PLC programming
FATEK PLC with WinProladder
Program a FATEK PLC in WinProladder, from wiring sensors and addressing to timers, counters, math and simulation.
FATEK PLC with WinProladder is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 6 modules and takes about 7.5 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
- 7.5 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
- WinProladder (free) with simulator. Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Install WinProladder and wire NPN and PNP sensors
- Address X, Y, M, D and R memory
- Use set/reset, edges, timers and counters
- Do arithmetic and comparisons
- Upload, download and simulate programs
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: WinProladder (free) with simulator.
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
6 modules in order, at your own pace. 7.5 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1FATEK and WinProladder34m
- 2Addressing, Memory, Contacts, Coils and Latching, with lab practice: 56m
- 3Timers and Counters, with lab practice: 25m
- 4Math and Compare, with lab practice: 37m
- 5Communication, Simulation and Practice1h 35m
- 6Final 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
WinProladder
FATEK Automation
- Runs on
- Windows PC
- Account
- A FATEK website member account may be needed to download
FATEK publishes WinProladder on its support download page for FBs and B1 series PLCs; there is no licence key. Check the vendor page for the current licence terms.
Steps
- 1.Open the FATEK Winproladder support page.
- 2.Sign in or register as a FATEK member if the download asks you to.
- 3.Download the latest WinProladder version.
- 4.Unzip the file and run setup.exe as administrator.
- 5.Start WinProladder and create a project for an FBs or B1 PLC.
- Download the WinProladder User Manual from the same page.
Official download pagefatek.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
Write the same start/stop, timer and counter rungs you learn in WinProladder on working machines in the PLC lab and pass each lab test.
- Motor start/stop with overloadPLC lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Motor start/stop with overload
- Batch counter on a packing linePLC lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Batch counter on a packing line
- Commission the 4-20 mA level loopElectrical labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Commission the 4-20 mA level loop
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 10 hours
Flour mill packing station PK-1: load-cell batching to 25 kg, sifter interlock and bag counting on an FBs-24MA
Program and document the control of a flour mill's sifter and 25 kg packing station on an FBs-24MA. Two gates batch 25.00 kg from a weight register, a correction learns from the last bag, and the sifter stops before the bin overflows. You work in the WinProladder simulator with the weight count typed in, and you deliver your I/O list, ladder, calibration record, FAT record and operator note.
- 8documents in the pack
- 7steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 6things to hand in
- 10 hof work, at your pace
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Sifter and Packing Station PK-1
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-PK1
- Calibration recordCalibration Record: Weighing Loop WT-1, Hopper to PLC
- Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: PK-1
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-PK1 and Field Devices
- Alarm listAlarm List: PK-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: Ayyan Engineering Solutions, The Electrical Hub. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Ayyan Engineering Solutions · The Electrical Hub. 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 WinProladder free?
Yes, from FATEK, with a simulator.
Where is FATEK used?
On packaging, textile, plastics and small process machines where a low-cost PLC with good analog and communication options is wanted.
Is this a long course?
No: about four hours of video with practice, enough to program a FATEK machine and read existing programs.
Is the FATEK PLC with WinProladder 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 FATEK qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a FATEK credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the FATEK PLC with WinProladder 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.
Is it suitable for complete beginners?
Yes. No PLC experience is needed: the course starts with installing WinProladder and wiring NPN and PNP sensors. WinProladder is free and has a simulator, so you do not need a FATEK PLC.
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 FATEK PLC with WinProladder course cover, module by module?
The FATEK PLC with WinProladder course has 6 modules. It opens with "FATEK and WinProladder", goes through "Addressing, Memory, Contacts, Coils and Latching", "Timers and Counters", "Math and Compare" and "Communication, Simulation and Practice" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course?
After the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course: Install WinProladder and wire NPN and PNP sensors; Address X, Y, M, D and R and use retentive memory; Use contacts, coils, set/reset and edge instructions. 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 FATEK PLC with WinProladder course, and does it cost anything?
For the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course, software: WinProladder (free) with simulator. Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course suitable for me, and what level is it?
FATEK PLC with WinProladder 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 7.5 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course?
Skills from the FATEK PLC with WinProladder course (for example: install WinProladder and wire NPN and PNP sensors) 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
FATEK PLC with WinProladder, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.