PLC Training Courses

[dav555]

Hello,

Im looking to train myself up in PLC's and VFD drives - add another string to the bow as it were. We use them at the company i work for. Mitsubishi FX3U and upgrading to Siemans 1200.

I hear Siemans offer excellent courses, i was looking at the TIA-SERV.

Also is there any recommendations on laptop/tablet for working on PLC's?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

D

 

[Mas01]

Also is there any recommendations on laptop/tablet for working on PLC's?

Hi & Welcome

When you say 'laptop' are you on about one for hosting TIA Portal for doing the coding/development? If so, mine is just a bog standard HP EliteBook, Nothing special.

Can't help you with a course suggestion - all my TIA Portal learning has been self-taught, a real baptism of fire. I used on-line videos and getting answers from really helpful people on here.

 

[dav555]

Mas01

Thanks, and yes once for programming, fault-finding, diagnosing etc. It must be able to run software software for siemans, Mitsubishi etc. id prefer an tablet solely for ease of carrying around etc.

I notice siemans do a few online courses, il start with that...

Many thanks

D

 

[durallymax]

Mas01

Thanks, and yes once for programming, fault-finding, diagnosing etc. It must be able to run software software for siemans, Mitsubishi etc. id prefer an tablet solely for ease of carrying around etc.

I notice siemans do a few online courses, il start with that...

Many thanks

D

Most PLC software is limited to Windows which limits you to tablet PCs. These generally are not well equipped for the PLC environment.

There are several good YouTube resources for TIAPortal. Liam Bee is a starting point off the top of my head, many more with a few searches.

 

[joseph_e2]

With the hardware requirements of running these different software packages, I think you'll have a disappointing experience with a tablet. Especially after a time when you find that you need different incompatible software programs at the same time. It will also be nice to have a built in Ethernet card or at least USB ports enough to add one.

I feel like a broken record here, but I've had enough trouble with software packages interfering with each other (and crashing) that I strongly recommend virtualization. Which means a PC with a large SSD and lots of RAM.
I can't speak to classes from Siemens covering Portal. We did get their 2 lower level classes on Simatic Manager for our maintenance folks but that was in person and expensive. There weren't a lot of other options available to us at the time. I've been away from Portal for 4 years now but all I knew was self taught, which, as Mas01 said, was a real baptism of fire. Even with a bunch of experience in Simatic Manager.