real system
- Hardware
- None. Follow by watching and re-drawing.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- ABB Control Systems, ABB Control Systems, Jitendra Anne, Bubble Lover (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
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Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of ABB Ability System 800xA DCS, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Is this a full 800xA engineering course?
It is a foundation: architecture, Control Builder diagrams and recorded training sessions. Deep 800xA engineering needs ABB training on a licensed system.
Is Control Builder free?
No. Compact Control Builder and 800xA are licensed ABB software with no public download, so every practice task can be done on paper while you follow the videos. If your workplace or college has a licence, use it with the soft controller for the control diagram exercises.
Why pair this with the AC500 course?
Both use Control Builder-style engineering, so the AC500 course is a practical warm-up.
Is the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS 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 ABB qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a ABB credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS 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.
How long does the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course take?
Plan on about 10 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the seven modules at your own speed.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for ABB Ability System 800xA DCS
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$28.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). 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.
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.
- ABB Control Systemsthe official System 800xA videos
- ABB Control Systemsthe Compact Control Builder control diagram editor tutorial
- Jitendra Annethe 800xA training session recordings and DCS comparisons
- Bubble Loverthe Control Builder PID loop video
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.