PLC programming · Free

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal

Beyond the basics: block design, optimized DBs, UDTs, S7-GRAPH, SCL, drives, libraries, software units, multiuser, testing tools and worked projects on the S7-1500.

19 modules 19h 43m of video English · self-paced

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course cover

Inside the course

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal: Syllabus at a glance

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal: What you will be able to do

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal: Tools and credits

From the lessons

PLCSIM, Clock Memory and Time
Hegamurl
Data Blocks and Optimized Access
Hegamurl
Analog Processing
Hegamurl
SCL Fundamentals: Logic, Timers, CASE and Loops
Ksu hab
Drives: G120 with Startdrive
Hegamurl
Software Units and Multiuser Projects
Hegamurl

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

What you will learn

Simulate an S7-1500, choose FC, FB and DB correctly, use optimized access, instances, libraries and versioning, design with UDTs into faceplates, write sequences in S7-GRAPH and LAD, program SCL to a complete example, commission a G120, read the three views, manage firmware and archives, use software units and multiuser, test with watch, force and trace, and build worked projects with fault handling.

Simulate on PLCSIM and use clock memory and time functions
Choose FC, FB, DB and instance types deliberately, with libraries and versioning
Use optimized block access and know when standard access is still needed
Design with arrays, structs and UDTs into HMI faceplates
Write sequences in S7-GRAPH with interlocks and supervision, and in LAD
Program in SCL from operators to a complete worked example
Commission a G120 with Startdrive, read device, network and topology views, handle firmware and archives
Split projects into software units and multiuser sessions, and test with watch, force and trace
Handle errors with OB80, OB82, OB86 and OB121, and use cyclic and hardware interrupts

For you

Taking Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal 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
Siemens is one of the automation brands most widely installed across the Americas, so this is a skill plants and integrators near you ask for.
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 20 hours

Three-line paint dosing plant on a CPU 1515-2 PN with ET 200SP: HDS, network, I/O list, GRAPH sequence and FAT

Design, configure, program, test and document a gravimetric dosing and mixing system for three paint lines: a CPU 1515-2 PN, three ET 200SP stations on PROFINET, load-cell weight on 4-20 mA, coarse and fine dosing valves, a G120C agitator per line and a TP1200 screen. You deliver the hardware design, your own I/O list across three stations, a UDT-based program with an S7-GRAPH sequence and an SCL dosing block, and a FAT record with the failures you found. The sample pack shows what an integrator hands over on a distributed-I/O job.

Sample document pack, 10 documents, filled in for the scenario

FDSFunctional Design Specification: Paint Dosing and Mixing Unit MX-1
HDSHardware Design Specification: CPU 1515-2 PN and ET 200SP Stations
Network architectureNetwork Architecture: MX-1 PROFINET
IP planIP Address Plan and PROFINET Device List
I/O listI/O List: CP-101 and ET 200SP Stations mx1-et01 to et03
SDSSoftware Design Specification: Blocks, UDTs and the Line Sequence
BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-101, Junction Boxes JB-101 to JB-301 and Field Devices
Alarm listAlarm List: MX-1
FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: CP-101 with ET 200SP Stations and Drives
O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: MX-1 (Operation section)

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

19 modules · 73 lessons · 19h 43m

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

01PLCSIM, Clock Memory and Time4 lessons53m
02Logic in Four Languages, Latches and Edges4 lessons33m
03Functions and Function Blocks2 lessons49m
04Data Blocks and Optimized Access2 lessons40m
05Instances, Libraries and Versioning3 lessons47m
06Timers: IEC and Legacy2 lessons32m
07Analog Processing2 lessons45m
08Arrays, Structs, UDTs and Faceplates4 lessons1h 1m
09Sequential Programming: S7-GRAPH and LAD4 lessons1h 32m
10SCL Fundamentals: Logic, Timers, CASE and Loops9 lessons50m
11SCL Worked Example I4 lessons1h 51m
12SCL Worked Example II4 lessons2h 14m
13Drives: G120 with Startdrive3 lessons1h 20m
14Device, Network and Topology Views, GSD, Shared Devices3 lessons42m
15Firmware, Backups and Archives4 lessons33m
16Software Units and Multiuser Projects4 lessons1h 7m
17Diagnostics and Testing: Error OBs, Interrupts, Watch, Force, Trace8 lessons2h 1m
18Worked Projects6 lessons1h 35m
19Final Assessment1 lesson27m

Show all 19 modules

Requirements

Who it is for: Intermediate. Finish the free TIA Portal course first or know S7-1200/1500 basics.
Software: TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules What to download, and how
Hardware: None. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs every exercise.

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.

Startdrive is only for the drive modules.

