PLC programming 路 Free
Siemens SCL Structured Text in TIA Portal
From ladder to text on the S7-1200 and S7-1500: setting up the controller, tags and monitoring, data types, maths and data blocks, FCs, FBs, timers, counters and diagnostics, an eight-part SCL worked example, loops with FOR, WHILE, REPEAT, CONTINUE and EXIT, and a time-sliced part counter application.
Inside the course
From the lessons
S7-1200 Setup, Tags and Monitoring
PCC | A GCG Company
Data Types, Maths, Conversions and Data Blocks
PCC | A GCG Company
FCs, FBs, Timers, Counters, Forcing and Diagnostics
PCC | A GCG Company
SCL Language Basics and the Worked Example, Parts 1 to 3
Hegamurl
SCL Worked Example, Parts 4 to 8: Data, State Logic and Debugging
Jonathan Stodden
Loops in SCL: FOR, WHILE, REPEAT, CONTINUE and EXIT
PLC Tutor
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Configure an S7-1200, create tags and DBs, use FCs, FBs, timers and counters, write SCL with IF, CASE, FOR, WHILE and REPEAT, control loop flow with CONTINUE and EXIT, handle arrays and cycle-time consistency, and build a complete SCL application.
- Configure an S7-1200 with tags, DBs and data types
- Use FCs, FBs, timers, counters and diagnostics
- Write SCL with IF, CASE, arrays, structs and timers
- Use FOR, WHILE and REPEAT loops safely
- Build a time-sliced part counter application
- Mix SCL and ladder in one project
For you
Taking Siemens SCL Structured Text 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$23.99. 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 路 about 16 hours
Composite curing oven: a ramp-and-soak recipe library in SCL with a state machine, hysteresis control and alarms
Write, in SCL, the control library for an electric curing oven that cures carbon-fibre parts to a ramp-and-soak recipe: a recipe held in a DB as an array of steps, an FB with a CASE state machine that runs it, hysteresis temperature control with staged heater banks, guaranteed soak on the part thermocouples, and alarm handling. You deliver the SDS with every block's interface and SCL, the program, the I/O list, the alarm list and a FAT record. The sample pack shows what a small process-control delivery looks like when the program is a library rather than a ladder.
Sample document pack, 6 documents, filled in for the scenario
- SDSSoftware Design Specification: Curing Oven OV-1 Recipe Control Library
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: Curing Oven OV-1
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-OV1
- Alarm listAlarm List: Curing Oven OV-1
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel CP-OV1 and Recipe Library
- O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Curing Oven OV-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
8 modules 路 40 lessons 路 8h 38m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01S7-1200 Setup, Tags and Monitoring5 lessons33m
- 02Data Types, Maths, Conversions and Data Blocks6 lessons31m
- 03FCs, FBs, Timers, Counters, Forcing and Diagnostics10 lessons59m
- 04SCL Language Basics and the Worked Example, Parts 1 to 38 lessons2h 9m
- 05SCL Worked Example, Parts 4 to 8: Data, State Logic and Debugging5 lessons3h 0m
- 06Loops in SCL: FOR, WHILE, REPEAT, CONTINUE and EXIT4 lessons59m
- 07SCL Application: Time-Sliced Part Counter1 lesson27m
- 08Final Assessment1 lesson15m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner to intermediate. The free TIA Portal course is the ideal preparation.
- Software
- TIA Portal (trial) with PLCSIM What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None required.
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.
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
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 SCL Structured Text in TIA Portal at a glance
Siemens SCL Structured Text 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 8 modules and 8h 38m of video lessons by PCC | A GCG Company, Jonathan Stodden, PLC Tutor 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 factsHide 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
- 8 self-paced modules, 8h 38m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. The free TIA Portal course is the ideal preparation.
- Brand
- Siemens
- Software
- TIA Portal (trial) with PLCSIM
- Hardware
- None required.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- PCC | A GCG Company, Jonathan Stodden, PLC Tutor, Hegamurl, 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.
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.
Pairs well with
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PLC programming 路 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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Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Siemens SCL Structured Text in TIA Portal, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Why SCL?
Maths, data handling and state machines are shorter and clearer in text; every S7-1200/1500 programmer meets it.
Do I need to know ladder first?
It helps; modules 1 to 3 cover the ladder foundations before SCL starts.
Is this only for S7-1500?
No. SCL is identical on S7-1200 and S7-1500; the demos use both.
Is the Siemens SCL Structured Text 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 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 Siemens SCL Structured Text 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.
How long does the Siemens SCL Structured Text in TIA Portal course take?
Plan on about 12 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eight modules at your own speed.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Siemens SCL Structured Text in TIA Portal
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
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$23.99, 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.
- PCC | A GCG Companythe Siemens S7-1200 video training series
- Jonathan Stoddenthe TIA Portal SCL examples
- PLC Tutorthe SIEMENS TIA Portal SCL tutorial
- Hegamurl4 lessons in "SCL Language Basics and the Worked Example, Parts 1 to 3"
- The Automation Crazea lesson in "SCL Language Basics and the Worked Example, Parts 1 to 3"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.