PLC programming
Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers
Program Omron NX and NJ machine controllers in Sysmac Studio: EtherCAT I/O, tasks, HMIs, servos, safety and backups.
Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 15 modules and takes about 21.4 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
- 21.4 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
- Sysmac Studio (30-day trial) with the built-in simulator. Hardware: none required. An NX1P2 starter kit makes EtherCAT, servo and HMI modules real.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Create and download Sysmac Studio projects
- Configure EtherCAT I/O, analog and IO-Link
- Program in ladder and structured text with function blocks
- Run 1S servos and cams
- Back up, restore and diagnose NX and NJ controllers
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. CX-Programmer or any IEC 61131-3 experience helps.
What you need
Software: Sysmac Studio (30-day trial) with the built-in simulator.
Hardware: None required. An NX1P2 starter kit makes EtherCAT, servo and HMI 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
15 modules in order, at your own pace. 21.4 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1The Sysmac Platform and Studio Tour27m
- 2NX1P Setup, Communication and First Program, with lab practice: 20m
- 3Data Types, Timers, Counters and the Simulator (Omron Training Session 1), with lab practice: 1h 36m
- 4Variables, Tasks and Function Blocks20m
- 5EtherCAT and I/O Configuration34m
- 6Analog, IO-Link and Temperature Control, with lab practice: 36m
- 7Networking Basics (Omron Training Session 2)1h 27m
- 8EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices52m
Show the other 7 modules
- 9HMI Programming (Omron Training Session 3), with lab practice: 1h 51m
- 10Advanced Programming (Omron Training Sessions 4 and 5), with lab practice: 3h 8m
- 11Motion and Servo: 1S, Camming and Robotics, with lab practice: 40m
- 12Safety: NX Safety and CIP Safety25m
- 13Data: SQL, Recipes, Tracing and Vision38m
- 14Backup, Restore, Security and Maintenance30m
- 15Final 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: 30 days
Sysmac Studio
Omron
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
- Account
- A free account on the Omron License Portal
All features can be tried free for 30 days after installation, with no licence registration during the trial. After 30 days you need a paid licence (Omron also lists Basic, Advanced and Educational licences).
Steps
- 1.Open the Omron License Portal and create an account.
- 2.Download the Sysmac Studio installer from the portal.
- 3.Run the installer as administrator.
- 4.Start Sysmac Studio; the 30-day trial runs without a licence key.
- Check the Omron operating environment page before installing, as supported Windows versions change between Sysmac Studio versions.
Official download pageindustrial.omron.eu
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 same start/stop, timer, counter and Structured Text logic you write in Sysmac Studio on working machines in the PLC lab, then pass each lab 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
- Pedestrian crossingPLC lab, about 75 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Pedestrian crossing
- 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
Label applicator LA-2: 1S servo web feed with registration on an NX1P2
Design, program, test and document the control system for a wipe-on label applicator. An NX1P2-9024DT with a 1S servo on EtherCAT feeds the label web, and a registration mark corrects each feed so every label lands within ±0.5 mm. You deliver the Sysmac Studio project, your own axis list, I/O list and FAT record, and an operator note, then compare your work with the sample pack.
- 8documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 5things to hand in
- 20 hof work, at your pace
- FDSFunctional Design Specification: Label Applicator LA-2
- Axis listAxis List and Motion Profile: LA-2
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-LA2
- Tag listGlobal Variable List and Naming Convention
- Alarm listAlarm List: LA-2
- BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-LA2 and Machine 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.
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: Omron Automation Americas, Brad McCready, RAYA CRAFT LAB, OMRONTompa, Axis New England. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Omron Automation Americas · Brad McCready · RAYA CRAFT LAB · OMRONTompa · Axis New England. 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 this the same as CX-Programmer?
No. Sysmac Studio is Omron's current platform for NX and NJ controllers; CX-Programmer covers the older CJ and CP families and has its own free course here.
How long is it?
About fourteen hours of video including Omron's five training sessions, plus practice and assessments.
Do I need a licence?
The 30-day trial of Sysmac Studio with its simulator is enough for the whole course.
Is the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers 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 Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers 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.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, at beginner to intermediate level. Experience with CX-Programmer or any IEC 61131-3 tool helps, but the course starts from navigating Sysmac Studio and connecting to a controller, and the built-in simulator means you do not need hardware.
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 Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course cover, module by module?
The Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course has 15 modules. It opens with "The Sysmac Platform and Studio Tour", goes through "NX1P Setup, Communication and First Program", "Analog, IO-Link and Temperature Control", "Advanced Programming (Omron Training Sessions 4 and 5)" and "Backup, Restore, Security and Maintenance" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course?
After the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course: Navigate Sysmac Studio and connect to NX and NJ controllers; Program with variables, tasks and function blocks; Configure EtherCAT, analog, IO-Link and EtherNet/IP. 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 Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course, and does it cost anything?
For the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course, software: Sysmac Studio (30-day trial) with the built-in simulator. Hardware: none required. An NX1P2 starter kit makes EtherCAT, servo and HMI modules real. The course itself is free.
Is the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. CX-Programmer or any IEC 61131-3 experience helps. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 21.4 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course?
Skills from the Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers course (for example: navigate Sysmac Studio and connect to NX and NJ controllers) 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
Omron Sysmac Studio: NX and NJ Machine Controllers, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.