PLC fundamentals
I/O scanning, ladder logic, timers, counters, and the math you wish someone had explained the first time.
- Allen-Bradley CompactLogix lab
- Read a wiring diagram into code
- Build a working two-pump lead/lag
NAICS 611420 · Training
Technical computer training for industrial teams.
Instructor-led, self-paced, and on-site programs that turn maintenance technicians into automation professionals — and engineers into systems thinkers.
Three delivery formats
Match the format to how your plant runs.
On-site
On-site cohort
We bring trainers and rigs into your plant for 2–5 day intensives, built around your specific equipment.
Virtual
Live virtual labs
Instructor-led remote sessions with cloud-hosted simulators — bring your laptop, bring your problem.
Self-paced
Self-paced eLearning
Curated modules with quizzes, hands-on exercises, and completion certificates — for new hires and refreshers.
01 · PLC Programming
From ladder rung to functional safety.
Comprehensive IEC 61131-3 curriculum across the platforms your plant actually runs.
Structured text & FBD
Moving from ladder into structured text and function blocks for maintainable, library-driven programs.
- UDT design & reuse patterns
- Add-On Instructions (AOIs)
- Code review & documentation
Safety PLC & SIL loops
Designing, programming, and proof-testing safety functions to IEC 61508 / IEC 61511 expectations.
- SIF design & SIL determination
- Safety PLC programming (GuardLogix / S7-1500F)
- Proof test interval planning
02 · SCADA & HMI
Build the screens operators actually use.
From tag planning to high-performance HMI to alarm rationalization that survives an audit.
Ignition for plant teams
Tag architecture, Perspective vs Vision, MQTT/Sparkplug, and historian basics on Inductive Automation's Ignition.
FactoryTalk & WinCC
Building maintainable HMIs in Rockwell FactoryTalk View ME/SE and Siemens WinCC environments.
High-performance HMI
ISA 101.01 grayscale-and-exception design, with hands-on redesign of one of your real plant screens.
Alarm rationalization
ISA 18.2 lifecycle, alarm philosophy documents, and rationalization workshops your operators won't dread.
Mobile & remote access
Read-only mobile dashboards, secure remote support, and the policy decisions that have to go with them.
Operator UX
Cognitive load, color blindness, glove use, and the small details that decide whether a screen gets read.
03 · Industrial Data & Analytics
Make plant data decision-grade.
From historian design to time-series analytics, taught by engineers who have lived inside data refineries.
Historian fundamentals
Tag naming, retention policies, compression, and the difference between a process historian and a database.
OPC UA in practice
Information modeling, certificates, and gateway architecture for OPC UA across vendors.
Time-series with Python
Pandas, NumPy, and SciPy for plant data — anomaly flags, golden batches, and reproducible notebooks.
OEE & KPI dashboards
Build availability/performance/quality KPIs from raw signals and present them without lying.
Energy & ISO 50001
Submetering plans, baseline modeling, and energy-performance indicators that withstand external audit.
SQL for plant data
Hands-on SQL against historian SQL endpoints, with realistic queries you'll actually need on day one.
04 · OT Cybersecurity
Defend the operating technology, not just the IT network.
IEC 62443-aligned workshops for the people securing PLCs, HMIs, historians, and engineering workstations.
OT cybersecurity foundations
How an ICS differs from an enterprise network, and where the typical compromise paths sit.
Zones & conduits
Apply IEC 62443-3-2 to a real plant: build a zone & conduit diagram and the cybersecurity requirements behind it.
Secure remote access
Jump-host design, MFA, just-in-time access, and the boring policy work that makes any of it stick.
Asset inventory
Passive discovery, version inventory, and the workflow for keeping it correct as the plant changes.
Incident response in OT
Playbooks that account for safety, runbook drift, and the fact you can't simply "unplug the PLC."
Tabletop exercise
Facilitated scenario that walks your blended IT/OT/operations team through a realistic compromise.
Outcomes
What participants take home.
Working code
Programs and screens built and reviewed in class become the seed of your library.
Documented playbooks
Procedures for tuning, alarm review, and incident handling that survive after the trainer leaves.
Certificate of completion
Issued by Iskra Exchange LLC, with CEUs aligned to common engineering-society guidelines.
30-day support
Direct line to your trainer for 30 days after the program for questions on real-world application.
Pedagogy
How we teach.
Diagnose
Pre-class assessment to size each learner's actual starting point and the cohort's overall range.
Demonstrate
Trainer walks the concept on a working rig or simulator — never on slides alone.
Do
Hands-on exercise in pairs, with the trainer floating to catch misunderstandings early.
Defend
Each pair walks the class through their solution — explaining beats memorizing.