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The PLC Lab Manual That Grades Itself

12 complete labs — from a first graded rung to a traffic-light capstone — each with an objective, a numbered procedure, and auto-graded pass criteria. Every lab runs in the browser on a free account. No trainer kits, no software installs, no marking pile.

2026 edition · Last updated 10 July 2026 · Instructors may print, copy and distribute this lab manual for classroom use.

Run Lab 1 freeInstructor pack

The short answer

What should a PLC lab manual cover?

A PLC lab manual should progress from digital I/O basics (contacts and coils) through AND/OR logic, normally-closed stop circuits, latching and seal-in, on-delay timers and counters, to an integrated capstone — with each lab stating an objective, a numbered procedure, and explicit pass criteria a student can verify.

That is exactly what this manual is. The 12 labs below follow that arc one-to-one, and every lab maps to a free, auto-graded scenario in our browser simulator — so the “expected result” section of each lab is not a paragraph the student compares by eye, it is a set of test cases the platform runs against their program. Each lab is also a real industrial pattern rather than an abstract exercise: two-hand interlocks, dual start stations, the 3-wire motor seal-in, conveyor batching, a traffic-light sequencer. If you are searching for PLC real-world examples to structure a course around, that is what these are.

The manual is written for instructors at colleges, universities and training centres, but it works equally well for self-guided learners — every procedure step is addressed to the student. It complements, rather than replaces, hardware time: see our honest comparison of PLC training equipment options and why many programmes now run a simulator instead of trainer kits for the programming module, keeping a smaller bench for wiring and commissioning.

“A lab manual is only as good as its answer key. Ours is executable — the grader checks every student's program against the same pass criteria printed on the page.”
— Paul, creator of plcsimulationsoftware.com

Course planning

How to use this manual in a course

The labs are sequenced so each one uses only concepts from earlier labs, with two deliberate difficulty walls — the SET/RESET latch pair (Lab 7) and the motor practical (Lab 11) — placed where our grading data says students need the most time. A one-lab-per-week pace fits a standard 13-week semester with room for orientation and a two-week capstone:

WeekSessionGraded deliverable
1Orientation: accounts, simulator tour, the scan cycle — then Lab 1 in the same sessionLab 1 passed (2 test cases)
2Lab 2 — AND logic and interlocksLab 2 passed (3 test cases)
3Lab 3 — OR logic and parallel branchesLab 3 passed (3 test cases)
4Lab 4 — NC contacts and stop circuitsLab 4 passed (2 test cases)
5Lab 5 — start/stop without a latch (designed failure + discussion)Lab 5 passed (3 test cases)
6Lab 6 — the SET latchLab 6 passed (2 test cases)
7Lab 7 — SET/RESET latch pair (hardest concept week — budget the full session)Lab 7 passed (3 test cases)
8Lab 8 — TON on-delay timers and function blocksLab 8 passed (3 test cases)
9Lab 9 — conveyor stop delay (latch + timer integration)Lab 9 passed (3 test cases)
10Lab 10 — CTU counters and the carton-fill patternLab 10 passed (4 test cases)
11Lab 11 — motor starter with faults (practical exam, double period)Lab 11 passed (5 test cases)
12Lab 12 part 1 — traffic light capstone (staged scenarios for scaffolding)Capstone in progress
13Lab 12 part 2 — capstone completion, review, certificate of completionLab 12 passed (2 test cases)

Running a shorter block course? Labs 1–4 compress comfortably into two sessions; keep full sessions for Labs 7, 8 and 11. For a full curriculum-mapping treatment (outcomes, assessment weighting, accreditation language), see the PLC curriculum guide for educators.

Auto-grading replaces the marking pile

In a traditional PLC lab, checking work means walking bench to bench pressing buttons — or trusting a screenshot. Here, every lab ends with a graded run: the platform executes the scenario's test cases against the student's program in a simulated machine and reports each case pass/fail with the exact signal that mismatched. Most labs grade in under a second, so students iterate in a tight loop instead of queueing for you. Across the 10,272 graded attempts on our platform to date, the most common failure message is simply an output that never energised — the kind of error students can find themselves when the feedback is instant.

