Process control · Free

PID Control for PLC Engineers

From on/off to a tuned loop: what P, I and D each do, how to tune by hand and by rule, anti-windup and filtering, and PID inside Allen-Bradley controllers.

13 modules 6h 48m of video English · self-paced

PID Control for PLC Engineers course cover

Inside the course

PID Control for PLC Engineers: Syllabus at a glance

PID Control for PLC Engineers: What you will be able to do

PID Control for PLC Engineers: Tools and credits

From the lessons

Why Control, and Why PID
Tim Wilborne
Proportional Control
Engineering Funda
Derivative Action, PD and Full PID
Engineering Funda
Tuning a Loop
RealPars
Modelling the Process
MATLAB
PID in RSLogix 500 and Micro800
Tim Wilborne

Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.

What you will learn

Explain why manual and on/off control fall short, wire a loop, describe what proportional, integral and derivative each do, tune a loop by hand, by rule and automatically, prevent windup and filter noise, tell positional from velocity form, configure PIDE in Studio 5000, PID in RSLogix 500 and the Micro800 PID, and choose PID against other methods.

Explain why on/off control cannot hold a setpoint on a fast process
Wire a loop's transmitter and final element on Micro800 and MicroLogix
Predict what raising gain, shortening reset or adding rate does to a loop
Tune from a step test, by Ziegler-Nichols or lambda, and by autotune
Stop integral windup and filter noise without killing response
Convert parameters between gain/reset/rate forms and units
Configure PIDE, RSLogix 500 PID and the Micro800 PID
Choose PID, cascade, feedforward or something else for an application

For you

Taking PID Control for PLC Engineers from the United States

Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$28.99. What you get for it
Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.

The course project · about 16 hours

Four loops on an annealing furnace: identify, tune and record on a CompactLogix

Model, tune and document four control loops on a heat-treatment furnace line: zone temperature with dead time, combustion air pressure, gas flow as the inner loop of a cascade, and quench tank level. You perform open-loop step tests, identify gain, dead time and time constant, tune by lambda, Cohen-Coon and Ziegler-Nichols as each loop deserves, prove the result with before-and-after step responses, and deliver the loop tuning record, the test report and the alarm list. The sample pack shows what a commissioning engineer leaves behind.

Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario

Control narrativeControl Narrative: Furnace Line HT-2 Control Loops
Instrument indexInstrument Index: Furnace Line HT-2 (zone 1 and common loops)
I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-HT2 (loop-related signals)
Alarm listAlarm List: HT-2 Control Loops
Commissioning procedureLoop Tuning Procedure and Checklist: HT-2
Loop tuning recordPID Loop Tuning Record: HT-2 Zone 1 and Common Loops
Test reportLoop Performance Test Report: Step Responses Before and After Tuning

Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.

Course content

13 modules · 36 lessons · 6h 48m

In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.

01Why Control, and Why PID4 lessons39m
02The Loop Hardware and Wiring3 lessons23m
03Proportional Control3 lessons36m
04Integral Action and PI4 lessons1h 2m
05Derivative Action, PD and Full PID4 lessons50m
06Tuning Parameters and the Two Equations3 lessons27m
07Tuning a Loop3 lessons34m
08Anti-Windup, Noise Filtering and Key Concepts3 lessons35m
09Modelling the Process1 lesson14m
10PID in Studio 5000: PIDE and Autotune3 lessons36m
11PID in RSLogix 500 and Micro8002 lessons32m
12PID versus Other Methods, and Applications2 lessons21m
13Final Assessment1 lesson9m

Show all 13 modules

Requirements

Who it is for: Intermediate. You should already program a PLC and know what an analog input is.
Software: None for the theory modules. For the implementation modules, one of: Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition (free), RSLogix Micro Starter Lite (free) or Studio 5000 Logix Designer (paid) What to download, and how
Hardware: None required. A small heater or tank rig makes tuning real.

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.

The theory modules need nothing installed.

For the implementation modules, one of these

Any one is enough.

