PLC programming
Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft
Program the Eaton easyE4 control relay in easySoft, from your first circuit to function blocks, displays and data logging.
Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 8 modules and takes about 9.6 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
- 9.6 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
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
- easySoft 8: the free edition simulates your programs; loading one onto a real easyE4 needs a paid licence. Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Explain where an easyE4 fits among control relays and PLCs
- Program in LD, FBD, ST and EDP
- Connect over Ethernet and set system functions
- Use function blocks, PID and PWM
- Communicate over Modbus RTU and MQTT and log data
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. No PLC experience needed.
What you need
Software: easySoft 8: the free edition simulates your programs; loading one onto a real easyE4 needs a paid licence.
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
8 modules in order, at your own pace. 9.6 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1easyE4 and Control Relays33m
- 2easySoft: Install, Licensing and Languages, with lab practice: 31m
- 3System Settings and Ethernet27m
- 4Function Blocks, User Blocks, PID and PWM, with lab practice: 1h 4m
- 5Displays and Visualisation, with lab practice: 1h 10m
- 6Communication: SmartWire-DT, Modbus RTU, MQTT and AWS, with lab practice: 47m
- 7Data Logger and Applications, with lab practice: 33m
- 8Final 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 edition with limits
easySoft 8
Eaton
- Runs on
- Windows 10 (version 2004 or newer) or Windows 11
- Account
- None needed
Eaton offers a non-licensed version free of charge with offline simulation of your circuit diagram. Loading programs onto a device and some other functions need a paid licence.
Steps
- 1.Open the Eaton software download centre for easySoft.
- 2.Download the latest easySoft 8 version.
- 3.Run the installer as administrator.
- 4.Start easySoft and create a project for an easyE4 device.
- 5.Test your circuit diagram in simulation mode.
- Simulation mode includes an oscilloscope view, useful for checking timers and counters.
Official download pageapplications.eaton.eu
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 timing, latching and pump logic you learn for the easyE4 on working machines in the PLC lab, using the same ideas as a control relay.
- 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
- Tank filling pumpPLC lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tank filling pump
- Duty and standby pumpsPLC lab, about 75 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Duty and standby pumps
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 10 hours
Booster pump set on an easyE4: pressure control, alternation, dry-run protection, alarms, screen and log
Design, program, test and document the control of a two-pump booster set on one Eaton easyE4. You deliver an FDS, an I/O list, an easySoft project, an alarm list and a FAT record, all tested in simulation.
- 4documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 6things to hand in
- 10 hof work, at your pace
- FDSFunctional Design Specification: Booster Pump Set BPS-1 on an easyE4
- I/O listI/O List: Booster Pump Set BPS-1
- Alarm listAlarm List: Booster Pump Set BPS-1
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Booster Pump Set BPS-1
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 internshipMore 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: Eaton. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Eaton. 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 easySoft free?
Yes to download and simulate; a licence is needed only to download to a physical easyE4.
easyE4 or Siemens LOGO!?
Both are control relays for small tasks. An easyE4 base takes up to 11 plug-in expansion modules and an optional SmartWire-DT coordinator module; compare the current data sheets of both before you choose. The free LOGO! course covers the other one.
Are all lessons official?
Yes, all from Eaton's English channel.
Is the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft 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 Eaton qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not an Eaton credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft 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 Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft 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 eight 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 Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course cover, module by module?
The Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course has 8 modules. It opens with "easyE4 and Control Relays", goes through "easySoft: Install, Licensing and Languages", "Function Blocks, User Blocks, PID and PWM", "Displays and Visualisation" and "Data Logger and Applications" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course?
After the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course: Know control relays, the easyE4 range and its features; Install easySoft and program in LD, FBD, ST and EDP; Set system functions and connect over Ethernet. 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 Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course, and does it cost anything?
For the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course, software: easySoft 8: the free edition simulates your programs; loading one onto a real easyE4 needs a paid licence. Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft is rated beginner. Beginner. No PLC experience needed. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 9.6 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course?
Skills from the Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft course (for example: know control relays, the easyE4 range and its features) 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
Eaton easyE4 Control Relay with easySoft, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.