NewFree internships, no fees

Process control

PID Control for PLC Engineers

Understand and tune PID loops in a PLC, from wiring and the P, I and D terms to PIDE in Studio 5000.

PID Control for PLC Engineers is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants. It has 13 modules and takes about 13.1 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$28.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.

  • Free
  • Intermediate
  • 13.1 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$28.99, optional.

Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants
Jobs
Roles that use this skill: instrumentation technician, instrument engineer, calibration technician and process control engineer. No course guarantees a job.
Tools
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.
Updated
PID Control for PLC Engineers course cover
PID Control for PLC Engineers course cover

After this course you can

By the end you will be able to:

  • Explain what proportional, integral and derivative action each do
  • Wire a control loop and tune it by hand and by rule
  • Prevent windup and filter noise
  • Configure PIDE in Studio 5000 and PID in RSLogix 500
  • Choose between PID and other control methods

Who it is for, and what you need first

Who it is for

Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants.

Level: Intermediate. Intermediate. You should already program a PLC and know what an analog input is.

What you need

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.. 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

13 modules in order, at your own pace. 13.1 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.

  1. 1Why Control, and Why PID39m
  2. 2The Loop Hardware and Wiring, with lab practice: 23m
  3. 3Proportional Control, with lab practice: 36m
  4. 4Integral Action and PI54m
  5. 5Derivative Action, PD and Full PID25m
  6. 6Tuning Parameters and the Two Equations27m
  7. 7Tuning a Loop, with lab practice: 34m
  8. 8Anti-Windup, Noise Filtering and Key Concepts, with lab practice: 35m
Show the other 5 modules
  1. 9Modelling the Process14m
  2. 10PID in Studio 5000: PIDE and Autotune36m
  3. 11PID in RSLogix 500 and Micro80032m
  4. 12PID versus Other Methods, and Applications21m
  5. 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.

The theory modules need nothing installed.

Show what to download (3 tools)

For the implementation modules, one of these

Any one is enough.

  1. 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.

    Official download pagecompatibility.rockwellautomation.com

    Alternatives

  2. 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.

    Official download pagecompatibility.rockwellautomation.com

    Alternatives

  3. 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.

    Rockwell Automation product pagerockwellautomation.com

    Legitimate free routes

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

Check a 4 to 20 mA loop, tune a level loop from a step test and see direct and reverse action on a control valve, the same ideas you set in a PLC PID block.

Calibrate 4 to 20 mAWatch

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

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, combustion air pressure, gas flow in a cascade, and quench tank level. You run step tests, choose a tuning method for each loop, and prove the result with before-and-after step responses. You deliver the loop philosophy, the tuning record and the test report. The sample pack shows what a commissioning engineer leaves behind.

This project at a glance
  1. 7documents in the pack
  2. 8steps to follow
  3. Laboptional: in the 3D lab
  4. 6things to hand in
  5. 16 hof work, at your pace
  • 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

Do it in the lab: 4 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.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for PID Control for PLC Engineers

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$28.99 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.

Process pipework with pressure gauges and valves in an industrial plant.
Free · 4 weeks · free certificate

Instrumentation and Process Control

Eight short weeks of measurement, calibration and control loops: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in the Panel Lab and LADX Mini. 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

  • Instrumentation technician
  • Instrument engineer
  • Calibration technician
  • Process control 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: RealPars, Tim Wilborne, MATLAB, Engineering Funda. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.

RealPars · Tim Wilborne · MATLAB · Engineering Funda. 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 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.

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 PID Control for PLC Engineers course cover, module by module?

The PID Control for PLC Engineers course has 13 modules. It opens with "Why Control, and Why PID", goes through "The Loop Hardware and Wiring", "Derivative Action, PD and Full PID", "Modelling the Process" and "PID versus Other Methods, and Applications" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.

What can I do after the PID Control for PLC Engineers course?

After the PID Control for PLC Engineers course: 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. 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 PID Control for PLC Engineers course, and does it cost anything?

For the PID Control for PLC Engineers course, 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. The course itself is free.

Is the PID Control for PLC Engineers course suitable for me, and what level is it?

PID Control for PLC Engineers is rated intermediate. Intermediate. You should already program a PLC and know what an analog input is. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants, and takes about 13.1 hours at your own pace.

Which jobs use the skills from the PID Control for PLC Engineers course?

Skills from the PID Control for PLC Engineers course (for example: explain why on/off control cannot hold a setpoint on a fast process) are used in roles such as instrumentation technician, instrument engineer, calibration technician and process control engineer, and in process control 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

PID Control for PLC Engineers, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.