Instructions with a purpose
Use contacts, coils, and branches to build permissives and seal-in logic. Advanced projects add timers, comparisons, move instructions, and routine calls where the job requires them.
Online PLC simulator · 10 machine-based lessons
Write the logic.
Build the HMI.
Run the machine.
Go from field wiring to PLC programs, operator screens, and VFD commissioning. Build and test industrial controls in your browser.
Levels 1 and 2 are free. No hardware or programming software to install.
10progressive machine lessons
PLC + HMIlogic and operator-interface projects
VFD + analogdrive and process commissioning
See the depth
From your first rung
to an integrated cell.
Step inside the real editors and machine lessons. See how the learning progresses from motor controls to subroutines, diagnostics, and HMI applications.
PLC, HMI & commissioning showcaseNarrated · English captions available
PLC programming
Open the project.
Follow the logic.
Work with instructions, controller tags, I/O assignments, and routines. Programming lessons make you translate a machine’s requirements into a working program.
From a tag to a device
Connect field inputs, internal conditions, and output commands. Read tag names and I/O addresses alongside the ladder to understand what each instruction controls.
Test the machine response
Check your work, restore the required energy sources deliberately, and test the machine. Follow the lesson’s operating and fault checks to prove the result.
Inside Level 10
More than a single rung.
The main routine calls the cell’s subroutines. Review the supplied sequence and pick-and-place logic, then complete the editable routines:
Mode_ControlStart, stop, and operating-mode requests.Process_ControlPump demand, fill permissives, and speed limits.DiagnosticsFault handling and first-out fault records.
HMI development
Build the screen
that runs the job.
HMI Studio lets you create the operator application. Place objects, connect PLC tags, configure their behavior, and test the relationship between a screen action and the control program.
Place the controls
Build the canvas with buttons, indicators, and numeric displays. Configure the objects the operator needs to see and use.
Connect the tags
Link the interface to the PLC’s requests and status values. Coordinate the HMI with the program’s handshake and alarm behavior.
Build seven displays
Level 10 expands the application across the production cell, including process control, drive status, and diagnostics.
Commissioning & process control
The program is
part of the system.
Learn how the drive settings, electrical connections, analog signals, and operator commands work together.
LEVEL 4 · VFD COMMISSIONING
Set up the drive. Control the speed.
Work with the simulated PowerFlex 525: motor data, command sources, acceleration and deceleration, limits, and the 0–10 V speed reference.
LEVEL 8 · ANALOG CONTROL
Turn a signal into a measurement.
Scale a 4–20 mA level signal, configure the control action and alarm thresholds, and diagnose a faulted transmitter.
Your learning path
10 levels.
A deeper job each time.
Start with two free foundation lessons. Continue with individual or company access to all ten. Each example below is captured from the actual lesson.
01Free foundation
Wire it. Read it. Run it.
Motor starter fundamentals
Start with the complete electrical job: isolation and verification, terminal-to-terminal control wiring, the supplied PLC program, and the pump response.
- Read the ladder and trace live I/O
- Connect the starter and prove the pump runs
02Free foundation
Follow the fault.
Conveyor troubleshooting
Diagnose a conveyor that will not start. Compare what the operator terminal reports with the PLC input and output states, then use the meter to investigate.
- Trace the control circuit and its permissives
- Use measurements to identify the failed component
03Full-access lesson
Your first program from requirements.
Automatic pump control
Build the automatic pump program using float switches, HAND/OFF/AUTO operating modes, and timed run feedback. Connect the program to the field wiring.
- Use contacts, coils, parallel branches, and a timer
- Check the logic against the pump’s operating requirements
04Full-access lesson
Make the drive match the motor.
VFD commissioning
Commission the simulated drive: wire its controls, enter motor and operating parameters, choose the command sources, and test speed control.
- Configure the motor, limits, and acceleration/deceleration
- Work with a 0–10 V speed reference
05Full-access lesson
Coordinate motion and permissives.
Pneumatic pick and place
Select and connect the pneumatic hardware, then work through the machine’s sequence. Account for air isolation, trapped energy, load support, and motion permissives.
- Connect valves, cylinders, and gripper functions
- Set the cycle order and required operating conditions
06Full-access lesson
Engineer the reject logic.