01
Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition
Rockwell Automation
Free
Runs on
Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit, or Windows Server 2019/2022
Account
A free Rockwell Automation account (sign in to the Product Compatibility and Download Center)
The Standard Edition is free and needs no activation. It includes a demo version of the Micro800 Simulator; the full simulator comes with the paid Developer Edition.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open the Connected Components Workbench page on the Product Compatibility and Download Center.
2. 2.Click Available downloads next to the latest version (23.00.00 on 27 Sept 2026) and sign in.
3. 3.Accept the licence agreement and download the installer.
4. 4.Run the setup as administrator; it installs .NET Framework 4.8 if needed.
5. 5.Start Connected Components Workbench, add a Micro800 controller and open the Micro800 Simulator to test your program.
- Rockwell lists 8 GB RAM and 20 GB free disk as the minimum.
- The installer does not work on the very first Windows 10 releases (1507 and 1511); update Windows first.
Official download pagecompatibility.rockwellautomation.com
Alternatives
- FactoryTalk Design Workbench: Rockwell's newer free Micro800 design tool.
02
RSLogix Micro Starter Lite
Rockwell Automation
Free edition with limits
Runs on
Windows
Account
A free Rockwell Automation account (sign in to the Product Compatibility and Download Center)
Micro Starter Lite is the free entry edition of RSLogix 500 and only programs MicroLogix 1000 and 1100 controllers. For other MicroLogix or SLC 500 controllers you need a paid RSLogix 500 or RSLogix Micro edition.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Search the Product Compatibility and Download Center for RSLogix Micro Starter Lite.
2. 2.Choose RSLogix Micro Starter Lite w/o RSLinx EN (8.30.00) and click Available Downloads, then sign in.
3. 3.Download and install it as administrator.
4. 4.Also download RSLinx Classic Lite (free) from PCDC and install it to connect to a controller.
5. 5.Start RSLogix Micro Starter Lite and create a project for a MicroLogix 1000 or 1100.
- The EN download does not include RSLinx; RSLinx Classic Lite is listed as a free download on PCDC.
- PCDC also lists RSLogix Emulate 500 for download; check its release note before relying on it with the Lite edition.
Official download pagecompatibility.rockwellautomation.com
Alternatives
- RSLinx Classic Lite: Free communications driver needed to go online with MicroLogix controllers.
- Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition: Free, for Micro800 controllers, with a demo simulator.
03
Studio 5000 Logix Designer
Rockwell Automation
Paid only
Runs on
Windows (check the Studio 5000 entry on the Product Compatibility and Download Center for exact versions)
Account
A Rockwell Automation account plus a purchased licence (serial number or subscription)
Rockwell sells Studio 5000 Logix Designer as a perpetual licence or a paid subscription. Rockwell's product page offers no public free trial or free edition.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.If your employer or college has a Studio 5000 licence, ask for access and the serial number.
2. 2.Sign in to the Rockwell Product Compatibility and Download Center and search for Studio 5000 Logix Designer.
3. 3.Download the version that matches your controller firmware.
4. 4.Install it as administrator and activate the licence with FactoryTalk Activation Manager.
5. 5.If you have no licence, use one of the free Rockwell tools listed below instead.
- Match the Logix Designer major version to the controller firmware you will use.
Rockwell Automation product pagerockwellautomation.com
Legitimate free routes
- Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition: Free. Programs Micro800 controllers and includes a demo Micro800 Simulator.
- FactoryTalk Design Workbench: Free Rockwell tool for Micro800 controllers, listed with the free downloads on PCDC.
- RSLogix Micro Starter Lite: Free edition for MicroLogix 1000 and 1100.
- FactoryTalk Design Studio free trial: Rockwell's cloud-based Logix design software with a free 90-day trial in the browser.
- Rockwell Automation training: Instructor-led Studio 5000 courses; an employer licence is the other legitimate route.

Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.

PID Control for PLC Engineers at a glance

PID Control for PLC Engineers is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in process plants. It has 13 modules and 6h 48m of video lessons by RealPars, Tim Wilborne, MATLAB and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.

