Course · 14 lessons · 11-exercise simulator

Industrial IoT & Industrial Networks

Every network the devices in a plant speak, from the cable and the IP address to the dashboard on your phone: Modbus, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, CAN, DeviceNet, OPC UA and MQTT, then a layered method to find the fault in any of them.

Start course →Open the simulator

The first lesson is free; the simulator opens with the course

Taught entirely in English: every lesson, the simulator and the final exam. Frames, codes and tool names are exactly those you will meet on real networks.

Data path from the PLC to the gateway, the MQTT broker and the dashboard
PLC → gateway → MQTT broker → dashboard: the path you build yourself in the simulator.
Contents

14 lessons in order, each followed by a simulator exercise

Numbers, codes and frames follow the official specifications. Every lesson has a quiz; the last one has the final exam.

  1. What are IIoT and industrial networks?Free
    • The plant talks, but in different languages
    • Three families of networks
    • What does a maintenance technician need to know?
    • Terms you will meet again
    • The course map on the simulator
    • SimulatorOpen the simulator and simply get to know…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  2. Ethernet basics: IP, subnet and switch
    • Cable, port and LEDs
    • MAC address and IP address
    • Static or DHCP?
    • The four common faults
    • Your first tools: ping and arp
    • SimulatorSet your laptop's address manually on the same…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  3. RS-485 and Modbus RTU
    • Why RS-485?
    • Wiring it correctly
    • Serial port settings
    • Registers and function codes
    • The frame on the wire
    • Example: reading and controlling a drive
    • SimulatorSet the master's port to match the drive,…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  4. Modbus TCP
    • The same idea, over Ethernet
    • The MBAP header
    • Reading a PLC from a laptop
    • Performance and limitations
    • The Modbus TCP ⇄ RTU gateway
    • SimulatorConnect to the PLC on port 502…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  5. PROFIBUS DP
    • What is PROFIBUS DP?
    • Connector, cable and termination
    • Addressing and the GSD file
    • LEDs and diagnostics
    • Reasoning through a PROFIBUS fault
    • SimulatorSet the addresses of the four stations to…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  6. PROFINET
    • From PROFIBUS to PROFINET
    • Name first, then IP
    • Topology and switches
    • LEDs and diagnostics
    • Common PROFINET faults
    • SimulatorSet each device's name to match the project,…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  7. CAN bus, CANopen and DeviceNet
    • How does CAN work?
    • Length, speed and termination
    • CANopen: identifiers and objects
    • DeviceNet: the key difference
    • Reasoning through a CAN fault
    • SimulatorWatch arbitration between two messages…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  8. EtherNet/IP, AS-i, IO-Link and HART
    • EtherNet/IP and CIP
    • AS-Interface: the yellow cable
    • IO-Link: the smart sensor
    • HART: digital over 4-20 mA
    • The master comparison table
    • QuizLesson quiz
  9. OPC UA
    • Why OPC UA?
    • Address space and NodeId
    • Subscriptions instead of polling
    • Security: certificates and policies
    • OPC UA on the S7-1500, step by step
    • SimulatorBrowse the server tree down to the production-line…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  10. MQTT
    • Publish and subscribe
    • Topics and wildcards
    • QoS, Retain and Last Will
    • Sparkplug B: MQTT with structure
    • Practical examples
    • SimulatorPublish sensor readings, subscribe with wildcards…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  11. The gateway: from the PLC to the cloud
    • What is a gateway…
    • A typical Node-RED flow
    • Buffering and offline operation
    • Gateway security
    • SimulatorIn the Gateway tab…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  12. Dashboards, trends and alarms
    • From message to chart
    • Good alarms and bad alarms
    • OEE: the number a manager understands
    • Designing a dashboard that does not confuse
    • SimulatorIn the Dashboard tab…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  13. Predictive maintenance
    • Three kinds of maintenance
    • What do you measure?
    • From measurement to decision
    • Example: the cooling pump
    • SimulatorIn the Dashboard tab…
    • QuizLesson quiz
  14. Network troubleshooting, a production-line project and the final exam
    • The troubleshooting method: bottom up
    • The troubleshooting toolkit
    • Ten cases you will encounter
    • The complete line project
    • SimulatorIn the Faults tab, start the project…
    • QuizLesson quiz
    • ExamFinal exam
Start the IIoT course →

The course in numbers

16industrial networks and protocols
11interactive exercises in the network simulator
8real faults in the filling-line project
12final-exam questions and a certificate
IIoT

What you'll learn

  • Set IP addresses and subnets, understand switches and VLANs, and why ping works while the protocol fails
  • Send a Modbus RTU request byte by byte with its CRC, and read a VFD and an energy meter on a correctly terminated RS-485 bus
  • Read and write Modbus TCP from a PLC, with the MBAP header and exception codes
  • Fix PROFIBUS addresses and GSD files, and name a new PROFINET device with DCP
  • Understand CAN arbitration and tell CANopen, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT apart
  • Know AS-i, IO-Link and HART and when each one fits
  • Connect to an OPC UA server with a certificate, and publish/subscribe on an MQTT broker with QoS, Retain and Last Will
  • Build a Node-RED gateway from the PLC to the cloud, and a dashboard with alarms that don't cry wolf, plus OEE
  • Read a vibration trend and predict a bearing failure before it happens
  • Troubleshoot any industrial network layer by layer with Wireshark, PRONETA and an ohmmeter
Simulator

Industrial network simulator: 11 exercises

Each exercise belongs to a lesson and counts toward your progress.

  1. IP addresses
    Four devices, one duplicate address and one on another subnet: fix them and ping
  2. Modbus RTU
    Termination, baud and parity; request and response in bytes with CRC and exception codes
  3. Modbus TCP
    Read the temperature and write a setpoint in a PLC, and see the MBAP header
  4. PROFIBUS DP
    Dial addresses, GSD files and termination at both ends
  5. PROFINET
    A replaced device lost its name: assign it with DCP and check PRONETA
  6. CAN bus
    Three nodes transmit at once: who wins? Measure the 60 Ω termination
  7. OPC UA
    Certificate and security policy, browse, read and subscribe
  8. MQTT
    Publish and subscribe with + and #, Retain and Last Will
  9. Node-RED gateway
    Wire Modbus → Function → MQTT and get correct JSON out
  10. Dashboard
    Alarm with limit, delay and hysteresis, OEE, and predict when vibration crosses the ISO limit
  11. Filling-line project
    Three hidden faults out of 8 in different layers: find them with the right tool and fix them
Who it's for

Who this course is for

  • Maintenance engineers and technicians who meet Modbus, PROFIBUS and PROFINET cables every day
  • PLC programmers who want to connect the machine to the cloud
  • IT engineers moving into plants who need to understand OT
  • After the PLC course; no networking background needed
FAQ

Before you ask

Do I need hardware or software?
No. Every exercise runs in the simulator in your browser. You'll also learn which free tools to install for real networks (Wireshark, PRONETA, MQTT Explorer, UaExpert).
Which networks exactly?
TCP/IP, RS-485, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, PROFIBUS DP, PROFINET, CAN, CANopen, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, AS-i, IO-Link, HART, OPC UA, MQTT and a Node-RED gateway.
Do I need an account?
The first lesson is free. The other lessons, the simulator and the certificate open when you buy the course, and your progress is saved to your account.
Is there a certificate?
Yes, a LearnElectricals completion certificate once you finish the lessons and exercises and pass the final exam with 80%.

Ready to connect the machine to the cloud?

The first lesson is free; the whole course with its simulator opens when you buy it. Start now and continue at your own pace; your progress is saved.

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