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PLC programming

LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000

Program an LS Electric XGB PLC in XG5000, from wiring and ladder to analog, Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP and motion.

LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 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 16.8 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$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.

  • Free
  • Beginner
  • 16.8 hours
  • Self-paced
  • Certificate optional
  • Lab practice in your browser
See what you learn

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
XG5000 and XG-PM (free) with the built-in simulator. Hardware: none required; an XGB starter kit makes wiring, analog and motion real.
Updated
LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course cover
LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course cover

After this course you can

By the end you will be able to:

  • Build and wire an XGB rack and connect to it
  • Program ladder with timers, counters, math and compare
  • Use functions, structured text, SFC and IL
  • Configure analog and temperature modules
  • Communicate over Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP and program motion in XG-PM

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: XG5000 and XG-PM (free) with the built-in simulator.

Hardware: None required; an XGB starter kit makes wiring, analog and motion real.. What to download, and how.

How this course works

  1. Watch the lessons

    Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.

  2. Read the notes

    Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.

  3. Practise in the 3D labOptional

    Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.

  4. Check yourself

    Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.

  5. Final assessment

    Pass the final once you have been through the modules.

  6. 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. 16.8 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.

  1. 1LS Electric, XGB and XG500020m
  2. 2Hardware: Rack, Power, Wiring and Modules27m
  3. 3Connecting, First Project and Variables1h 4m
  4. 4Ladder Programming and Simulation, with lab practice: 1h 8m
  5. 5Timers, Counters, Math and Compare, with lab practice: 57m
  6. 6Functions, Function Blocks, ST, SFC and IL, with lab practice: 58m
  7. 7Analog, Temperature, Scaling and Retention, with lab practice: 24m
  8. 8Monitoring, Online Editing and Project Protection24m
Show the other 4 modules
  1. 9Communication: Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, HMI and Remote I/O, with lab practice: 1h 44m
  2. 10Motion: XG-PM, Pulse Train and EtherCAT, with lab practice: 1h 56m
  3. 11IEC 61131-3: Choosing the Language22m
  4. 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

  1. 01

    XG5000 (and XG-PM)

    LS Electric

    Free
    Runs on
    Windows PC
    Account
    None needed
    Size
    about 955 MB download (XG5000 V4.82)

    LS Electric publishes XG5000 on its Solution Square site as a direct download with no licence key. The installer includes all earlier patch updates. XG-PM, for positioning modules, is a separate download on the same site.

    Official download pagessq.ls-electric.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 sequential start, timer, counter and step logic you learn in XG5000 on working machines in the PLC lab and pass each test.

Build a ladder rungWatch

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Course project, about 18 hours

Ice plant IP-1: two ammonia compressors, a brine pump and cold-store door interlocks on an IEC-type XGB

Program, test and document the control system for a fish processor's ice plant in XG5000. Two compressors are staged on brine temperature, a brine pump must prove flow first, and the plant has protections, door interlocks and an ammonia gas alarm. You deliver the XG5000 project with a compressor function block, your own I/O list and test record, and an operator note. The XG5000 simulator is enough, and the sample pack shows what an integrator hands over.

This project at a glance
  1. 8documents in the pack
  2. 10steps to follow
  3. 5things to hand in
  4. 18 hof work, at your pace
  • Control narrativeControl Narrative: Ice Plant IP-1
  • I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-IP1
  • Motor listMotor List: Ice Plant IP-1
  • Interlock listInterlock and Permissive List: IP-1
  • Cause & effectCause and Effect Matrix: IP-1
  • BOMParts List: Panel CP-IP1 and Field Devices

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.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000

Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, your final score, a certificate ID and a QR code that opens its verification page.

Optional

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.

An engineer in a hard hat checking neat, labelled wiring on I/O racks inside an open control cabinet.
Free · 4 weeks · free certificate

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 internship

More 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: ACC Automation, AutomationDirect, AutomationDirect, Skills Engineering & Automation, HmT Distribution, FactoryMation. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.

ACC Automation · AutomationDirect · AutomationDirect · Skills Engineering & Automation · HmT Distribution · FactoryMation. 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.

See the 3D lab
  • 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 XG5000 free?

Yes. XG5000 and XG-PM are free downloads from LS Electric or AutomationDirect with no licence key (LS Electric's site may ask you to sign in), and XG5000 includes a simulator.

Where is LS Electric used?

In OEM machines, water and HVAC packages and panels in many countries, where a cost-effective compact PLC with Ethernet, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT motion is wanted; AutomationDirect's documentation makes it well supported.

Which languages does the course use?

Ladder mainly, with modules on ST, SFC and IL.

Is the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 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 LS Electric qualification?

An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not an LS Electric credential and is never described as one.

Who made the video lessons in the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 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 LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course take?

Plan on about 17 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 LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course cover, module by module?

The LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course has 12 modules. It opens with "LS Electric, XGB and XG5000", goes through "Hardware: Rack, Power, Wiring and Modules", "Timers, Counters, Math and Compare", "Monitoring, Online Editing and Project Protection" and "IEC 61131-3: Choosing the Language" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.

What can I do after the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course?

After the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course: Know the XGB family, XEM CPU, XG5000 and XG-PM; Build, power and wire a rack; set up digital and analog modules; Connect over USB and Ethernet; use direct, flag, global and local variables. 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 LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course, and does it cost anything?

For the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course, software: XG5000 and XG-PM (free) with the built-in simulator. Hardware: none required; an XGB starter kit makes wiring, analog and motion real. The course itself is free.

Is the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course suitable for me, and what level is it?

LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 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 16.8 hours at your own pace.

Which jobs use the skills from the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course?

Skills from the LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000 course (for example: know the XGB family, XEM CPU, XG5000 and XG-PM) 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

LS Electric XGB PLC with XG5000, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.