Panel wiring

Control panel wiring simulator: wire it, test it, power it up

The Panel Lab in EDWartens Lab is a control panel wiring simulator. You get a schematic and an empty backplate. You wire it terminal by terminal, test it with proper tools, and only then power it up. If a wire is wrong, the panel behaves wrongly, as a real one would.

Open the lab free See the whole lab

Free with a free EDWartens account. Runs in your browser. The lab is in beta.

Panel Lab inside view of the backplate, partly wired, with the isolator locked off with a padlock and a danger tag — Wiring the backplate in the Panel Lab

Wire from a real schematic

Each Panel Lab level gives you a schematic with wire numbers: a 24 V DC control circuit above and a 415 V power circuit below. You work on a 3D view of the backplate, with the isolator, breakers, contactor, overload relay, power supply, PLC and terminal strip in place, and connect conductors where the schedule says they go.

The practice follows IEC-style industrial work at 415 V and 50 Hz. Before you touch the panel you lock out and prove dead. Only after the wiring and the checks do you restore power and run the program on the PLC inside the panel.

Panel Lab schematic of the 24 V control circuit with wire numbers, and the 415 V power circuit starting below it — The schematic you wire from

Ten levels, from a starter to a packing cell

The ten levels build up. The first is a direct-on-line pump starter driven by a PLC. Later levels add a fault-finding job, a star-delta fan starter, a reversing conveyor with interlocks, a Hand/Off/Auto tank pump, PNP and NPN sensors, a variable frequency drive with safe torque off, a 4-20 mA level loop, a pneumatic pusher, and a capstone packing cell that brings it all together.

Each level ends in a factory acceptance test, and when you pass you can download a FAT report.

Panel Lab door view of the transfer-pump starter with the RUN lamp lit, start and stop buttons, E-stop and isolator — The panel door as the operator sees it

Why practise wiring in a simulator

Wiring mistakes in a real panel cost time, parts and sometimes safety. In the simulator a wrong terminal costs nothing but teaches the same lesson, and you can repeat it as often as you like. It does not replace hands-on work with real equipment, but it lets you arrive at a workshop already knowing the routine and the schematic.

Free, in your browser

The Panel Lab is free with a free EDWartens account and runs in the browser. It is best on a laptop or tablet. The lab is in beta.

How it works

Open Panel Lab level 1 and read the work order and the schematic.
Lock out the isolator and prove it dead before you start.
Wire the backplate terminal by terminal, then check your work with a multimeter.
Restore power, run the PLC program and operate the panel from its door.
Run the factory acceptance test and download the FAT report.

Labs to open for this

Commission the transfer-pump starterPanel Lab · Commissioning
Fault-find the outfeed conveyor starterPanel Lab · Fault-finding
Commission the overhead tank pump (Hand/Off/Auto)Panel Lab · Commissioning
Commission the packing cell (capstone)Panel Lab · Commissioning

Browse all labs (free account needed to open them).

Questions people ask

Is there a free electrical wiring simulator for control panels?

Yes. The Panel Lab in EDWartens Lab is a free control panel wiring simulator. You wire a 415 V panel from a schematic, test it with a multimeter and other tools, and run it. A free EDWartens account is needed.

Can I learn panel wiring online?

You can learn the schematic reading, the wiring order, the isolation routine and the testing online. Hands-on skills with real tools and terminals still need practice on real equipment, which a simulator prepares you for.

Does the wiring simulator follow real standards?

It follows IEC-style industrial practice at 415 V and 50 Hz, with lockout, proving dead and wire numbering. It is a training simulation, not a substitute for the regulations and procedures that apply on your site.

What happens if I wire something wrongly?

The panel behaves as the wiring says it should: a motor may not start or a lamp may stay dark. You find the cause with the test tools, which is the skill the level is designed to teach.