Drives
Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control
Learn to wire, set up and control a variable frequency drive, from the keypad to PLC and network control.
Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in electrical and automation maintenance. It has 13 modules and takes about 6 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
- 6 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
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 electrical and automation maintenance
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: drives engineer, motion control engineer, service technician and commissioning engineer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- None required. SoMove (free from Schneider) optional for the ATV320 modules. Hardware: none required. Any small VFD and a three-phase motor let you do every exercise for real.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Wire a VFD on single-phase or three-phase supply
- Set basic parameters and run 2-wire and 3-wire control
- Give the speed reference from a potentiometer or 4-20 mA
- Control the drive from a PLC by terminals, analog and Modbus RTU
- Troubleshoot a drive fault
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in electrical and automation maintenance.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. Electrical basics assumed; no drive experience needed.
What you need
Software: None required. SoMove (free from Schneider) optional for the ATV320 modules..
Hardware: None required. Any small VFD and a three-phase motor let you do every exercise for 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
13 modules in order, at your own pace. 6 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1What a VFD Is and Which One to Buy41m
- 2Power Wiring: Supplies, Motors and Phases, with lab practice: 33m
- 3Keypad and Basic Parameters28m
- 4Terminal Control: 2-Wire, 3-Wire, Push Buttons, Reverse, with lab practice: 23m
- 5Speed Reference: Potentiometer, 4-20 mA, Presets and Ramps, with lab practice: 27m
- 6Relay and Analog Outputs and Status, with lab practice: 14m
- 7PLC Control of a VFD19m
- 8Modbus RTU and RS-485 Control33m
Show the other 5 modules
- 9Fieldbus on the ATV320: PROFINET, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, POWERLINK40m
- 10Applications: Constant Pressure and Logic Inside the Drive27m
- 11Safety Functions, Fault Reset, Password and Reset, with lab practice: 14m
- 12Troubleshooting and Testing9m
- 13Final 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.
Nothing is required
SoMove is only for the ATV320 modules.
Show what to download (1 tool)
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 01Free
SoMove
Schneider Electric
- Runs on
- Windows PC
- Account
- A free Schneider Electric (mySchneider) account may be asked for at download
Schneider lists SoMove as free licence setup software for configuring its drives and motor control devices. Device DTM libraries are downloaded separately.
Steps
- 1.Open the SoMove (FDT standalone) download page on se.com.
- 2.Log in with a Schneider Electric account if asked.
- 3.Download and run the SoMove installer.
- 4.Download the DTM library for your drive family from se.com and install it.
- 5.Start SoMove and connect to a drive or work offline.
- Install the DTM library for the drive you are studying, for example Altivar, or SoMove will not list it.
Official download pagese.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
Wire a variable frequency drive in the Panel Lab: power in and out, safe torque off, run command, speed reference and fault relay, then prove it.
- Commission the variable-speed infeed conveyor driveElectrical labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Commission the variable-speed infeed conveyor drive
- 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 12 hours
Eight drives in a hospital plant room: select, set up and prove the saving
Plan a drive retrofit for the eight pumps and fans of a hospital plant room. Select the drives, set up one drive on the ATV320 in SoMove, record its commissioning and prove the energy saving with the affinity laws. You deliver the motor and drive list, one parameter set, its I/O list and commissioning record, and the energy report.
- 8documents in the pack
- 6steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 5things to hand in
- 12 hof work, at your pace
- Motor listMotor List: HVAC Plant Room, VFD Retrofit
- Load listElectrical Load List: MCC-HV1
- MCC scheduleMCC Schedule: MCC-HV1
- Single lineSingle Line Diagram: MCC-HV1 and Feeder from MLTP-1
- I/O listI/O List: Drive Control Terminals and Field Instruments
- Drive parameter listDrive Parameter List and Commissioning Record: ACS580, VFD-CHWP-01 (typical) and Deltas
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.
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.
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 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
- Drives engineer
- Motion control engineer
- Service 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: ATO Automation, Schneider Electric, The Engineering Mindset, RealPars. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
ATO Automation · Schneider Electric · The Engineering Mindset · RealPars. 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 drive?
No, but it helps: any small VFD and a three-phase motor let you do every exercise for real. Without one, SoMove's offline mode lets you configure an ATV320 on the PC.
Is this only about the Schneider ATV320?
The generic modules use a low-cost drive typical of what you meet in the field, and the ATV320 modules show the same functions on a mainstream industrial drive. The concepts transfer to Siemens, ABB, Danfoss, Delta and Allen-Bradley drives.
Is this safe to do at home?
Only with a proper supply, earthing and enclosure, and only if you are competent with mains. The course explains the wiring; it does not make anyone qualified to work on mains.
What certificate do I get, and is it a Schneider qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Schneider Electric credential and is never described as one.
Is the Variable Frequency Drives 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.
Who made the video lessons in the Variable Frequency Drives 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 Variable Frequency Drives 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 thirteen modules at your own speed.
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 Variable Frequency Drives course cover, module by module?
The Variable Frequency Drives course has 13 modules. It opens with "What a VFD Is and Which One to Buy", goes through "Power Wiring: Supplies, Motors and Phases", "Speed Reference: Potentiometer, 4-20 mA, Presets and Ramps", "Fieldbus on the ATV320: PROFINET, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, POWERLINK" and "Troubleshooting and Testing" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Variable Frequency Drives course?
After the Variable Frequency Drives course: Explain V/F against vector control and VFD against soft starter and servo; Wire a drive on single-phase or three-phase supply, with shielding and earthing; Set motor nameplate and basic parameters from the keypad. 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 Variable Frequency Drives course, and does it cost anything?
For the Variable Frequency Drives course, software: None required. SoMove (free from Schneider) optional for the ATV320 modules. Hardware: none required. Any small VFD and a three-phase motor let you do every exercise for real. The course itself is free.
Is the Variable Frequency Drives course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Variable Frequency Drives is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. Electrical basics assumed; no drive experience needed. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in electrical and automation maintenance, and takes about 6 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Variable Frequency Drives course?
Skills from the Variable Frequency Drives course (for example: explain V/F against vector control and VFD against soft starter and servo) are used in roles such as drives engineer, motion control engineer, service technician and commissioning engineer, and in drives and 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
Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.