online programs

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tonyou812

Senior Member
Location
North New Jersey
I am thinking about taking an online course for PLC's and I am just wondering if anyone has any experiance with them. The one I am looking at right now is given by George Brown College. Its not cheap, about 1600 bucks and I was wondering if it is worth the investment.
 

Hunter J

Member
tonyou812,

I have never taken an online course for a PLC but I think you would be ahead of the game if you spent your money on some real hardware and software.
Depending on the type of PLC that are common in your area or if you know the brands you may be working on it would be worth while to purchase a trainer with that brand.
Here is a link to a company that sells trainers. I don't work for this company but the owner is very helpful over at plcs.net.

http://www.plctrainer.net/

Hope this helps.
 
Location
SC, USA
I am thinking about taking an online course for PLC's and I am just wondering if anyone has any experiance with them. The one I am looking at right now is given by George Brown College. Its not cheap, about 1600 bucks and I was wondering if it is worth the investment.

Hello,
I would think that 1600 could be spent a little better, thats a LOT of money... and you should get a lot in return, I have often thought of the 'on-line' courses myself (not just PLC's) but I am concerned that a lot of companies don't recognize them as credited classes

In my opinion (take it for what its worth... nothing) education is education and any that you can get is better then nothing

Depending on the brand of PLC you are thinking of getting, our company and many others have lessons... if you want to go cheap, buy a used PLC and cable and do some self teaching, forums like Holts' and plcs.net can help you a TON what the programming side

You can also find free software for just about every PLC that is made, what brand were you considering?

((disclaimer)) I am the owner of the site www.plctrainer.net

----------------

Hunter J,
Thank you for the kind words and recommendation :)
 

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
I learned mostly by messing around with junk PLC pieces and parts in the shop during down time, or messing around with machines on 3rd shift that weren't running production. I did take a couple classes here and there from vendors, but I think my preliminary self-education let me absorb more of what was taught in the classes.
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
I learned PLC's as part of my state mandated education to get licensed here in New England. PLC's are part of the mandate curriculum, though it varies on how much of it actually gets taught depending on the school you attend. Fortunately I went to a school where entire labs were dedicated to PLC's so I got some good experience.

I was surprised to learn that PLC's in their simplest form really aren't that complicated. Sure, they can do very complicated things, but it's all based on simple principles.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
I learned mostly by messing around with junk PLC pieces and parts in the shop during down time, or messing around with machines on 3rd shift that weren't running production. I did take a couple classes here and there from vendors, but I think my preliminary self-education let me absorb more of what was taught in the classes.
I agree. Personal hands on experience and product specific vendors' classes are probably the way to go.
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
The local AB distributor has some free classes on occasion that they put on. I bought a small AB plc with the starter package software, made a trainer that now includes a small HMI and as others have said just played with it. I do not expect to be working with high speed robotics and mfg, but have managed a few nice jobs that made the brain work overtime.
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
Around here you can get a top quality hands on class from a PLC mfg for $500 a day. From the distrbutor its $300 a day, still hands on.

I would recommend purchasing an AB micrologix PLC, try e-bay, for the 6 in 4 out version there is a free RS Logix starter package available,

Then purchase AB MicroMentor book, $21. Its very good to get you started if you work thru the examples.

I have done PLC programming for 20 years and on line is not as good as hands on.
However, there is a good program you can install that I have used, but you need to follow up with hands on, google for Koldwater Technologies.
 
Location
SC, USA
...I would recommend purchasing an AB micrologix PLC, try e-bay, for the 6 in 4 out version there is a free RS Logix starter package available,...

See this link.. I wrote a procedure on plcs.net and mrplc.com

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=33740

This is the software that is used with the small trainers I build, its free and does not have very many limitations besides you are limited to a MicroLogix 1000 10point any 1761-L10xxx, you need a series f or later (the E series will not work)

Its a good way to keep sharp or learn the basics

Mark
 
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