IIoT
Node-RED for Industrial IoT
Use Node-RED to connect machines to dashboards, databases and the cloud: Modbus, Siemens PLCs, MQTT and OEE.
Node-RED for Industrial IoT is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers and developers connecting plant data. It has 13 modules and takes about 25.7 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
- 25.7 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 and developers connecting plant data
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: IIoT engineer, industrial data engineer, systems integrator and automation developer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- Node-RED (free) on a PC or Raspberry Pi. Hardware: none required. A Raspberry Pi and a USB-RS485 adapter make the hardware modules real.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Install Node-RED and build dashboards
- Read and write Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP devices
- Connect a Siemens S7-1500 and other PLCs
- Publish and subscribe with MQTT and log to SQL
- Compute OEE from machine data
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers and developers connecting plant data.
Level: Beginner. Beginner. Any PLC or IT background helps; no JavaScript needed to start.
What you need
Software: Node-RED (free) on a PC or Raspberry Pi.
Hardware: None required. A Raspberry Pi and a USB-RS485 adapter make 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
13 modules in order, at your own pace. 25.7 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1IIoT and Node-RED Fundamentals50m
- 2Core Nodes, JSON and Flow Structure1h 13m
- 3Dashboards57m
- 4Raspberry Pi, Industrial Hardware and Securing Node-RED39m
- 5Modbus RTU and Serial Devices, with lab practice: 50m
- 6Modbus TCP and PLCs, with lab practice: 1h 11m
- 7Siemens S7-1500, OPC UA and the IOT2050, with lab practice: 1h 44m
- 8MQTT, with lab practice: 1h 58m
Show the other 5 modules
- 9Databases, Logging and Email1h 44m
- 10APIs, HTTP and the Cloud1h 39m
- 11Node-RED Inside PLCs and Edge Devices2h 18m
- 12OEE, MES and Industry 4.02h 32m
- 13Final 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.
Node-RED runs on a PC or on a Raspberry Pi.
Show what to download (2 tools)
Required
- 01Free
Node.js
OpenJS Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Account
- None needed
Free, open source runtime. npm, the package manager, is installed with it.
Steps
- 1.Open nodejs.org/en/download.
- 2.Choose the LTS (long-term support) version and your system.
- 3.Download and run the installer with the default options.
- 4.Open a new terminal and run: node -v and then npm -v
- Pick LTS, not Current, unless your course says otherwise.
- Some tools need a minimum Node.js version. Node-RED 5 needs Node.js 22 or later.
Official download pagenodejs.org - 02Free
Node-RED
OpenJS Foundation (Node-RED project)
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS and Linux (needs Node.js 22 or later; Node.js 24 recommended), or Docker
- Account
- None needed
Free, open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Steps
- 1.Install Node.js LTS from nodejs.org.
- 2.On Windows run: npm install -g node-red (on macOS or Linux run: sudo npm install -g node-red).
- 3.Start it by running: node-red
- 4.Open http://localhost:1880 in your browser to use the editor.
- With Docker, run: docker run -it -p 1880:1880 --name mynodered nodered/node-red
- Leave the terminal window open while you use Node-RED.
Official download pagenodered.org
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
Practise the data half of the course in the lab: set up an edge gateway with Modbus registers, OPC UA nodes and MQTT topics, then prove it with a numbered test. You build no flows there.
- Plant data to the dashboard: Modbus, OPC UA and MQTTProcess lab, about 60 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Plant data to the dashboard: Modbus, OPC UA and MQTT
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 16 hours
OEE for five moulding machines: Node-RED on a Raspberry Pi as the edge gateway, Modbus TCP to MQTT to a database
Build and document an edge gateway for five injection-moulding machines. It reads shots and cycle time over Modbus TCP, publishes them as MQTT and stores them in a SQL database. A Node-RED dashboard shows OEE for each machine and shift. You deliver your own flows, register, validation report and restore procedure. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands over for a data project.
- 8documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 5things to hand in
- 16 hof work, at your pace
- URSUser Requirements: Machine Data and OEE, Moulding Shop
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: Edge Gateway EDGE-01
- RegisterTag and Topic Register: Machines IMM-01 to IMM-05
- IP planIP Plan and Device List: Moulding Shop VLAN 20
- BOMBill of Materials: Edge Gateway Panel EDGE-01 and Machine-Side Items
- Test reportValidation Report: Gateway Counts Against Manual Counts, Three Shifts
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.
SCADA and HMI
Eight short weeks of tags, screens, alarms and trends: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in LADX Mini and free web SCADA tools. 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
- IIoT engineer
- Industrial data engineer
- Systems integrator
- Automation developer
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: Opto Video, ACC Automation, LEARNACON, Fusion Automate, Réverti Ivanov, FlowFuse. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Opto Video · ACC Automation · LEARNACON · Fusion Automate · Réverti Ivanov · FlowFuse. 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 Node-RED a PLC replacement?
No. It moves data, builds dashboards and integrates systems; the PLC keeps control. The course is explicit about that boundary.
Do I need hardware?
No. Node-RED on your PC with simulated devices covers every module; a Raspberry Pi and a USB-RS485 adapter make the Modbus modules real.
Do I need to code?
A little JavaScript in function nodes, taught as you go.
Is the Node-RED for Industrial IoT 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 Node-RED for Industrial IoT 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 Node-RED for Industrial IoT course take?
Plan on about 26 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the thirteen 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 Node-RED for Industrial IoT course cover, module by module?
The Node-RED for Industrial IoT course has 13 modules. It opens with "IIoT and Node-RED Fundamentals", goes through "Core Nodes, JSON and Flow Structure", "Modbus RTU and Serial Devices", "Databases, Logging and Email" and "OEE, MES and Industry 4.0" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course?
After the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course: Install Node-RED and master the core nodes and JSON; Build dashboards and run Node-RED on a Pi or gateway; Read and write Modbus RTU and TCP devices and PLCs. 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 Node-RED for Industrial IoT course, and does it cost anything?
For the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course, software: Node-RED (free) on a PC or Raspberry Pi. Hardware: none required. A Raspberry Pi and a USB-RS485 adapter make the hardware modules real. The course itself is free.
Is the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Node-RED for Industrial IoT is rated beginner. Beginner. Any PLC or IT background helps; no JavaScript needed to start. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers and developers connecting plant data, and takes about 25.7 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course?
Skills from the Node-RED for Industrial IoT course (for example: install Node-RED and master the core nodes and JSON) are used in roles such as IIoT engineer, industrial data engineer, systems integrator and automation developer, and in IIoT 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
Node-RED for Industrial IoT, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.