Equipment needed: any browser

There is no equipment list. The simulator is a PLC virtual lab that runs entirely in the browser — laptops, Chromebooks, lab desktops, students' own machines at home. No installs, no licences per seat of vendor software, no admin rights. All 12 scenarios in this manual are on the free tier, so students complete the whole manual on free accounts. You can also point students at the free ladder logic simulator page for self-paced practice between sessions.

For instructors

Get the instructor pack: printable PDF, answer keys and a curriculum map

This page prints cleanly as the student handout — press and the navigation and CTAs disappear. The instructor pack adds the parts that should not be in students' hands: worked answer keys for all 12 labs, a curriculum map with learning outcomes for accreditation paperwork, and cohort dashboards that show you every student's graded attempts.

Get the instructor pack →Email us about your course

Prefer email? hello@plcsimulationsoftware.com — tell us your cohort size and programme and we'll send the pack details.

The manual

The 12 labs

Each lab states its objective, prerequisites, a numbered procedure the student follows in the simulator, the auto-graded pass criteria (the scenario's real test cases, verbatim), and instructor notes with pass-rate statistics from our platform's graded-attempt data — so you know in advance where cohorts struggle.

Beyond PLC courses

Using this as a mechatronics lab manual

Mechatronics programmes need the same controls module this manual delivers, and the format — objective, procedure, expected result — is the classic mechatronics lab experiments structure, so the 12 labs drop into a mechatronics course as the PLC block without adaptation. Labs 9–12 in particular (conveyor timing, part counting, motor supervision, sequenced lights) are the electromechanical-integration experiments most mechatronics syllabi ask for.

One honest scope note: if your syllabus calls for a mechatronics and IoT lab manual, this covers the mechatronics/controls half — PLC programming, timing, sequencing and interlocks — not IoT networking or cloud connectivity. For the broader platform fit (robotics and HMI modules alongside PLC), see mechatronics training software.

Related planning resources: PLC training equipment guide, PLC trainer kit alternatives, and the curriculum guide for educators.

Questions

PLC lab manual — FAQ

A complete PLC lab manual covers digital I/O basics (contacts and coils), combinational logic (AND/OR), normally-closed stop circuits, latching and seal-in, on-delay timers, counters, and at least one integrated capstone that combines timing, sequencing and a safety property. Each lab needs an objective, a numbered procedure, and explicit pass criteria. The 12 labs in this manual follow exactly that arc, and every one is auto-graded in the simulator.

Run the whole manual with your cohort — free to start.

All 12 labs are free-tier scenarios. Pilot with one class, then add the instructor pack and cohort dashboards when you scale.

Get the instructor packRun your first PLC program — no signup

Competency and practice field guide

PLC lab manual and assessment guide: practice plan

Direct answer

The reader can run each lab from declared prerequisites and initial conditions, collect observable evidence and assess a changed case rather than simple completion.

Written for instructors, training centers and independent learners using structured labs from basic I/O through sequencing and troubleshooting.

an adult PLC learner explaining a tested program, fault record and practical assessment evidence to an instructor while studying PLC laboratory briefs, evidence, grading and physical transfer
System map / 02

NODE 01observable

Scope

Competency, prerequisite, equipment model, initial state, task brief, acceptance criteria, hints policy, evidence artifact, changed case, fault case, scoring and physical transfer.

NODE 02observable

Signal path

Learning objective through explanation, prediction, program or wiring task, machine result, fault diagnosis, assessor observation and retained evidence.

NODE 03observable

Baseline practice

The learner independently completes and explains the normal case from a clean state.

NODE 04observable

Edge cases

Minimum and maximum input, simultaneous commands, exact timing, reset, restart, accessibility, browser reset and changed equipment state.

NODE 05observable

Fault practice

A logic, I/O, wiring, timing, sequence, feedback or diagnostic fault selected to expose the target competency.

NODE 06observable

Transfer to the job

The lab artifact reviewed and then repeated on approved physical and vendor-specific equipment.

Answer surface / 07

What should a PLC lab manual contain?

Each lab needs prerequisites, safety boundary, initial state, task, acceptance criteria, evidence, changed case, fault case, reset and transfer notes.

How should PLC labs be graded?

Grade observable machine behavior, explanation, diagnostic method and recovery evidence instead of time spent or copied code.