# PLC Online Class



## John Valdes

Your best bet for PLC training is through the manufacturers. Not all PLC's are the same. So you want to train on the PLC brand you plan to use. Do you have a job where there are PLC's used? If so, contact the vendor for that PLC manufacturer and get FREE training. If you are a student, ask your instructor.

I am sorry I have no link to any PLC training. But if you pull up any PLC manufacturers, they usually have classes planed in advance that you can attend.


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## ricoreece1

I was looking into getting certified with PLC's through George Brown College. I want to start out with a program (36 week course) that has hydraulics and pneumatics troubleshooting in it and learn PLC after. I'm already a jman electrician. Just aiming for a industrial maintenance job. Do you think it would be easy to find one after this kind of certification?

http://coned.georgebrown.ca/owa_prod/cewskcrss.P_Certificate?area_code=PA0029&cert_code=CE0184


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## John Valdes

Formal training is almost always a plus, especially in this economy. Factories have been hit hard as have new construction. Most every facility I have worked in around these parts is still going strong. One was for an oil company so they don't really count. Get the certification and then shop your talents. That is the only way to know.


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## arj3090

*Online training videos*

It's not a full course, but here is a great start:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlsJxSK8tPE

You may want to call Ron and talk to him. He'll give you straight talk about PLC training and what you want to achieve.


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## jjones734

I am a George Brown College Alumni, and I would recommend that program to you. It is based on the Allen Bradley SLC500 system and it is very well developed. I now teach Electrical & Automation Engineering at a college in Iowa. And I have adopted the LogicDesign curriculum that George Brown uses in my program as well.


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## jjones734

John Valdes said:


> Your best bet for PLC training is through the manufacturers. Not all PLC's are the same. So you want to train on the PLC brand you plan to use. Do you have a job where there are PLC's used? If so, contact the vendor for that PLC manufacturer and get FREE training. If you are a student, ask your instructor.
> 
> I am sorry I have no link to any PLC training. But if you pull up any PLC manufacturers, they usually have classes planed in advance that you can attend.


 
I would say it is not as important to know individual PLC manufacturer system, as it is to be training in the areas of Digital Logic, Ladder Logic, Function Block, and Sequential text programming, Visual Studio programming languages. ALL PLC manufacturers use one or all of these types of programming.

This will teach you the "program language/science" behind each manufacturers proprietary programming software. Once you have these languages down then you are capable of programming on any manufacturer equipment. 

If I were to pick one area, is if you are coming from an electrician's background then ladder logic will be the easiest for you to learn, but the other languages are equally as important depending on how advanced a programmer you wish to be.


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## septiclecky

Do any manufactuers not have free training software online?


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## jjones734

septiclecky said:


> Do any manufactuers not have free training software online?


 
My recommendation...

Purchase LogixPro 500 and then go to http://thelearningpit.com I don't believe that there are many manufacturers that have free training. but on this website there are dozens of lessons to get you started with PLC Programming all without having to own a PLC. LogixPRO 500 will cost you $35.00


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## Chryse

I took a PLC class while in college. They provided the book , and in the back of the book was a simulation disk. That simulation disk is about the best friend I had going through PLCs. I will say this much. If you have taken a motor controls class, then PLC ladderlogic is just the opposite of motor controls ladder logic.


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## JayH

http://www.plcs.net/


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## 5volts

JayH said:


> http://www.plcs.net/


JayH excellent recommendation. I am a member of this forum and this is where I go when I hit the wall. (forum)

Buy a PLC on ebay and get hands on for yourself. For example heres one for 150.00. 
*GE SERIES 90 PLC ( WITH SOFTWARE, CABLE & MANUALS ) *

You can't beat hands. Hook up a 120 v input and a 120 v output and you are proramming.


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## PLCMentor.com

Since you want a formal certification, our classes wont help you there. I have tended to focus on what is necessary to be able to program and use PLC's - no fluff just the meat. I have to disagree with the comment on taking a generic class. Yes PLC's are similar, but different. To someone new to PLC's, a course that focuses on a specific PLC will be much more useful. You will never come across a generic PLC in the field. Many of the college courses tend to teach this way and few of those instructors have ever had to get a system running with the plant manager standing behind them looking at his watch. PLC's have their similarities, but it is better to learn one specific type and be able to take that knowledge to the next type you come across. It generally takes getting familiar with about 3 different brands before you feel comfortable going into a new type without help. If you are going to go somewhere and sit down for a week to learn what you can, then check out Ron's course someone posted above. I have spent a fair amount of time on the phone with Ron and he understands getting PLC's into peoples heads. If you are going to go online to learn, find something that requires you get a real PLC, real programming software and makes you struggle with real world problems. Understand - you will not learn PLC's in a week. You may get a start (or you may forget it in the next week). Automation in general is learned over years of practice with a good mentor. After 20+ years I'm still learning (I dont know maybe I'm slow). Finally pick a PLC brand/type that is popular so you at least have a chance of ever seeing one in the work environment. That means AB in the US or Seimens in Europe. It may be different in your area. Find that out before you take the course.


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## RIVETER

PLC training is a very big plus. I use them but I know my limitations.


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## seldridge

i had a plc class last semester and we worked mostly with allen bradley micrologix 1500 but a little with koyo click. koyo is alot cheaper but allen bradley is alot easier to work with. i wouldnt take an online class though.


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## RIVETER

seldridge said:


> i had a plc class last semester and we worked mostly with allen bradley micrologix 1500 but a little with koyo click. koyo is alot cheaper but allen bradley is alot easier to work with. i wouldnt take an online class though.


I would be willing to take an on-line class. I can use the PLCs as a troublshooting tool but am not really proficient at programming. It is never too late to learn...MORE.


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## hughjack

I have posted a book that I use for teaching my PLC class. It uses Allen Bradley PLCs, but the concepts are portable to other brands.

http://engineeronadisk.com/V2/engineeronadisk.html


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## Seth

Im going into the 3rd semester of my PLC class. The tests are online, but I go one day a week to lab and we program and go over material. 
Without the hands-on experience that Im receiving I dont think I would have ever "got" the concept. I highly suggest getting your feet wet on PLCs by the hands-on approach. And before you decide on a class, watch some of the youtube videos they will get you familiar with programming so your not going into it completely blind anyways.

Good luck.


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## hughjack

I couldn't agree more. If you can't get your hands on actual hardware you could always try some of the simulators out there.

http://www.tri-plc.com/trilogi.htm
http://www.plcsimulator.net/
http://www.thelearningpit.com/plc/psim/psim.html
http://www.taskscript.com/home


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## bin95

hughjack said:


> I couldn't agree more. If you can't get your hands on actual hardware you could always try some of the simulators out there.


As an electrician, one thing not emphasized enough here is your primary job will be troubleshooting using PLCs, there is only one simulator to recommend for this...
http://bin95.com/Troubleshooting-PLC-Controls-Simulator.htm

It allows you to gain years of troubleshooting with PLCs experience, in just days.:thumbsup:


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## Wirenuting

plcprogrammer said:


> plc-university.com is the good at online trainings i advise it.


An 11 year old thread????
You’ve done well grasshopper. 


Welcome to ET
Please take the time to fill out your profile.


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## pjones

Wirenuting said:


> An 11 year old thread????
> You’ve done well grasshopper.
> 
> 
> Welcome to ET
> Please take the time to fill out your profile.



Maybe the OP is still looking for the right class? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wirenuting

pjones said:


> Maybe the OP is still looking for the right class?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Maybe the OP is now the new guy selling his own course?


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