After two years self-employed at Insights In Automation, it’s obvious where you, my customers, want me focusing my time: Training.

While you have hired me to write PLC programs and convert HMI files, and even have gifted me a dozen “coffees” in appreciation for my free articles and videos over at TheAutomationBlog.com, all of those combined haven’t come close to the number of you taking my courses over at TheAutomationSchool.com.

That in mind, my focus for this next year reflects what you my customers have asked for: New and Expanded Training Courses.

Now you may not be aware of this fact, but creating a ten hour course like my ControlLogix course,”PAC Basics,” is a monumental task.

It literally takes months to create a course like that, and even shorter courses like my Micro800 Nano Basics course take several weeks to put together.

So in the immediate future I’m going to focus on expanding existing courses as well as producing shorter, less expensive “quick start” courses in the 30 to 60 minutes range.

And to that end, I’ve just completed filming my first “quick start” on how to use CCW to upload and download parameters to A-B VFDs over USB, Ethernet, and using the A-B 1203-USB cable.

I also recorded a new lesson for both of my PLC Basics courses, showing how to install the free A-B software on Windows 10.

I’ve even filmed several new lessons for my Nano Basics course, including lessons on Analog I/O, Expansion I/O, as well as Controlling VFD’s on Modbus and Ethernet.

Now that I have all this newly recorded footage, I have a lot of “post production” to do, enough to keep me busy for the next couple of weeks!

Once done, I hope to get back into the studio to record more “quick starts,” and some of the suggestions students have submitted include:

  • Converting PanelView projects to PanelView Plus
  • Converting MicroLogix projects to Micro800
  • Converting MicroLogix projects to CompactLogix
  • How to setup High Speed Counter modules with Encoders
  • Using the PanelView 5000 with Logix
  • Using PanelView 800 with the Micro800, MicroLogix, and CompactLogix

Note: If you’d like to suggest an addition to the above list, please don’t hesitate to send it to me at:

New courses aren’t the only thing I’ll be working on over the next twelve months.

A new site update will come to TheAutomatoinSchool.com this summer making taking courses and connecting with the instructor easier.

And there is a redesign to TheAutomationBlog.com I hope to roll out, which includes a facelift for TheAutomationMinute.com, TheAutomationPodcast.com, Automation.Locals.com, and InsightsInAutomation.com.

Finally, in appreciation of my patrons over at Automation.Locals.com, I plan to merge AutomationFiles.com and AutomationTutorials.com into a new online marketplace called The Automation Exchange.

This new site will not only enable patrons to download free videos and files every month, but will also allow anyone in our community offer sample code or tutorials for sale on the site.

And that about wraps up my plans for the next year 🙂 If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions on this blog please don’t hesitate to share them with me at Automation.Locals.com.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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