PLC programming
Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal
Go beyond the basics on the S7-1500 in TIA Portal: block design, UDTs, SCL, drives, software units and testing.
Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 19 modules and takes about 27.6 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
- 27.6 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
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 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
- TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules. Hardware: none. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs the PLC exercises; the drive work is done offline in the project.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Choose between FC, FB and DB correctly
- Design with UDTs and optimized data blocks
- Write sequences in S7-GRAPH and programs in SCL
- Commission a G120 drive
- Test with watch tables, force and trace
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: Intermediate. Intermediate. Finish the free TIA Portal course first or know S7-1200/1500 basics.
What you need
Software: TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules.
Hardware: None. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs the PLC exercises; the drive work is done offline in the project.. 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
19 modules in order, at your own pace. 27.6 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1PLCSIM, Clock Memory and Time53m
- 2Logic in Four Languages, Latches and Edges, with lab practice: 33m
- 3Functions and Function Blocks49m
- 4Data Blocks and Optimized Access40m
- 5Instances, Libraries and Versioning47m
- 6Timers: IEC and Legacy, with lab practice: 32m
- 7Analog Processing, with lab practice: 45m
- 8Arrays, Structs, UDTs and Faceplates1h 1m
Show the other 11 modules
- 9Sequential Programming: S7-GRAPH and LAD, with lab practice: 1h 32m
- 10SCL Fundamentals: Logic, Timers, CASE and Loops, with lab practice: 37m
- 11SCL Worked Example I1h 51m
- 12SCL Worked Example II2h 14m
- 13Drives: G120 with Startdrive1h 20m
- 14Device, Network and Topology Views, GSD, Shared Devices42m
- 15Firmware, Backups and Archives33m
- 16Software Units and Multiuser Projects1h 7m
- 17Diagnostics and Testing: Error OBs, Interrupts, Watch, Force, Trace1h 41m
- 18Worked Projects, with lab practice: 1h 35m
- 19Final 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.
Startdrive is only for the drive modules.
Show what to download (3 tools)
Required
- 01Free trial: 21 days
SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial
Siemens
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open the Siemens trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in with your Siemens Industry Online Support account.
- 2.Download TIA_Portal_STEP7_Safety_WinCC_V21.iso (8.1 GB).
- 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the same page: PLCSIM is a separate download.
- 4.Right-click each ISO, choose Mount, and run Start.exe as administrator. Install STEP 7 and WinCC first, then PLCSIM.
- 5.Follow the setup, accept the licence terms and restart the PC when asked.
- 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.comAlternatives
- 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.
- 02Free trial: 21 days
S7-PLCSIM V21 (TIA Portal) Trial
Siemens
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open the Siemens STEP 7 and WinCC V21 trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in.
- 2.Install STEP 7 V21 from the main TIA Portal ISO first.
- 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the section Download S7-PLCSIM Standard V21.
- 4.Mount the ISO, run Start.exe as administrator and follow the setup.
- 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.
- 03Free edition: Startdrive Basic
SINAMICS Startdrive V21 (Basic and Advanced)
Siemens
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Install STEP 7 V21 first (the TIA Portal V21 trial is enough for learning).
- 2.Open the Startdrive V21 page (entry 109991180) and sign in.
- 3.Download STARTDRIVE_BASIC_ADVANCED_V21_Upd1.iso (6.1 GB) to a folder whose path has no spaces.
- 4.Double-click the ISO to open it and run Start.exe.
- 5.Follow the setup and restart when asked.
- 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.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the same latches, timers, sequences, scaling and Structured Text you write in TIA Portal 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
- Pedestrian crossingPLC lab, about 75 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Pedestrian crossing
- Tank filling pumpPLC lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tank filling pump
- Duty and standby pumpsPLC lab, about 75 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Duty and standby pumps
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
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, program, test and document a dosing and mixing system for three paint lines. It uses an S7-1500, three ET 200SP stations and a G120C agitator per line. You deliver the I/O list, a UDT-based program with a sequence and an SCL dosing block, and a FAT record that includes the failures you found.
- 11documents in the pack
- 10steps to follow
- 7things to hand in
- 20 hof work, at your pace
- 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
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$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.
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: Hegamurl, Ksu hab, Jonathan Stodden, PLC-Automations. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Hegamurl · Ksu hab · Jonathan Stodden · PLC-Automations. 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
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?
A recent TIA Portal version with an S7-1500: software units and Multiuser Engineering need one, so check the Siemens notes for the version you have.
Some source lessons are members-only. Are they included?
No. The course uses public videos only, and the written lessons cover the topics of the members-only ones.
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.
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 Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course cover, module by module?
The Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course has 19 modules. It opens with "PLCSIM, Clock Memory and Time", goes through "Logic in Four Languages, Latches and Edges", "Analog Processing", "Drives: G120 with Startdrive" and "Worked Projects" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course?
After the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course: 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. 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 Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course, and does it cost anything?
For the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course, software: TIA Portal with PLCSIM (trial); Startdrive for the drive modules. Hardware: none. PLCSIM S7-1500 runs the PLC exercises; the drive work is done offline in the project. The course itself is free.
Is the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal is rated intermediate. Intermediate. Finish the free TIA Portal course first or know S7-1200/1500 basics. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 27.6 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course?
Skills from the Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal course (for example: simulate on PLCSIM and use clock memory and time functions) 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
Siemens S7-1500 Advanced Programming in TIA Portal, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.