PLC programming · Free

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects

Nine machines you can see moving: connect Factory I/O to TIA Portal, then program conveyors, sorting and separating stations, a filling tank, a queue, an assembler, pick and place, a converge station, an elevator, a warehouse and an analog tank, all with your own ladder.

10 modules 5h 55m of video English · self-paced

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects course cover

Inside the course

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects: Syllabus at a glance

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects: What you will be able to do

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects: Tools and credits

From the lessons

Installing Factory I/O and Connecting It to TIA Portal
Technical Mindshare
From A to B: Sensors, a Conveyor, and Set and Reset
The Automation Craze
Sorting Stations: by Height, Colour and Weight
Technical Mindshare
Separating Station and the Sorter Project
Instrumentation Tools
Filling Tank with Timers and a Queue with Counters
Smart Builds
Conveyor Sequence Project
PLC Automation Academy

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

What you will learn

Connect Factory I/O to S7-PLCSIM or PLCSIM Advanced, map its sensors and actuators to PLC tags, and program a series of complete scenes from a two-sensor conveyor to a palletising assembler and an analog level loop, testing each one on a 3D machine before it exists.

Install Factory I/O and connect it to PLCSIM and PLCSIM Advanced
Map scene sensors and actuators to PLC input and output tags
Program conveyors, set and reset, sorting and separating logic
Use timers, counters and sequences on filling, queueing and assembly scenes
Program pick and place, converge, elevator and warehouse scenes
Control an analog tank level and prove a whole line before it is built

For you

Taking Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects 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 · about 18 hours

Parcel sorting line in Factory I/O: virtually commission the S7-1200 program, then write the FAT for the real panel

Build and commission the control program for a three-lane parcel sorting line with an overflow pick-and-place station, using the Factory I/O sorting-by-height and pick-and-place scenes as the machine and PLCSIM Advanced as the controller. You deliver the program, an I/O list that maps every simulated tag to the real device it stands in for, a virtual-commissioning report of what the simulation found, and the FAT record for the physical panel. The sample pack shows each one the way a system integrator hands it to a warehouse operator.

Sample document pack, 6 documents, filled in for the scenario

Control narrativeSequence of Operations: Parcel Sorting Line SRT-1
I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-201, with Simulated-to-Real Mapping
HMI specHMI Screen Specification: KTP700 Basic, Panel CP-201
Test reportVirtual Commissioning Report: SRT-1 against Factory I/O
FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Panel CP-201
BOMBill of Materials: Panel CP-201 and Line Devices

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

10 modules · 22 lessons · 5h 55m

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

01Installing Factory I/O and Connecting It to TIA Portal2 lessons42m
02From A to B: Sensors, a Conveyor, and Set and Reset3 lessons38m
03Sorting Stations: by Height, Colour and Weight3 lessons29m
04Separating Station and the Sorter Project2 lessons40m
05Filling Tank with Timers and a Queue with Counters2 lessons24m
06Conveyor Sequence Project1 lesson45m
07Assembler and Pick and Place3 lessons1h 5m
08Converge Station, Elevator and Automated Warehouse3 lessons36m
09Analog Tank Level and PLCSIM Advanced with Factory I/O2 lessons35m
10Final Assessment1 lesson18m

Show all 10 modules

Requirements

Who it is for: Beginner to intermediate. You should know basic TIA Portal ladder; the S7-1200 tutorial series on this site is enough.
Software: TIA Portal (21-day trial) with S7-PLCSIM or PLCSIM Advanced, and Factory I/O (30-day trial) What to download, and how
Hardware: None. Factory I/O is the machine.

