A free virtual PLC lab and panel wiring simulator
Practise PLC programming in ladder, Structured Text and SFC, and control panel wiring with real test tools, inside a 3D factory. Free, in your browser.
- Free with an EDWartens account
- Runs in your browser
- Ladder, ST and SFC
- 415 V IEC panels
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Program it in the PLC lab. Wire it in the Panel Lab.
One free PLC simulator online and one control panel wiring simulator, in the same workspace and the same 3D factory.
A PLC lab online for ladder logic
- A ladder logic simulator with Structured Text and SFC in one studio
- A plant that responds: sensors, motors, tanks, lamps
- Tested automatically, test by test, like a real FAT
- Motor start/stop with overload
- Forward/reverse conveyor
- Star-delta fan starter
- Batch counter on a packing line
- Tank filling pump
- Pedestrian crossing
- Parcel sorter
- Duty and standby pumps
Electrical panel wiring practice
- Lock out, wire the backplate from the schematic, then power up
- Test with a multimeter, tester, clamp meter and insulation tester
- 1 fault-finding level: find the hidden fault and repair it under lockout
- L1Commission the transfer-pump starter
- L2Fault-find the outfeed conveyor starterfault-finding
- L3Commission the star-delta fan starter
- L4Commission the reversing conveyor starter
- L5Commission the overhead tank pump (Hand/Off/Auto)
- L6Commission the sorting station sensors
- L7Commission the variable-speed infeed conveyor drive
- L8Commission the 4-20 mA level loop
- L9Commission the pneumatic pusher station
- L10Commission the packing cell (capstone)
A whole 3D factory to commission
Every job opens in a 3D factory hall. Walk round the machine, open the cabinet, press the buttons.
Parcel sorterPLC lab · Intermediate Batch counter on a packing linePLC lab · Foundation Tank filling pumpPLC lab · Foundation Pedestrian crossingPLC lab · Intermediate Commission the transfer-pump starterPanel Lab · Commissioning Commission the star-delta fan starterPanel Lab · Commissioning Commission the variable-speed infeed conveyor drivePanel Lab · Commissioning Commission the packing cell (capstone)Panel Lab · Commissioning
Open the door. Wire the panel.
From the closed door to the backplate and the schematic: practise reading, wiring and testing a real-style control panel, in order.
- 01
The door
Start and stop buttons, run and trip lamps, an E-stop and the main isolator, all working.
- 02
Open it
Isolate first. The door swings open on the backplate and the live parts behind it.
- 03
Inside
Isolator, MCBs, contactor, overload, power supply, PLC and terminal strip, laid out following IEC 60204-1 practice.
- 04
Wire the backplate
Wire terminal to terminal. The isolator is locked off with a padlock and a danger tag.
- 05
Follow the schematic
The 24 V control circuit with wire numbers, and the 415 V power circuit below it.
- 06
The door controls in 2D
The panel as the operator sees it, with the RUN lamp lit once you power up and start.
Use the multimeter and the tools you will use on site
Every reading comes from the circuit you wired, so a wrong connection shows up the way it would in a real panel.
Multimeter
Volts, resistance, continuity and diodes. Check the dial and the jacks first.
Two-pole tester
The safe way to prove dead. An LED ladder, tested on the proving unit first.
Proving unit
A known voltage to touch before and after a dead test.
Clamp meter
Reads current round one conductor. A whole cable reads about zero.
Insulation tester
500 V or 1000 V, only on a locked-out, proven-dead panel.
Phase rotation indicator
Clockwise or anticlockwise, before you connect a motor.
The whole kit
Everything in one roll, including VDE screwdrivers (1000 V insulated drivers, matched to the screw and the torque) and a lockout kit (padlock, hasp and danger tag: your lock, your tag, your key).
- Real readings
Every reading comes from the circuit you wired
Tools open in floating windows over the panel. Drag a probe onto a terminal and the meter reads what that terminal would read in a real panel, so a wrong connection shows up as a wrong number.
Safe isolation, every time
The lab teaches the routine before the wiring: lock out, prove dead with live-dead-live, then work.
- 01Lock outIsolate, fit your lock and your tag.
- 02Prove deadLive, dead, live with the two-pole tester and the proving unit.
- 03WireTerminal to terminal. A wrong wire behaves wrongly.
- 04CommissionRestore power, take readings, run the program.
- 05Fault-findA hidden fault. Find it with the meter, repair it under lockout.
- 1 Prove the tester
- 2 Test the panel
- 3 Prove it again
Program it your way
Write in the three IEC 61131-3 languages most used on site. The lab's own PLC engine uses familiar Siemens-style addressing, so the skills carry over.
