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

Test your TIA Portal ladder on machines you can see moving in Factory I/O, from a conveyor to a warehouse crane.

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects 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 9.1 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$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.

  • Free
  • Beginner
  • 9.1 hours
  • Self-paced
  • Certificate optional
  • Lab practice in your browser
See what you learn

No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, 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, or PLCSIM Advanced if you have it, and Factory I/O 2.5 (30-day trial, full Ultimate Edition). Hardware: none. Factory I/O is the machine.
Updated
Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects course cover
Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects course cover

After this course you can

By the end you will be able to:

  • Connect Factory I/O to S7-PLCSIM
  • Map its sensors and actuators to PLC tags
  • Program conveyors, sorting and filling scenes
  • Program a pick-and-place assembler and an elevator
  • Control an analog tank level on a 3D machine

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: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. You should know basic TIA Portal ladder; the S7-1200 tutorial series on this site is enough.

What you need

Software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, or PLCSIM Advanced if you have it, and Factory I/O 2.5 (30-day trial, full Ultimate Edition).

Hardware: None. Factory I/O is the machine.. What to download, and how.

How this course works

  1. Watch the lessons

    Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.

  2. Read the notes

    Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.

  3. Practise in the 3D labOptional

    Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.

  4. Check yourself

    Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.

  5. Final assessment

    Pass the final once you have been through the modules.

  6. 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. 9.1 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.

  1. 1Installing Factory I/O and Connecting It to TIA Portal42m
  2. 2From A to B: Sensors, a Conveyor, and Set and Reset, with lab practice:
  3. 3Sorting Stations: by Height, Colour and Weight, with lab practice: 29m
  4. 4Separating Station and the Sorter Project40m
  5. 5Filling Tank with Timers and a Queue with Counters, with lab practice: 24m
  6. 6Conveyor Sequence Project45m
  7. 7Assembler and Pick and Place30m
  8. 8Converge Station, Elevator and Automated Warehouse13m
Show the other 2 modules
  1. 9Analog Tank Level and PLCSIM Advanced with Factory I/O, with lab practice: 35m
  2. 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 (4 tools)

Required

  1. 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.

    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.
  2. 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.

    Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com
  3. 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.

    Official download pagefactoryio.com

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

  1. 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.

    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 conveyor, sorting, tank and counting logic you write for Factory I/O scenes on working machines in the PLC lab, then pass each lab test.

Build a ladder rungWatch

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

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 program for a three-lane parcel sorting line with an overflow pick-and-place station. Two Factory I/O scenes are the machine and S7-PLCSIM is the controller. You deliver the program and an I/O list that maps every simulated signal to a real device. You also deliver a report of what the simulation found, and the FAT record for the physical panel.

This project at a glance
  1. 6documents in the pack
  2. 9steps to follow
  3. Laboptional: in the 3D lab
  4. 6things to hand in
  5. 18 hof work, at your pace
  • 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

Do it in the lab: 5 steps.

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.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects

Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, your final score, a certificate ID and a QR code that opens its verification page.

Optional

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$23.99 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.

An engineer in a hard hat checking neat, labelled wiring on I/O racks inside an open control cabinet.
Free · 4 weeks · free certificate

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 internship

Part 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: Technical Mindshare, Instrumentation Tools, Smart Builds, PLC Automation Academy, Factory IO Ideas, Marcin Regulski, Real Games. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.

Real Games · Technical Mindshare · Instrumentation Tools · Smart Builds · PLC Automation Academy · Factory IO Ideas · Marcin Regulski. 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.

See the 3D lab
  • 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

Is Factory I/O free?

It has a free 30-day trial, which is the full Ultimate Edition with every scene and the Siemens drivers; the course is built to fit inside it. After the trial the Siemens drivers need the Siemens or Ultimate Edition. 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.

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 with Factory I/O course cover, module by module?

The Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course has 10 modules. It opens with "Installing Factory I/O and Connecting It to TIA Portal", goes through "From A to B: Sensors, a Conveyor, and Set and Reset", "Separating Station and the Sorter Project", "Assembler and Pick and Place" and "Analog Tank Level and PLCSIM Advanced with Factory I/O" 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 with Factory I/O course?

After the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course: 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. 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 with Factory I/O course, and does it cost anything?

For the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course, software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, or PLCSIM Advanced if you have it, and Factory I/O 2.5 (30-day trial, full Ultimate Edition). Hardware: none. Factory I/O is the machine. The course itself is free.

Is the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course suitable for me, and what level is it?

Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. You should know basic TIA Portal ladder; the S7-1200 tutorial series on this site is enough. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, electrical and instrumentation, and takes about 9.1 hours at your own pace.

Which jobs use the skills from the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course?

Skills from the Siemens TIA Portal with Factory I/O course (for example: install Factory I/O and connect it to PLCSIM and PLCSIM Advanced) 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 with Factory I/O: Virtual Commissioning Projects, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.