PLC programming
Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning: Hardware, PLCSIM, Backups and Troubleshooting
Learn the site-engineer side of TIA Portal: hardware setup, PLCSIM, backups, firmware, troubleshooting and program protection.
Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning: Hardware, PLCSIM, Backups and Troubleshooting is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation. It has 10 modules and takes about 9.8 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
- 9.8 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
- The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, on 64-bit Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; the free TIA Selection Tool. Hardware: none required. A real S7-1200 makes the download and backup modules real.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Configure and check hardware in the device, network and topology views
- Simulate in PLCSIM and download to a PLC
- Archive and restore projects
- Find faults with cross references and traces
- Protect a program with passwords and block protection
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. You should already write a program in TIA Portal; this course is about getting it into a real machine and keeping it there.
What you need
Software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, on 64-bit Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; the free TIA Selection Tool.
Hardware: None required. A real S7-1200 makes the download and backup modules real.. 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
10 modules in order, at your own pace. 9.8 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1Getting, Installing and Licensing TIA Portal24m
- 2Hardware Configuration and the Device, Network and Topology Views; Inside an S7-120044m
- 3Sizing Distributed I/O and Power Supplies with the TIA Selection Tool36m
- 4PLCSIM: Simulation, Simulator Differences, Sequences and Hardware Events, with lab practice: 1h 31m
- 5Download, Upload, Program Backup and Archiving33m
- 6Restart, Memory Reset, Factory Reset and Firmware Handling35m
- 7Troubleshooting: Cross References, Overlapping Access, Watch and Force Tables, and Traces, with lab practice: 44m
- 8Online Access: the IP Address Popup, PROFINET Device Names and the Web Server32m
Show the other 2 modules
- 9Program Protection: Passwords, Block Protection, Copy Protection and Project Data40m
- 10Final 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.
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 - 03Free
TIA Selection Tool
Siemens
- Runs on
- Desktop: Windows 10 or later. Cloud: current Chrome, Firefox or Edge.
- Account
- None needed
Siemens makes TIA Selection Tool and all its editions available at no charge, without warranty. You may not redistribute it without Siemens' permission.
Steps
- 1.Open the TIA Selection Tool page on siemens.com.
- 2.For the cloud version, click Start TIA Selection Tool; it opens in your browser.
- 3.For the desktop version, click Download TIA Selection Tool to get a ZIP file.
- 4.Unzip it to a normal folder on a local drive, not inside C:\Windows, C:\ProgramData or Program Files.
- 5.Run the program from that folder; no installation rights are needed.
- Keep your own files out of the SelectionTool program folder: updates can overwrite it.
- The current Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable must be installed; it usually is already.
Official download pagesiemens.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 testing a running program the way a commissioning engineer does: go online, set inputs, watch the rungs and use forces carefully, in the PLC lab.
- Motor start/stop with overloadPLC lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Motor start/stop with overload
- Forward/reverse conveyorPLC lab, about 60 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Forward/reverse conveyor
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 14 hours
Second-hand palletiser: upload, simulate, find the faults, back up and hand over an S7-1200 cell
Commission the software side of a used bag palletiser that arrived with an S7-1215C and no project file. Rebuild the hardware configuration and the I/O list. Run the program in PLCSIM. Use the force table, cross references, the diagnostic buffer and a trace to find the faults. Then back up and protect the project. The sample pack shows each document as a commissioning engineer hands it over.
- 9documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 6things to hand in
- 14 hof work, at your pace
- Control narrativeSequence of Operations: Bag Palletiser PAL-1 (reconstructed)
- I/O listI/O List: Cabinet CP-301 (as found and corrected)
- HDSHardware Design Record: Cabinet CP-301 as found, with the power budget
- Commissioning procedureCommissioning Procedure and Checklist: PAL-1
- Punch listPunch List: PAL-1 Commissioning
- SATSite Acceptance Test Record: PAL-1
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.
Commissioning and Maintenance
Eight short weeks of safe commissioning, loop checks, fault-finding and maintenance planning: notes, diagrams, a few videos and Panel Lab 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, PLCskilltree. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Hegamurl · Hegamurl · Hegamurl · Hegamurl · PLCskilltree. 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
Which TIA Portal version should I install?
The one the plant's PLC firmware supports; the first module explains how versions and firmware match. For learning, the newest trial is fine.
Do I need a real PLC?
No. PLCSIM stands in for the CPU throughout, and the download, upload and backup modules show the real-PLC steps on screen.
Is the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning 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 TIA Portal Commissioning 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 TIA Portal Commissioning course take?
Plan on about 10 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the ten modules at your own speed.
Is this course suitable for beginners?
Not as a first course. It is intermediate: you should already be able to write a program in TIA Portal, because this course is about getting that program into a real machine and keeping it there.
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 TIA Portal Commissioning course cover, module by module?
The Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course has 10 modules. It opens with "Getting, Installing and Licensing TIA Portal", goes through "Hardware Configuration and the Device, Network and Topology Views; Inside an S7-1200", "PLCSIM: Simulation, Simulator Differences, Sequences and Hardware Events", "Troubleshooting: Cross References, Overlapping Access, Watch and Force Tables, and Traces" and "Program Protection: Passwords, Block Protection, Copy Protection and Project Data" 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 TIA Portal Commissioning course?
After the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course: Get, install and license TIA Portal and pick the right version; Configure hardware and read the device, network and topology views; Size ET 200 distributed I/O and power supplies with the TIA Selection Tool. 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 TIA Portal Commissioning course, and does it cost anything?
For the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course, software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, on 64-bit Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; the free TIA Selection Tool. Hardware: none required. A real S7-1200 makes the download and backup modules real. The course itself is free.
Is the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning is rated intermediate. Intermediate. You should already write a program in TIA Portal; this course is about getting it into a real machine and keeping it there. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 9.8 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course?
Skills from the Siemens TIA Portal Commissioning course (for example: get, install and license TIA Portal and pick the right version) 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 TIA Portal Commissioning: Hardware, PLCSIM, Backups and Troubleshooting, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.