- 01Motor start/stop with overloadFoundation
- 02Forward/reverse conveyorFoundation
- 03Star-delta fan starterFoundation
- 04Batch counter on a packing lineFoundation
- 05Tank filling pumpFoundation
- 06Pedestrian crossingIntermediate
- 07Parcel sorterIntermediate
- 08Duty and standby pumpsIntermediate
Pass the FAT. Keep the report.
Every job ends with a numbered factory acceptance test that runs automatically against your program and your wiring. Pass it and download your FAT report to keep. Want a second pair of eyes? A Wartens engineer can review it (optional, paid).
Your lab, in your browser, on any screen
Nothing to install. Works offline once loaded. Best on a laptop; the ladder editor also works on a phone.
Set the work. See the result.
Assign lab work to a class
Assign machines and levels with due dates and see who has passed the FAT, without buying a single trainer kit.
For universitiesAssess candidates with a code
Set an assessment candidates open with a code, with a time limit and an attempt limit. You see their FAT result, the time taken and their program.
For employersLearn free. Practise free.
Learn, practise and prove it, all free to start.
- 1 Learn
Free PLC training
Free PLC video lessons and courses on edwartens.com, with a certificate you can choose to buy.
Start free PLC training - 2 Practise
EDWartens Lab
You are here. A free virtual PLC lab and panel wiring simulator.
Open the lab free - 3 Prove it
Free PLC Programming Internship
Free to join. It is not employment and there is no stipend. Optional paid documents are verified online.
See the internship
Good to know
Is there a free PLC simulator online?
Yes. EDWartens Lab is a free online PLC simulator and virtual PLC lab that runs in your browser. Write ladder, Structured Text or SFC, run it against a simulated machine, and pass an automatic acceptance test. You need a free EDWartens account. Nothing is installed.
Can I practise ladder logic online?
Yes. The lab has a ladder editor that runs live beside a simulated plant. Energised rungs turn green as the program scans, so you see why a rung is true or false. The same jobs can be written in Structured Text or SFC.
How can I learn PLC programming without hardware?
Use a simulator that gives you real jobs. In the lab you read a client brief, write the program, watch a simulated machine respond and run a numbered acceptance test. It needs no PLC, no vendor software and no install, and it prepares you for real equipment.
Is there a Structured Text or SFC simulator?
Yes. The lab runs Structured Text and Sequential Function Chart as well as ladder, the IEC 61131-3 languages, in one studio. Whichever you choose, the same numbered acceptance tests judge the program on the same simulated machine.
Is there an electrical wiring simulator for control panels?
Yes. The Panel Lab is a control panel wiring simulator. You wire a 415 V panel terminal by terminal from the schematic, test it with a multimeter and other tools, then power it up. A wrong wire behaves wrongly, as it would in a real panel.
Can I practise using a multimeter and fault finding online?
Yes. The lab's multimeter reads volts, resistance, continuity and diodes from the circuit you wired. One Panel Lab level hides a fault in a conveyor starter, drawn from eight, so you have to lock out, prove dead and measure to find it.
Can I practise DOL, star-delta and reversing starters?
Yes. Each starter is a PLC program and a wired panel. The PLC lab has start/stop, star-delta and forward/reverse jobs, and the Panel Lab has a DOL pump starter, a star-delta fan and a reversing conveyor with interlocks.
Do I need TIA Portal, Studio 5000 or a real PLC?
No. The lab has its own PLC engine and studio with familiar, Siemens-style addressing, so the skills carry over to the brands you meet at work. Nothing to install and no hardware to buy.
Which PLC languages can I use?
Ladder, Structured Text and Sequential Function Chart (SFC), the IEC 61131-3 languages, in the same studio. Your program is tested against the same numbered acceptance tests whichever language you write.
What test tools are in the lab?
8 tools: multimeter, two-pole tester, proving unit, clamp meter, insulation tester, phase rotation indicator, vde screwdrivers, lockout kit. Every reading comes from the circuit you wired.
Is it safe to practise live testing here?
It is a simulation, so nothing you wire or test here can hurt you. It teaches the real routine, though: lock out, prove the tester, test dead, prove the tester again (live-dead-live), then work.
Can I use it on a phone, Mac or Windows PC?
Yes. It runs in a browser on Windows, Mac and Linux computers and on phones. The ladder editor works on a phone, but a laptop gives the best view of the 3D factory hall and the panel.
Is the lab really free?
Yes. Opening the lab, wiring the panels, programming the machines and passing the FAT are free with a free EDWartens account. Only optional extras, such as an engineer review of your FAT report, are paid. The lab is in beta.
Can teachers assign it to a class?
Yes. Universities and trainers can assign machines and levels with due dates and see who has passed the FAT, without buying trainer kits.
Can I show my results to an employer?
Yes. When you pass, you can download your FAT report. Employers can also set an assessment that candidates open with a code, with a time limit and an attempt limit, and see the FAT result, the time taken and the program.