PLC programming
KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO
Program a KEYENCE KV series PLC in KV STUDIO, from device addressing and ladder to timers, structured text and a VT STUDIO HMI.
KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 12 modules and takes about 17.6 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
- 17.6 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
- KV STUDIO and VT STUDIO (from KEYENCE; simulation built in). Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Address devices and enter ladder in KV STUDIO
- Use timers, counters, data instructions and arithmetic
- Monitor and debug a program by rewinding time
- Write structured text and build VT STUDIO screens
- Scale analog signals and communicate over Modbus RTU and EtherNet/IP
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: KV STUDIO and VT STUDIO (from KEYENCE; simulation built in).
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
12 modules in order, at your own pace. 17.6 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1KV Series and KV STUDIO33m
- 2Device Addressing and Entering Ladder1h 8m
- 3Basic Logic: Holding, SET/RESET, KEEP, MC, Pulses, ALT, Shot, with lab practice: 1h 10m
- 4Timers and Counters, with lab practice: 1h 13m
- 5Data Instructions and Arithmetic, with lab practice: 1h 54m
- 6Transfer, Monitoring and Debugging39m
- 7Structured Text and VT STUDIO HMI, with lab practice: 28m
- 8Analog Input and Scaling, with lab practice: 17m
Show the other 4 modules
- 9Communication: PROTOCOL STUDIO, Modbus RTU and EtherNet/IP, with lab practice: 2h 20m
- 10Motion and PC Integration1h 13m
- 11Machine Projects: SAW Machine and Rotary Bottle Washer47m
- 12Final 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 trial version
KV STUDIO (and VT STUDIO)
KEYENCE
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11
- Account
- A KEYENCE website account (register with a business email)
- Size
- about 3.7 GB, split into 4 files
KEYENCE publishes a trial version of KV STUDIO on its KV Series support pages. The page does not state the trial limits, so check them in the software; the full version is sold by KEYENCE.
Steps
- 1.Open the KV Series Trial Version page on keyence.com.
- 2.Click Download all split files and register or sign in to KEYENCE.
- 3.Download all four parts to the same folder.
- 4.Run the .exe part to merge the files, then run the installer.
- 5.For HMI screens, get the VT STUDIO trial from the VT Series trial page.
- Keep all four split files in one folder before merging.
Official download pagekeyence.comAlternatives
- CODESYS Development System: Free IEC 61131-3 programming tool with a SoftPLC that runs in 2-hour demo sessions.
- OpenPLC Editor: Free, open-source PLC editor for Windows, macOS and Linux.
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 self-holding, timer, counter and structured text logic you learn in KV STUDIO on working machines in the PLC lab and pass each 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
- Tank filling pumpPLC lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tank filling pump
- 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 20 hours
Inspection and laser-marking station LM-1: pocket tracking and device handshakes on a KV-8000 simulator
Plan, program and test the control of an eight-pocket rotary station that inspects, marks, verifies and sorts a die-cast bracket. You build the pocket tracking and three device handshakes in the KV STUDIO simulator, with a VT STUDIO screen, then record an honest factory acceptance test. The sample pack shows what a cell integrator hands over for the full station with real vision, marker and reader.
- 8documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 5things to hand in
- 20 hof work, at your pace
- FDSFunctional Design Specification: Inspection and Marking Station LM-1
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-LM1
- I/O handshakeI/O Handshake Table: PLC to Vision, Marker and Reader
- Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: LM-1
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-LM1 and Station Devices
- Alarm listAlarm List: LM-1
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: KEYENCE Corporation, Automationliker, plc247 Automation, Najma Hayati. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
KEYENCE Corporation · Automationliker · plc247 Automation · Najma Hayati. 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 KV STUDIO free?
KEYENCE publishes a trial version of KV STUDIO on its website and sells the full software, with VT STUDIO, through its sales channel; check the trial's current terms and limits on keyence.com before you install. Both include simulation, so the course runs without hardware.
Where is KEYENCE used?
In electronics, pharma packaging, inspection and vision-heavy lines, often alongside KEYENCE sensors and vision systems on EtherNet/IP.
Are the instruction tutorials narrated?
Several are on-screen demonstrations with English captions and simulation rather than voice; the notes explain each instruction.
Is the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO 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 KEYENCE qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a KEYENCE credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO 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 KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course take?
Plan on about 18 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the twelve 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 KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course cover, module by module?
The KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course has 12 modules. It opens with "KV Series and KV STUDIO", goes through "Device Addressing and Entering Ladder", "Data Instructions and Arithmetic", "Analog Input and Scaling" and "Machine Projects: SAW Machine and Rotary Bottle Washer" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course?
After the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course: Know KV STUDIO modes, scan execution and the Unit Editor; Address devices and enter ladder with variables; Use holding, SET/RESET, KEEP, MC/MCR, pulses, ALT and Shot. 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 KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course, and does it cost anything?
For the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course, software: KV STUDIO and VT STUDIO (from KEYENCE; simulation built in). Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course suitable for me, and what level is it?
KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO 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 17.6 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course?
Skills from the KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO course (for example: know KV STUDIO modes, scan execution and the Unit Editor) 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
KEYENCE KV Series PLC with KV STUDIO, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.