Practical PLC Programming for Beginners by Dariusz Wrebiak

Practical PLC Programming for Beginners by Dariusz Wrebiak

Learning programmable logic controller (PLC) programming can be overwhelming for beginners. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice with a hands-on, guided approach to industrial control.

The book begins with a clear theoretical introduction, explaining fundamental concepts such as what a PLC is, its role in industrial automation, and the structure of an automation system. But the focus quickly shifts to a practical, project-based scenario: designing, programming and commissioning of a production line with an integrated quality control system. Through this real-world scenario, you’ll gradually develop their skills by working through different stages of automation implementation. 

Practical PLC Programming uses a unique narrative-driven approach to guide readers through the complete journey of developing a real industrial automation project—just like a PLC engineer would experience in the field.

What You Will Learn 

• Master control theory with practical applications
• Understand key automation concepts
• Program PLCs from scratch
• Create industrial visualizations
• Design and integrate visualization systems in CODESYS
• Examine the fundamentals of PLC programming with Ladder Logic (LAD) and Function Block Diagram (FBD)

Who This Book Is For

Engineers looking to gain PLC programming skills from scratch, as well as for technicians and students specializing in mechatronics, electrical engineering, and industrial automation

Dariusz Wrebiak is an experienced industrial automation specialist with over 20 years of professional expertise spanning both the IT and OT industries. His career in PLC programming began in 2008, focusing on Siemens S7-300 and S7-400 controllers. Since then, he has specialized in PLC programming, automation system implementation, and industrial process control. 

After more than 16 years of hands-on experience as a PLC programmer, working with SIEMENS (Simatic Manager, TIA Portal, PCS7), B&R, Rockwell Automation, and CODESYS platforms, he took on a new challenge by joining SIEMENS AG in Karlsruhe, contributing to the development of PLC firmware for the PCS neo system. Having started his automation journey by programming Siemens controllers, he now helps to build the very technology that once inspired his career path.

He was inspired to write this book based on his own journey as a self-taught PLC programmer. Over the years, he realized that many available materials focus heavily on theory but lack practical, step-by-step guidance. His goal is to bridge this gap by providing a comprehensive, real-world guide to PLC programming that helps both beginners and professionals master automation concepts effectively.