Start Here: Fundamentals of Industrial Automation
Learn the foundations of industrial automation in 16 short lessons.
Designed for students who know basic math and physics, and want to understand real machines, signals, PLCs, and VFDs.
- Electricity & signals without the jargon
- From relays and sensors to PLCs and HMIs
- Each lesson = diagram + 10-minute exercise
Your 16 Core Lessons
Each lesson comes with a simple diagram to draw and a 10-minute exercise. Start from Lesson 1 and work your way down.
Electricity & Signals (DC + AC)
Voltage, current, resistance, AC vs DC, and how power really works in circuits.
Safe Work Basics
Shock vs arc-flash, SELV/PELV, grounding, bonding, and why LOTO isn’t optional.
Ubiquitous Circuits
Voltage dividers, pull-ups, relays, and the tiny details that make inputs behave.
Digital Logic, Human-Readable
0/1, AND/OR/NOT, and latching circuits—the bridge between relays and PLC logic.
Analog Basics & Scaling
4–20 mA vs 0–10 V, engineering ranges, and why scaling matters more than you think.
Sensors & Instrumentation
Prox, limit, encoders, transmitters, PNP vs NPN, and proper DI/AI wiring.
Actuators & Power Devices
Relays, contactors, valves, and how to get clean RUN and FAULT feedbacks into your PLC.
Motors & VFDs (101)
Induction motor basics, nameplates, torque vs speed, and what a VFD actually controls.
Mechanical Intuition
Load types, inertia, friction, and why accel/decel ramps make or break stability.
Control Intuition (PID without pain)
SP, PV, error, P/I/D roles, and how to reason about stability without fear.
Drawings & Tag Discipline
Reading wiring diagrams, I/O lists, P&IDs, and naming things so others understand them
PLC & Ladder Basics
Scan cycle, contacts, coils, timers, counters, and safe run-permission chains.
HMI/SCADA Habits
Calm screens, clear alarms, trends, Auto/Hand, and making operators’ lives easier.
Industrial Networks (Essentials)
IPs, subnets, Modbus TCP vs EtherNet/IP, and basic managed switch hygiene.
Measurement & Units Discipline
SI units, accuracy vs precision, and how to think about error and calibration.
Standards & “Good Citizen” Rules
IEC/UL overview, color codes, documentation, and version control for real projects.