All course facts

Price: Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
Who it is for: Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in process plants
Format: 13 self-paced modules, 6h 48m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level: Intermediate. Intermediate. You should already program a PLC and know what an analog input is.
Brand: Vendor-neutral
Software: None for the theory modules. For the implementation modules, one of: Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition (free), RSLogix Micro Starter Lite (free) or Studio 5000 Logix Designer (paid)
Hardware: None required. A small heater or tank rig makes tuning real.
Certificate: Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by: RealPars, Tim Wilborne, MATLAB, Engineering Funda (independent creators, credited below)
Language: English
Last updated: 27 September 2026

A shareable EDWartens certificate

Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.

Add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
Link it from a CV or portfolio, the URL is permanent
Publicly verifiable by code, not a PDF anyone can edit
Issued by EDWartens itself, not a third party

The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.

Stuck? Ask a practising engineer

A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.

Questions answered in the context of the module you are on
The same engineers who teach the AEP programme
Career tools, CV help and public job listings included
Your progress and notes stay in your account for good

Pairs well with

Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing free course cover

Process control · FreeSiemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog ProcessingClosed-loop control the way it is done on an S7-1200 or S7-1500: analog in, NORM_X and SCALE_X, PID_Compact configured, tuned and wired to an HMI, analog or PWM out, proved on a free tank simulation.

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.

Siemens TIA Portal in Three Hours free course cover

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.

TIA Portal: Build a Machine free course cover

PLC programming · FreeTIA Portal: Build a MachineOne machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.

More free courses: Free instrumentation and process control courses · Free control engineering and PID courses

Learning paths with this course

Process control · 4 coursesInstrumentation, PID loops and drives on top of a PLC: the combination process plants, water boards and pharma lines hire for.
Control theory to the loop · 4 coursesMATLAB and Simulink for the theory, PID control for the practice, instrumentation for the signals and VFDs for the actuators.

Learner reviews

No reviews yet

Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of PID Control for PLC Engineers, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.

Common questions

Do I need a PLC to follow this?

No. The theory modules need nothing; the implementation modules show Studio 5000, RSLogix 500 and CCW and can be followed with the free CCW or RSLogix Micro Starter Lite (Studio 5000 is paid). A simulated first-order loop in a spreadsheet is enough to practise tuning.

Is this only for Allen-Bradley?

The implementation modules use Allen-Bradley because the source series does. The theory, tuning and troubleshooting apply to every PID block, and the parameter-conversion module shows how to move numbers between vendors.

How much maths?

Arithmetic and one transfer function you can ignore if you like. The course is about behaviour: what each term does and how to see it in a trend.

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 Rockwell or any other vendor credential and is never described as one.

Is the PID Control for PLC Engineers 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.

Who made the video lessons in the PID Control for PLC Engineers 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 PID Control for PLC Engineers course take?

Plan on about 13 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.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for PID Control for PLC Engineers

Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for PID Control for PLC Engineers — Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, admission number, a unique certificate number and its own QR code.

Verifiable by anyone
A unique certificate number and a public verification page. A recruiter checks it in ten seconds.
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
Issuer, credential ID and URL prefilled, with 6 matching skills to pin to your profile.
QR code on the certificate
Scans straight to the verification page, so a printed copy proves itself.
Names what you can do
Lists the topics covered, from manual, on/off and pid control - the loop and its hardware to pide in studio 5000, pid in rslogix 500 and micro800, pid versus cascade and feedforward.
A permanent link
Put it on a CV, a portfolio or an application. The URL never changes.
Earned, not attended
Issued only after every module and a final assessment at 60%, with 3 attempts. That is why it stands up.

Learning is free. The certificate is optional.

Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$28.99, with a receipt.

Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.

Credits

Who made the video lessons

The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

RealParsthe PID Controller Basics series
Tim Wilbornethe PID lessons on Allen-Bradley controllers
MATLABthe Understanding PID Control series
Engineering Fundathe P, I, D, PI, PD and PID controller lectures

If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.