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PLC programming

Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2

Program a Mitsubishi FX PLC in GX Works2, instruction by instruction: devices, ladder, timers, counters, analog and high-speed counting.

Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 17 modules and takes about 15.2 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
  • 15.2 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
MELSOFT GX Works2 (trial on request from Mitsubishi Electric) with its built-in simulator; GX Works3 optional, for the final study module. Hardware: none. The GX Works2 simulator runs every exercise.
Updated
Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course cover
Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course cover

After this course you can

By the end you will be able to:

  • Create a GX Works2 project and download it
  • Use X, Y, M, D, T and C devices correctly
  • Write ladder with set, reset and pulse instructions
  • Use timers, counters, MOV, CMP and arithmetic
  • Scale analog I/O and count an encoder

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 Mitsubishi experience assumed.

What you need

Software: MELSOFT GX Works2 (trial on request from Mitsubishi Electric) with its built-in simulator; GX Works3 optional, for the final study module.

Hardware: None. The GX Works2 simulator runs every exercise.. 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

17 modules in order, at your own pace. 15.2 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.

  1. 1The FX Family and GX Works26m
  2. 2Devices: X, Y, M, D, T, C and the Special Relays4m
  3. 3Contacts, Coils, Inversion and Comments7m
  4. 4SET, RST, Pulses and Edge Contacts, with lab practice: 9m
  5. 5Program Flow: MC/MCR, CJ, CALL, FEND and SRET9m
  6. 6Timers: 100 ms, 10 ms, 1 ms and Retentive, with lab practice: 17m
  7. 7Counters: 16-bit, 32-bit, Latched and Bi-directional, with lab practice: 6m
  8. 8MOV, CMP and ZCP, with lab practice: 8m
Show the other 9 modules
  1. 9Comparison Contacts: =, <>, <=, >= and Limits, with lab practice: 4m
  2. 10Integer Arithmetic: ADD, SUB, MUL, DIV, INC, DEC and NEG, with lab practice: 10m
  3. 11Floating Point and Type Conversion3m
  4. 12Word Logic and Clock Pulses9m
  5. 13Analog Inputs and Outputs, with lab practice: 8m
  6. 14High-speed Counters and Encoders8m
  7. 15Upload, Download and Communication7m
  8. 16GX Works3 and the iQ-R and FX5: What Changes1h 14m
  9. 17Final 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.

GX Works3 is only for the final module.

Show what to download (2 tools)

Required

  1. 01

    MELSOFT GX Works2

    Mitsubishi Electric

    Trial on request
    Runs on
    Windows PC (check the operating environment in the vendor catalogue)
    Account
    A free Mitsubishi Electric FA website account for your region, plus a trial licence from Mitsubishi Electric or its local distributor

    GX Works2 is paid software and the installer asks for a product ID. Mitsubishi Electric does not publish a self-service trial on its global pages; a time-limited trial licence is given on request by Mitsubishi Electric or its distributor, so check with your regional office.

    Official download pagemitsubishielectric.com

    Alternatives

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

  1. 02

    MELSOFT GX Works3 (with GT Works3 / GT Designer3)

    Mitsubishi Electric

    Trial on request
    Runs on
    Windows PC (check the operating environment in the vendor catalogue)
    Account
    A free Mitsubishi Electric FA website account for your region, plus a trial licence from Mitsubishi Electric or its local distributor

    GX Works3 is paid software and the installer asks for a product ID. Mitsubishi Electric Americas says a free 30-day trial can be provided for its GX Works3 training classes; otherwise ask your regional Mitsubishi office or distributor for a trial licence.

    Official download pagemitsubishielectric.com

    Alternatives

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 SET, RST, timer and counter logic you learn in GX Works2 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 16 hours

Bag-making machine BM-2: sequence, seal temperature and a witnessed FAT on an FX3U

Design, program and test the control retrofit of a bottom-seal bag making machine on an FX3U with an FX3U-4AD. You deliver the GX Works2 project, an I/O list, a witnessed FAT record and an operator note. A sample pack shows the same documents.

This project at a glance
  1. 8documents in the pack
  2. 9steps to follow
  3. 6things to hand in
  4. 16 hof work, at your pace
  • Control narrativeSequence of Operations: Bag Making Machine BM-2 Control Retrofit
  • I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-BM2
  • SRSSafety Requirements Specification: BM-2 Safety Functions
  • BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-BM2 and Machine-Mounted Devices
  • Tag listPLC Device List and Naming Convention
  • Alarm listAlarm List: BM-2

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 Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2

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

Part of a learning path

Courses in a planned order, so each one builds on the last.

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: The Tech Guy. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.

The Tech Guy. 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

Do I need GX Works2?

For the exercises, yes. Mitsubishi Electric gives trials on request through its regional offices, and many colleges hold licences. The simulator built into GX Works2 runs every exercise without a PLC.

GX Works2 or GX Works3?

GX Works2 programs the FX3 generation and earlier, which is still most of the installed base. GX Works3 programs the FX5 and iQ-R. The course is GX Works2 throughout, with a final module on what changes in GX Works3.

Do I need an FX PLC?

No. The simulator runs everything. The analog and encoder modules show an FX3U so you know the wiring.

Why are X and Y numbered in octal?

Mitsubishi numbers inputs and outputs in base eight: X0 to X7, then X10. It trips everyone once; the course makes sure it only trips you once.

What computer do I need for the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course?

A 64-bit Windows 10 machine with 8 GB of RAM. GX Works is Windows-only.

Is the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 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 Mitsubishi qualification?

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

Who made the video lessons in the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 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.

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 Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course cover, module by module?

The Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course has 17 modules. It opens with "The FX Family and GX Works2", goes through "Devices: X, Y, M, D, T, C and the Special Relays", "Counters: 16-bit, 32-bit, Latched and Bi-directional", "Floating Point and Type Conversion" and "GX Works3 and the iQ-R and FX5: What Changes" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.

What can I do after the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course?

After the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course: Use X, Y, M, D, T and C correctly, including octal numbering and what survives a power cut; Write ladder with SET, RST, PLS, PLF and the pulse contacts; Control flow with MC/MCR, CJ, CALL, FEND and SRET. 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 Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course, and does it cost anything?

For the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course, software: MELSOFT GX Works2 (trial on request from Mitsubishi Electric) with its built-in simulator; GX Works3 optional, for the final study module. Hardware: none. The GX Works2 simulator runs every exercise. The course itself is free.

Is the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course suitable for me, and what level is it?

Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 is rated beginner. Beginner. No Mitsubishi experience assumed. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 15.2 hours at your own pace.

Which jobs use the skills from the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course?

Skills from the Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2 course (for example: use X, Y, M, D, T and C correctly, including octal numbering and what survives a power cut) 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

Mitsubishi FX with GX Works2, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.