DCS
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS
Learn what ABB System 800xA is and how its control diagrams are built in Control Builder, by watching and drawing on paper.
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process control. It has 7 modules and takes about 9.8 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$28.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Intermediate
- 9.8 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$28.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process control
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: SCADA engineer, HMI developer, control room technologist and systems integrator. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- 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.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Explain what System 800xA is and where it is used
- Describe Select I/O and xStream engineering
- Build control diagrams in Control Builder with function blocks and PID
- Follow the 800xA training sessions on structure, operation and engineering
- Explain ABB's cyber security reference architecture
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process control.
Level: Intermediate. Intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
What you need
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.. 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
7 modules in order, at your own pace. 9.8 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1What System 800xA Is46m
- 2Select I/O and xStream Engineering8m
- 3Control Builder: Control Diagram Editor35m
- 4Servers, Workplaces and Plant Explorer1h 52m
- 5Engineering a Loop: Graphics, Alarms and History, with lab practice: 2h 16m
- 6Cyber Security and Connectivity19m
- 7Final 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.
Nothing to install to finish the course
System 800xA is licensed plant software; the lessons are recorded on training systems.
Show what to download (1 tool)
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.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the plant-side work around a DCS loop: set alarm limits and priorities, and build an operator overview, the same jobs you plan in 800xA.
- Read the P&IDProcess lab, about 20 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Read the P&ID
- Alarm rationalisationProcess lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Alarm rationalisation
- Build an operator screenProcess lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Build an operator screen
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 12 hours
Pulp-mill bleach plant D0 stage on System 800xA: loops, I/O list, alarms and test record
Design the control of the first bleaching stage (D0) at a pulp mill near Coimbra, Portugal. You write a one-page control narrative, an I/O list of 18 signals, one loop type used twice, a rationalised alarm list, a faceplate sketch and a test record. You work on paper or in a spreadsheet, using what the course taught. The sample pack shows what an ABB integrator hands over for the whole plant.
- 10documents in the pack
- 7steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 6things to hand in
- 12 hof work, at your pace
- 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)
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$28.99 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.
SCADA and HMI
Eight short weeks of tags, screens, alarms and trends: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in LADX Mini and free web SCADA tools. 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 internshipRoles that use this skill
- SCADA engineer
- HMI developer
- Control room technologist
- Systems integrator
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: ABB Control Systems, ABB Control Systems, Jitendra Anne, Bubble Lover. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
ABB Control Systems · ABB Control Systems · Jitendra Anne · Bubble Lover. 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 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 an ABB qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not an 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.
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 Ability System 800xA DCS course cover, module by module?
The ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course has 7 modules. It opens with "What System 800xA Is", goes through "Select I/O and xStream Engineering", "Control Builder: Control Diagram Editor", "Engineering a Loop: Graphics, Alarms and History" and "Cyber Security and Connectivity" 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 Ability System 800xA DCS course?
After the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course: 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. 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 Ability System 800xA DCS course, and does it cost anything?
For the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course, 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. The course itself is free.
Is the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course suitable for me, and what level is it?
ABB Ability System 800xA DCS is rated intermediate. Intermediate. PLC basics assumed. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process control, and takes about 9.8 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course?
Skills from the ABB Ability System 800xA DCS course (for example: explain a DCS and where 800xA fits against PLC and SCADA) are used in roles such as SCADA engineer, HMI developer, control room technologist and systems integrator, and in control systems engineer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
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ABB Ability System 800xA DCS, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.