Required

01
SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial
Siemens
Free trial: 21 days
Runs on
Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
Account
A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
Size
about 8.1 GB for the main ISO, plus an optional 3.1 GB DVD 2 with hardware support packages
Siemens lets registered users download the V21 trial of STEP 7 (Basic and Professional), STEP 7 Safety and WinCC and test it for 21 days. The same package is used for the full product; after 21 days you need a purchased licence to keep working.
Show the 6 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open the Siemens trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in with your Siemens Industry Online Support account.
2. 2.Download TIA_Portal_STEP7_Safety_WinCC_V21.iso (8.1 GB).
3. 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the same page: PLCSIM is a separate download.
4. 4.Right-click each ISO, choose Mount, and run Start.exe as administrator. Install STEP 7 and WinCC first, then PLCSIM.
5. 5.Follow the setup, accept the licence terms and restart the PC when asked.
6. 6.Open TIA Portal V21 and create a new project to confirm it runs.
- Install from a local drive with plenty of free space; Siemens lists 20 GB free as the minimum and the ISOs alone are over 10 GB.
- You only need DVD 2 if you want extra hardware support packages.
- If you cannot install locally, Siemens also offers a 21-day TIA Portal Cloud trial in the browser (one-hour sessions, not in every country).
Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com
Alternatives
- TIA Portal Cloud trial: 21 days free in a cloud virtual machine, no install. Sessions are limited to one hour and it is not available in every country.
02
S7-PLCSIM V21 (TIA Portal) Trial
Siemens
Free trial: 21 days
Runs on
Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
Account
A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
Size
about 2.5 GB (ISO)
S7-PLCSIM V21 is offered as a 21-day trial on the same Siemens page as the STEP 7 and WinCC V21 trial. It needs STEP 7 V21 installed on the same PC.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open the Siemens STEP 7 and WinCC V21 trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in.
2. 2.Install STEP 7 V21 from the main TIA Portal ISO first.
3. 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the section Download S7-PLCSIM Standard V21.
4. 4.Mount the ISO, run Start.exe as administrator and follow the setup.
5. 5.In TIA Portal, select your CPU and click Start simulation to open PLCSIM.
- Siemens notes that the PLCSIM Standard V21 installation also includes S7-PLCSIM Advanced V8.0.
Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

03
SINAMICS Startdrive V21 (Basic and Advanced)
Siemens
Free edition: Startdrive Basic
Runs on
Windows 11 Home, Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 21H2, or Windows Server 2022/2025
Account
A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
Size
about 6.1 GB (ISO, V21 Update 1)
Startdrive V21 is a free download. One package holds Basic and Advanced: Basic covers the essential commissioning and diagnostic functions, and a paid Advanced licence is needed only when you use Advanced functions. It installs into TIA Portal and needs STEP 7 V21 installed first.
Show the 6 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Install STEP 7 V21 first (the TIA Portal V21 trial is enough for learning).
2. 2.Open the Startdrive V21 page (entry 109991180) and sign in.
3. 3.Download STARTDRIVE_BASIC_ADVANCED_V21_Upd1.iso (6.1 GB) to a folder whose path has no spaces.
4. 4.Double-click the ISO to open it and run Start.exe.
5. 5.Follow the setup and restart when asked.
6. 6.Open TIA Portal V21 and add a SINAMICS drive to your project.
- Siemens recommends 16 GB RAM or more and at least 50 GB free on an SSD.
- Update 1 contains the full V21 setup, so you do not need the older V21 ISOs.
Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com

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

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal at a glance

Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 19 modules and 19h 43m of video lessons by Hegamurl, Ksu hab, Jonathan Stodden 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 automation, electrical and instrumentation
Format: 19 self-paced modules, 19h 43m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level: Intermediate. Intermediate. Finish the free TIA Portal course first or know S7-1200/1500 basics.
Brand: Siemens
Software: TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules
Hardware: None. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs every exercise.
Certificate: Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by: Hegamurl, Ksu hab, Jonathan Stodden, PLC-Automations, The Automation Craze (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

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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.

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Learning paths with this course

Siemens engineer path · 13 coursesThe Siemens stack most plants actually run: TIA Portal from zero, the S7-1200 instruction series, program structure, HMI panels, interrupts, PID, commissioning, Factory I/O projects, the S7-300 installed base, advanced S7-1500, safety, WinCC SCADA and LOGO!.

Learner reviews

No reviews yet

Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.

Common questions

Do I need the free TIA Portal course first?

Strongly recommended. This course assumes you can already create a project, wire a rung, use IEC timers and download to PLCSIM.

Which TIA Portal version?

V16 to V19 all work for the material; software units and multiuser need V16 or later and an S7-1500.

Some source lessons are members-only. Are they included?

No. Six members-only lessons were left out; their topics are covered by the public lessons and the notes.

Is S7-GRAPH included in the trial?

STEP 7 Professional includes GRAPH and SCL; the trial is the Professional edition.

Is the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal 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 Siemens qualification?

An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Siemens credential and is never described as one.

Who made the video lessons in the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal 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.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal

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

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal — 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 plcsim, clock memory, time; logic in lad, fbd, stl and scl; latches and edges to software units, multiuser projects; watch, force and trace; worked projects with fault handling.
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.

Hegamurlthe TIA Portal advanced programming series
Ksu habthe SCL fundamentals course
Jonathan Stoddenthe eight-part SCL worked example
PLC-Automationsthe worked TIA Portal projects and G120C configuration
The Automation Crazea lesson in "SCL Fundamentals: Logic, Timers, CASE and Loops"

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