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

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
03
Factory I/O
Real Games
Free trial: 30 days
Runs on
Windows 7 SP1 or newer, with a graphics card from 2006 (NVIDIA, AMD) or 2012 (Intel) onwards
Account
Your name and email on the Factory I/O trial form
The 30-day trial includes the full Ultimate Edition. After that you need a paid edition; the Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Modbus and OPC, MHJ, Automgen and Starter editions each support different PLCs.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open the Factory I/O start trial page.
2. 2.Enter your name and email and start the trial.
3. 3.Download and install Factory I/O.
4. 4.Open a sample scene and connect it to your PLC or PLC simulator.
5. 5.Before the trial ends, choose the edition that matches your PLC.
- Choose the edition by the PLC you will use: for example the Siemens edition works with S7-PLCSIM.
- The Starter edition has its own built-in PLC simulator if you have no PLC software.
Official download pagefactoryio.com

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

04
SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced V8.0 Trial
Siemens
Free trial: 21 days
Runs on
Same Windows versions as TIA Portal STEP 7 Basic V21 (64-bit). Windows Home editions are not supported.
Account
A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
Size
about 1.0 GB (ISO)
Registered users can download S7-PLCSIM Advanced V8.0 and test it for 21 days. Siemens says the trial package is identical to the supplied product; for a longer test you must ask a Siemens sales contact.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Install TIA Portal STEP 7 V21 first (it simulates projects from TIA Portal V14 to V21).
2. 2.Open the S7-PLCSIM Advanced V8.0 page (entry 109990051) and sign in.
3. 3.Download SIMATIC_S7-PLCSIM_Advanced_V8.iso (1.0 GB).
4. 4.Mount the ISO, run the setup as administrator and restart when asked.
5. 5.Start S7-PLCSIM Advanced, create a virtual S7-1500 or S7-1200 G2 instance and download your TIA Portal project to it.
- Siemens recommends 16 GB RAM, 20 GB free disk and a Full HD screen.
- The S7-PLCSIM V21 install on the TIA trial page already includes PLCSIM Advanced V8.0, so you may not need this separate download.
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 TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects at a glance

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects 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 10 modules and 5h 55m of video lessons by Technical Mindshare, Instrumentation Tools, The Automation Craze 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: 10 self-paced modules, 5h 55m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. You should know basic TIA Portal ladder; the S7-1200 tutorial series on this site is enough.
Brand: Siemens
Software: TIA Portal (21-day trial) with S7-PLCSIM or PLCSIM Advanced, and Factory I/O (30-day trial)
Hardware: None. Factory I/O is the machine.
Certificate: Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by: Technical Mindshare, Instrumentation Tools, The Automation Craze, Smart Builds, PLC Automation Academy, Factory IO Ideas, Marcin Regulski (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

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.

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PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.

TIA Portal: Build a Machine free course cover

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.

Siemens S7-1200 with TIA Portal: The Tutorial Series free course cover

PLC programming · FreeSiemens S7-1200 with TIA Portal: The Tutorial SeriesEvery S7-1200 instruction, one short video at a time: bits, edges, timers, counters, comparators, maths, MOVE, conversion, analog scaling, jumps and shift registers.

More free courses: Free Siemens PLC courses · Free PLC programming courses

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 TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.

Common questions

Is Factory I/O free?

It has a free 30-day trial with every scene; the course is built to fit inside it. Install it when you reach module 1, not before.

Do I need PLCSIM Advanced?

No. Plain PLCSIM works with Factory I/O through the S7-PLCSIM driver for most scenes; the last module shows PLCSIM Advanced for anyone who has it.

Is the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O 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 with Factory I/O 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 with Factory I/O course take?

Plan on about 9 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.

Do I need to know TIA Portal first?

You need basic TIA Portal ladder. The free S7-1200 tutorial series on this site covers enough to start.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects

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

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects — 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 connecting factory i/o to s7-plcsim and plcsim advanced to analog tank level control and whole-line proving.
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$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.

Technical Mindsharethe Factory I/O and TIA Portal tutorials
Instrumentation Toolsthe Factory I/O PLC programming lessons
The Automation Crazethe Factory I/O scene tutorials in TIA Portal
Smart Buildsthe Factory I/O with S7-1200 series
PLC Automation Academythe sorter and conveyor sequence projects
Factory IO Ideasthe structured pick and place lesson
Marcin Regulskithe PLCSIM Advanced and Factory I/O configuration guide

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