PLC programming
Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F
Program the current Mitsubishi iQ-R and iQ-F PLCs in GX Works3, from module setup and labels to CC-Link IE Field.
Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 14 modules and takes about 15.5 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
- 15.5 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
- GX Works3 and GT Designer3 (trial or licensed) with the built-in simulators. Hardware: none required. An FX5U or iQ-R rack makes the hardware modules real.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Create GX Works3 projects for iQ-R and iQ-F
- Configure modules and communication
- Program ladder with labels and comments
- Use timers, counters, data moves and arithmetic
- Simulate with a GOT and set up CC-Link IE Field
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 to intermediate. GX Works2 experience helps but is not needed.
What you need
Software: GX Works3 and GT Designer3 (trial or licensed) with the built-in simulators.
Hardware: None required. An FX5U or iQ-R rack makes the hardware modules real.. 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
14 modules in order, at your own pace. 15.5 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1GX Works3 and the iQ Platform18m
- 2Working Environment, Communication and PLC Setup37m
- 3Digital and Analog I/O and CC-Link Cards, with lab practice: 23m
- 4Ladder Editing, Comments, Labels and the Parts Library18m
- 5Sequence Basics with the RCPU and GOT Simulator, with lab practice: 1h 4m
- 6Timers and Counters, with lab practice: 1h 0m
- 7Data: MOV, BMOV, FMOV, Index Registers and Comparisons, with lab practice: 1h 30m
- 8Arithmetic, Conversions, Strings, ST and Program Calls, with lab practice: 51m
Show the other 6 modules
- 9CC-Link IE Field and Networking38m
- 10Built-in Functions: High-Speed Counter, Temperature Control and Security24m
- 11MELSOFT Navigator and System Design42m
- 12GOT2000 Screens with GT Designer3: Switches, Lamps, Transfer and Alarms, with lab practice: 29m
- 13iQ-R Hardware, Installation and Diagnostics28m
- 14Final 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
- 01Trial on request
MELSOFT GX Works3 (with GT Works3 / GT Designer3)
Mitsubishi Electric
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open the Mitsubishi Electric FA download page and choose your country or region.
- 2.Register for the regional FA website and sign in.
- 3.Ask your regional Mitsubishi Electric office or distributor for a GX Works3 trial product ID.
- 4.Download GX Works3 (and GT Works3 if you need GT Designer3 for GOT screens).
- 5.Install, enter the product ID, then use the built-in simulator to test your program.
- GX Works3 has an integrated simulator, so you can debug a program without PLC hardware.
- GX Works3 is for MELSEC iQ-R, iQ-F and MX controllers; older FX, L and Q series use GX Works2.
Official download pagemitsubishielectric.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 and counter logic you learn in GX Works3 on working machines in the PLC lab, and wire sink and source sensors in the panel lab.
- 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 sorting station sensorsElectrical labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Commission the sorting station sensors
- 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 18 hours
Dyeing jigger JG-3: recipe steps, temperature PID and labels on an FX5U
Design, program, test and document the control system for a fabric dyeing jigger. It has two reversing roller drives, an 8-step dye recipe engine in structured text, a PID loop on the steam valve and a GOT2000 screen. You deliver the GX Works3 project with labels, your own I/O list and FAT record, a loop tuning record and the operator note. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands over for the same jigger.
- 9documents in the pack
- 9steps to follow
- 6things to hand in
- 18 hof work, at your pace
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Dyeing Jigger JG-3
- Recipe / phase specRecipe and Step Logic Specification: JG-3
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-JG3
- Tag listGlobal Label List and Naming Convention
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-JG3 and Field Devices
- Alarm listAlarm List: JG-3
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 internshipPart 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, Automationliker, Automation Training, Adroit Technologies. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
The Tech Guy · Automationliker · Automation Training · Adroit Technologies. 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
GX Works2 or GX Works3?
GX Works3 for iQ-R and FX5; GX Works2 for Q, L and FX3. Both have free courses here.
Do I need a GOT?
No. GT Simulator3 runs the GOT screens on the PC linked to the PLC simulator.
Is the FX5U covered?
Yes: connection, built-in analog, high-speed counter, positioning, security and the quick-start programming series.
Is the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F 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 vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F 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 Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course take?
Plan on about 16 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the fourteen 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 Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course cover, module by module?
The Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course has 14 modules. It opens with "GX Works3 and the iQ Platform", goes through "Working Environment, Communication and PLC Setup", "Timers and Counters", "CC-Link IE Field and Networking" and "iQ-R Hardware, Installation and Diagnostics" 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 GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course?
After the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course: Create and configure GX Works3 projects for iQ-R and FX5; Communicate with, write to and diagnose a CPU; Program ladder with labels, comments and the parts library. 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 GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course, and does it cost anything?
For the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course, software: GX Works3 and GT Designer3 (trial or licensed) with the built-in simulators. Hardware: none required. An FX5U or iQ-R rack makes the hardware modules real. The course itself is free.
Is the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. GX Works2 experience helps but is not needed. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 15.5 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course?
Skills from the Mitsubishi GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F course (for example: create and configure GX Works3 projects for iQ-R and FX5) 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 GX Works3: MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.