# πŸŽ›οΈ PLC-FastTrack > An interactive, fast-track course based on **_Programmable Logic Controllers, 5th Edition_** by W. Bolton (Newnes, 2009). > > **Mission:** Move beyond passive reading. In 6 weeks, go from zero PLC knowledge to designing, documenting, and debugging IEC 61131-3 programs with confidence. --- ## πŸ“œ Why This Repo Exists Bolton's book is a fantastic foundation β€” 398 pages covering architecture, the five IEC 61131-3 languages, timers, counters, safety, and fault diagnosis. But reading isn't doing. This repo turns the book into: - **6 sprints** of structured study (one per week) - **Cheat sheets** that compress each chapter to one page - **Interactive tools** that run in the browser β€” [scan cycle](interactive-tools/scan-cycle-visualizer/index.html), [number bases](interactive-tools/number-converter/index.html), [timers/counters](interactive-tools/timer-counter-playground/index.html), and a [full car-factory simulator](interactive-tools/car-factory-simulator/index.html) - **Challenge labs** that auto-grade your structured text submissions - **Flashcards** (Anki + Obsidian) for spaced-repetition retention - **Visual assets** (Mermaid sources) you can edit and remix --- ## πŸ—ΊοΈ Course Map | Step | Sprint | Bolton Chapters | |:----:|:-------|:----------------| | πŸ“š | **Start here** | Preface | | 0 | [Orientation](sprints/00-orientation/README.md) | β€” | | 1 | [Architecture & I/O](sprints/01-architecture-and-io/README.md) | 1–2 | | 2 | [Digital Foundations](sprints/02-digital-foundations/README.md) | 3–4 | | 3 | [Ladder & FBD](sprints/03-ladder-and-fbd/README.md) | 5 | | 4 | [IL, ST, SFC](sprints/04-iec-61131-languages/README.md) | 6 | | 5 | [Timers, Counters, Registers](sprints/05-timers-counters-registers/README.md) | 7–12 | | 6 | [Design & Safety](sprints/06-program-design-and-safety/README.md) | 13–14 | | πŸ† | [Capstone β€” Burner Start-up Sequence](sprints/07-capstone/README.md) | Synthesis | > **Path:** Start β†’ 0 β†’ 1 β†’ 2 β†’ 3 β†’ 4 β†’ 5 β†’ 6 β†’ πŸ† > > The flowchart version of this map is rendered live on the [course site](https://gaferto612.github.io/PLC-Course/). --- ## πŸƒ The Six Sprints | # | Sprint | Bolton Chapters | Core Concept | |---|--------|-----------------|--------------| | 1 | [Architecture & I/O](sprints/01-architecture-and-io/README.md) | 1–2 | A PLC is a hardened computer that scans inputs, runs logic, updates outputs. | | 2 | [Digital Foundations](sprints/02-digital-foundations/README.md) | 3–4 | PLCs think in bits β€” fluency in binary, octal, hex, and BCD is mandatory. | | 3 | [Ladder & FBD](sprints/03-ladder-and-fbd/README.md) | 5 | Ladder logic is graphical Boolean algebra disguised as a relay schematic. | | 4 | [IEC 61131-3 Languages](sprints/04-iec-61131-languages/README.md) | 6 | Five languages, one standard β€” pick the right tool for each part of the program. | | 5 | [Timers, Counters, Registers](sprints/05-timers-counters-registers/README.md) | 7–12 | Real automation is mostly about time, count, and memory. | | 6 | [Design & Safety](sprints/06-program-design-and-safety/README.md) | 13–14 | Working code is easy. Safe, debuggable, maintainable code is engineering. | Plus the **[Capstone](sprints/07-capstone/README.md)** β€” a complete burner start-up sequence in SFC. --- ## ⚑ Quick Start 1. **Fork this repo** so you can track your progress in your own copy. 2. Open an Issue from the `sprint-progress.md` template β€” one for each sprint. 3. Start with **[Sprint 0: Orientation](sprints/00-orientation/README.md)** to take the pre-assessment. 4. Work one sprint per week. Each sprint = ~5–7 hours. 5. Submit lab solutions as PRs. The CI auto-grades structured text against test vectors. 6. Drop into **Discussions** when you get stuck or want to share a slick rung. --- ## 🧰 What's In The Box ``` plc-fasttrack/ β”œβ”€β”€ sprints/ # The six-week curriculum β”œβ”€β”€ visuals/ # Mermaid diagram sources β”œβ”€β”€ interactive-tools/ # Streamlit + Gradio simulators β”œβ”€β”€ workbooks/ # Jupyter notebooks β”œβ”€β”€ challenge-labs/ # Auto-graded structured text labs β”œβ”€β”€ flashcards/ # Anki deck + Obsidian markdown β”œβ”€β”€ reference/ # Glossary, quickref, manufacturer mapping └── docs/ # GitHub Pages source ``` --- ## 🌐 Live Course Site GitHub Pages renders this as a browsable course at ****, with every sprint, cheat sheet, lab and reference reachable from the side nav. --- ## πŸ› οΈ Stack - **Markdown + Mermaid** for content (renders natively on GitHub) - **Streamlit / Gradio** for interactive tools - **Jupyter** for workbooks - **Python** for the auto-grader and Streamlit apps - **Anki + Obsidian** for flashcards - **GitHub Actions** for the daily-challenge bot and lab CI - **GitHub Pages (MkDocs Material)** for the public course site --- ## 🀝 Contributing See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md). PRs welcome for additional labs, manufacturer translations, and bug fixes in the auto-grader. --- ## πŸ“š Source Text Bolton, W. (2009). *Programmable Logic Controllers* (5th ed.). Newnes / Elsevier. ISBN: 978-1-85617-751-1. This repo is a **study companion** β€” it does not reproduce the book. You'll need a copy of Bolton to follow along. --- ## βš–οΈ License MIT β€” see [LICENSE](LICENSE).