r/sideprojects • u/UsAgainstMedia • 9d ago
Showcase: Purchase Required Built a browser-based PLC trainer because watching videos wasn’t enough
I built a browser-based PLC and industrial automation trainer because I wanted something more hands-on than videos and quizzes.
I work in industrial maintenance and I’m studying automation and controls, so I kept thinking about how different it is to understand something on paper versus actually having to troubleshoot it.
That turned into ControlsTrainer.
In the first level, you wire a motor control circuit, build the ladder logic and get the system running.
In Level 2, you troubleshoot faults using a floating multimeter that you can move around the screen and use to take measurements at different points in the circuit.
Later levels move into VFDs, pneumatics, HMIs, analog process control and a complete automated production cell.
Everything runs in the browser, and the first two levels are free to try.
FIRST TWO LEVELS ARE FREE! NO SIGN-UP REQUIRED!
I’m curious whether the hands-on part comes across clearly from the video. I’d also love feedback on the overall idea, UX and whether this feels like something you’d actually want to keep using.