Inspection conveyor
Work from the job requirements: select the equipment, assign the I/O, wire the conveyor, and create the PLC program for inspection and rejection.
- Build your own ladder program from the specification
- Test the operator controls and machine response
07Full-access lesson
Turn a work order into logic.
180° indexing turret
Select the turret hardware and implement the indexing logic. Use the part, position, and operating-condition inputs to control the move and its stopping point.
- Program contacts, branches, and an output coil
- Verify an index cycle against the machine requirements
08Full-access lesson
From milliamps to a process value.
Analog process control
Wire the 4–20 mA loops, scale the level transmitter, and configure proportional control and alarms. Review the supplied supervisory routines and diagnose a transmitter fault.
- Scale the signal to engineering units
- Prove setpoint response, alarms, and fault behavior
09Full-access lesson
Build the operator’s view.
HMI development
Create the operator application in HMI Studio. Place the screen objects, bind tags, configure alarms, and test the interface with the PLC handshake.
- Connect operator controls and indicators to PLC tags
- Configure object properties and test the application
10Full-access lesson
Bring the whole system together.
Integrated production cell
Work across the PLC program, process equipment, drive status, and operator interface. Review the supplied sequences, complete three editable routines, and build seven HMI displays.
- Complete Mode_Control, Process_Control, and Diagnostics
- Coordinate the PLC logic, HMI requests, and machine response
A complete training job
Wire. Program.
Test. Troubleshoot.
These are structured machine lessons with requirements and completion checks. Some lessons supply the program for you to inspect; others ask you to write the logic or build the HMI application.
Controls Trainer connects programming to the wider job: equipment selection, I/O assignment, isolation, field wiring, commissioning, and machine testing.
Practice in the simulator.
Apply your employer’s procedures on real equipment. Simulated exercises and completion certificates supplement practical evaluation and authorization; they are not an OSHA certification or an electrical license.
What you need
- A modern web browser and internet connection.
- A desktop or laptop with a mouse is recommended for the wiring boards and editors.
- No physical PLC, trainer kit, or vendor programming software.
- Create and confirm your account to keep completion records and certificates.
Equipment context
The lessons model industrial components including Allen-Bradley ControlLogix-style controllers and I/O, PowerFlex drives, operator terminals, and pneumatic equipment. ControlsTrainer 5000 and HMI Studio are the site’s own training editors.
The platform is independent of the equipment manufacturers.
Before you start
A few practical
questions.
Explore more about ladder logic, troubleshooting, and the training program.
Can I write my own PLC program?
Yes. Levels 3, 6, and 7 ask you to develop logic from the machine requirements. The advanced lessons add HMI integration and structured routines. In Level 10, you complete Mode_Control, Process_Control, and Diagnostics while reviewing the supplied sequencing routines. Other lessons use supplied logic to support reading, commissioning, or troubleshooting.
Which levels are free?
Levels 1 and 2 are free to try without an account. Individual and company plans include access to all 10 levels. See the current plans.
Is this the same as vendor programming software?
No. ControlsTrainer 5000 and HMI Studio are browser-based training editors for these simulated machines. They are not Studio 5000, FactoryTalk View, or tools for downloading a program to a physical controller.
Does every lesson involve writing ladder logic?
No. The lessons deliberately cover different parts of the job: wiring and program reading, troubleshooting, writing logic, VFD commissioning, pneumatic sequencing, analog control, and HMI development. The level descriptions explain the focus of each.
Can I save progress and earn a certificate?
The lessons provide progress saving and resume features. Sign in with a confirmed account to keep your completion records and obtain a certificate after meeting a level’s requirements. Certificates record completion; they do not replace professional certification or workplace authorization.
Where is the beginner walkthrough?
The original motor-starter walkthrough is still here. It shows Level 1’s wiring, supplied program, and pump test.
Start with the fundamentals. Keep going.
Your next control panel
is already in your browser.
No account needed to try the free levels.
Independent training platform. Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, PowerFlex, PanelView, Guardmaster, RSLogix, and Studio 5000 Logix Designer are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. Fluke and Festo are trademarks of their respective owners. Names identify the equipment modeled in the lessons. Controls Trainer is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these manufacturers.