Process control
Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing
Scale analog signals and run a PID_Compact control loop in TIA Portal, tested against a tank simulation.
Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants. It has 7 modules and takes about 5.3 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
- 5.3 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 process plants
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: instrumentation technician, instrument engineer, calibration technician and process control 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; Factory I/O (30-day trial) for the level scene. Hardware: none. The tank simulation and Factory I/O stand in for the plant.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Explain why a loop needs a controller and what P, I and D do
- Scale analog inputs and outputs
- Place and configure PID_Compact in a cyclic OB
- Tune the loop with pretuning and fine tuning
- Run the loop against an HMI and a tank simulation
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants.
Level: Intermediate. Intermediate. You should already write ladder in TIA Portal; the Siemens TIA Portal foundation course is the ideal preparation.
What you need
Software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, on 64-bit Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; Factory I/O (30-day trial) for the level scene.
Hardware: None. The tank simulation and Factory I/O stand in for the plant.. 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
7 modules in order, at your own pace. 5.3 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1Why Closed-Loop Control, and What P, I and D Mean29m
- 2Analog Input Processing: NORM_X and SCALE_X, with lab practice: 25m
- 3Analog Output Processing: Unscaling20m
- 4PID_Compact: Placing, Configuring and Running It18m
- 5Tuning PID_Compact, and Analog versus PWM Output, with lab practice: 34m
- 6Tank Simulation, HMI Control and Factory I/O Level Control, with lab practice: 37m
- 7Final 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.
Factory I/O is for the level scene only.
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 trial: 30 days
Factory I/O
Real Games
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open the Factory I/O start trial page.
- 2.Enter your name and email and start the trial.
- 3.Download and install Factory I/O.
- 4.Open a sample scene and connect it to your PLC or PLC simulator.
- 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
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 analog scaling, a broken-loop check and PID tuning in the lab, the same ideas you set up with NORM_X, SCALE_X and PID_Compact.
- Loop checkProcess lab, about 35 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Loop check
- Commission the 4-20 mA level loopElectrical labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Commission the 4-20 mA level loop
- Tune the level loopProcess lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tune the level loop
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 18 hours
Pasteuriser outlet temperature and balance-tank level: two PID_Compact loops on an S7-1200, tuned and recorded
Program, tune and document two control loops for a dairy pasteuriser: heat-exchanger outlet temperature and balance-tank level, each run by PID_Compact in a cyclic OB on an S7-1200. You deliver the program, loop-check sheets, a FAT record and a tuning record. If you have time, you also write your own control description and I/O list. The sample pack shows every document the way an integrator hands it over. Steps 1 and 2 are optional, but without them the most you can score is 70.
- 9documents in the pack
- 9steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 5things to hand in
- 18 hof work, at your pace
- P&IDP&ID Tag and Line Schedule: Pasteuriser Heating Section PAS-1
- Control narrativeControl Narrative: PAS-1 Temperature and Level Control
- Instrument indexInstrument Index: PAS-1
- I/O listI/O List: Panel CP-201
- Loop drawingInstrument Loop Diagrams: TT-101, TCV-101, LT-100, LCV-100
- Alarm listAlarm List: PAS-1
Do it in the lab: 4 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.
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.
Instrumentation and Process Control
Eight short weeks of measurement, calibration and control loops: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in the Panel Lab and LADX Mini. 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
- Instrumentation technician
- Instrument engineer
- Calibration technician
- Process control 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, Instrumentation Tools. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Hegamurl · Instrumentation Tools. 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 a real process?
No. The course uses a free tank simulation block and a Factory I/O level scene, so the loop behaves like a real one without hardware.
Is this the same as the generic PID course on this site?
That course is vendor-neutral theory across brands. This one is the Siemens implementation: PID_Compact, its OB, its tuning dialog and its outputs.
Is the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing 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 PID Compact and Analog Processing 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 PID Compact and Analog Processing course take?
Plan on about 5 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the seven modules at your own speed.
What software do I need?
TIA Portal V21 with S7-PLCSIM V21 on Siemens' 21-day trial (any version from V15 covers the course), plus the Factory I/O 30-day trial for the tank level scene. No hardware is needed, because the tank simulation and Factory I/O stand in for the plant.
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 PID Compact and Analog Processing course cover, module by module?
The Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course has 7 modules. It opens with "Why Closed-Loop Control, and What P, I and D Mean", goes through "Analog Input Processing: NORM_X and SCALE_X", "Analog Output Processing: Unscaling", "Tuning PID_Compact, and Analog versus PWM Output" and "Tank Simulation, HMI Control and Factory I/O Level Control" 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 PID Compact and Analog Processing course?
After the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course: Explain on/off, three-point and PID control and when each fits; Read P, I and D as gain, reset time and rate time; Scale analog inputs with NORM_X and SCALE_X and outputs the other way. 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 PID Compact and Analog Processing course, and does it cost anything?
For the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course, software: The current TIA Portal trial (21 days) with S7-PLCSIM, on 64-bit Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; Factory I/O (30-day trial) for the level scene. Hardware: none. The tank simulation and Factory I/O stand in for the plant. The course itself is free.
Is the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing is rated intermediate. Intermediate. You should already write ladder in TIA Portal; the Siemens TIA Portal foundation course is the ideal preparation. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in process plants, and takes about 5.3 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course?
Skills from the Siemens TIA Portal PID Compact and Analog Processing course (for example: explain on/off, three-point and PID control and when each fits) are used in roles such as instrumentation technician, instrument engineer, calibration technician and process control engineer, and in process control 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 PID Compact and Analog Processing, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.