Live Online - Troubleshooting Rockwell PLCs Course

Course Overview (Live Online)

Next public class: March 1-3, 2027 (Mon-Wed), $795 per person. See the course schedule.

Length: 3 days, about 15 hours of live instruction

Class times: 9:00-11:30 am and 12:30-3:00 pm Mountain time (10:00-12:30 and 1:30-4:00 Central) each day, with the instructor staying on after class for questions.

Format: live, instructor-led demonstrations on a real Rockwell PLC training station, plus simulation-based practice. A hands-on trainer can be rented (see below), but it is not required.

Prerequisites: basic electrical fundamentals (BELTS or equivalent) are recommended. This is a troubleshooting course, not a programming course.

Summary Description: This course teaches maintenance technicians how a PLC system connects to the real world, and how to find and fix the problems that typically stop a machine or process. Students watch field devices wired to a live PLC, follow the logic online, and practise finding faults with a logical, systematic method.

What students learn

• How real-world digital and analog I/O devices are wired to a PLC, and how to troubleshoot typical wiring and device problems
• Sinking and sourcing devices: photo-eyes, proximity switches, switches and lamps
• Reading and interpreting basic ladder logic and basic function block diagram (FBD) logic
• How a normally open or normally closed device shows up in the logic (XIC and XIO instructions and status bits)
• Going online with Studio 5000, monitoring tags, and following logic to find a fault
• Basic maintenance functions such as forces, minor edits, and uploading and downloading existing programs
• The hazards and risks of working on a live PLC system, and safe practices for connecting to one
• A logical, systematic troubleshooting method applied to PLC-controlled systems

Simulators and Learning Portal (30 days included)

Every student gets 30 days of access to our online learning portal and simulators, included with registration. The simulators let students build and test simple ladder logic and troubleshoot PLC inputs and outputs without any hardware.

• Course session recordings for review
• Interactive troubleshooting simulations with built-in mentoring and guidance
• Step-by-step tutorials and practice questions
• Troubleshooting aids, forms and checklists

Portal and simulator subscriptions can be renewed for a small fee.

Optional Hands-On PLC Trainer Rental

For students or teams who want real hardware on their own bench, we rent our PLC training stations, shipped to your location. Availability is limited, so please call or email before booking.

• ControlLogix PLC Training Station: $1,495 for 14 days, $4,000 refundable deposit. Needs Studio 5000 Logix Designer Lite Edition or higher, plus RSLinx Classic.
• CompactLogix PLC Training Station (lower cost): $995 for 14 days, $2,000 refundable deposit. Needs Studio 5000 Logix Designer Mini Edition or higher, plus RSLinx Classic.
• Renters use their own Rockwell software licence. We confirm the controller firmware version with you before the station ships, so your Studio 5000 version can go online with it.
• The stations can also be purchased: ControlLogix $12,000, CompactLogix $6,000.

Details on our hands-on options page.

Who should attend

Maintenance technicians, electricians, instrument technicians and anyone who supports PLC-controlled equipment and needs to diagnose problems quickly and safely. The in-person version is also offered: see Troubleshooting Rockwell PLCs (in person).

Each student attending receives a certificate of completion.

Questions, or training several people from one team? Email [email protected] or call/text Mike at (208) 715-1590.