Amatrol Alternatives for PLC Training: A Guide for Schools and Instructors
Amatrol builds industrial-grade PLC trainers and eLearning for CTE programs. Here is what it offers, where it is strongest, and the hardware, software and simulator alternatives instructors compare it with.
Short answer: Amatrol is a leading US supplier of career and technical education (CTE) equipment. It sells industrial-grade PLC trainers (Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Mitsubishi), more than 400 multimedia/eLearning courses with a free LMS, electronic fault insertion (FaultPro), and preparation for SACA certifications.
It is a strong choice when a program needs real industrial hardware, troubleshooting labs and an assessment trail. The main alternatives are:
- other trainer makers, such as Hampden Engineering
- vendor education programs, such as Siemens SCE
- 3D plant simulators, such as Factory I/O
- browser PLC simulators, which give every student unlimited programming practice without a trainer per seat
Most programs end up mixing hardware for wiring and commissioning with software for repetition.
Reviewed October 25, 2026 from each vendor's own website (sources at the end). Amatrol does not publish prices; its site directs buyers to a representative or distributor.
Ownership disclosure: PLC Programming and PLC Simulation Software are run by the same team. Our product is one of the software options below, with its prices and limits stated.
What Amatrol offers for PLC training
Amatrol, based in Jeffersonville, Indiana, calls itself "the world's leader in skills-based, interactive technical learning." Its FAQ says it sells to "high schools, colleges, and universities, as well as industrial employers." Individual learners are directed to a school or employer training department. It lists distributors in all 50 states.
PLC-related products listed on Amatrol's site include:
- Portable PLC troubleshooting systems with Allen-Bradley CompactLogix (for example 990-PABCL1F, with an L16ER CompactLogix 5370, PanelView 800 HMI, pneumatic cylinders, a variable-speed drive and an e-stop), Siemens S7-1200 (990-PS712F) and Mitsubishi FX5UJ (990-PM5UF). Some of them require Rockwell or Siemens software licences.
- Larger workstations, such as the 895 Smart Controls Troubleshooting Workstation, with ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers and EtherNet/IP distributed I/O.
- Multimedia and eLearning courses for PLC programming, troubleshooting and process control. These include a Siemens S7-1500 course using TIA Portal. Amatrol says it has "more than 400 courses," supported by "a free Learning Management System (LMS)" with SCORM export.
- Virtual trainers. Amatrol says students "perform essentially the same industry-based tasks using the virtual equipment," and its CompactLogix portable trainer course "includes a virtual simulator."
- FaultPro. Amatrol says it "inserts electronic faults safely, protecting both students and equipment" across more than two dozen trainers. The CompactLogix portable trainer page cites 30+ faults.
- Certification alignment. Amatrol's FAQ says it prepares students for SACA Silver certifications, and many trainers are approved for the performance test for SACA Gold. MSSC and PMMI preparation are also listed.
Where Amatrol is strongest
- Real industrial components. Students wire, program and troubleshoot the same brands of controller, HMI and drive they will meet at work.
- Structured troubleshooting. FaultPro-style fault insertion with grading is hard to reproduce with home-built panels.
- Curriculum plus hardware from one supplier. Lessons, LMS tracking, instructor guides and equipment are designed together.
- Credential path. SACA alignment gives programs an industry-recognized assessment route.
Why programs look for alternatives
- Budget and quotes. Prices aren't published. Each trainer is a capital purchase, often with separate vendor software licences.
- Student-to-trainer ratio. A lab with a handful of trainers limits how many hours of programming each student gets.
- Space and maintenance. Even portable trainers need storage, compressed air for pneumatics, and upkeep.
- Out-of-lab practice. Students usually can't practise on the trainer from home.
None of these is a flaw in the product. They are the trade-offs of any hardware-first lab, and they are why many programs combine trainers with software.
Live mini-lab
Try it: press START, then STOP
A stop-dominant seal-in rung: START latches the motor output through its own contact, and STOP breaks the circuit.
Watch the output lamp: it stays on after START until you press STOP.
Free to start · runs in your browserOpens plcsimulationsoftware.com — same team
Alternatives compared
| Option | What it is | Best for | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden Engineering | US maker of education equipment "since 1954"; PLC trainers such as the H-PLC-5-AB and an Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1200 trainer | Programs that want hardware trainers from another US supplier | No published prices; check the curriculum and current controller generations |
| Siemens SCE (Siemens Automation Cooperates with Education) | Siemens' education program with "approximately 90" trainer packages and free learning modules for TIA Portal and PLC programming | Programs teaching Siemens S7 / TIA Portal | Siemens-specific; package terms vary by region |
| Factory I/O | 3D virtual factory with 20+ industrial scenes; connects to real PLCs, soft PLCs and PLCSIM; class licence sharing available | Giving students a realistic machine to control with real or emulated PLCs | Needs a PLC, emulator or soft PLC; Windows software; prices on its buy page |
| Professor Bill's LadderLab (formerly LogixPro) | Windows ladder-logic simulator from The Learning Pit; existing LogixPro licences still work | Low-cost RSLogix-500-style practice on lab PCs | Windows only; per-PC keys; RSLogix 500-era instruction style |
| PLC Simulation Software (our product) | Browser PLC simulator with lessons, machine scenarios, wiring and fault-finding labs, and cohort progress views | Unlimited programming repetitions for every student on Chromebooks, Macs or PCs, in and out of the lab | Not real hardware; not a vendor IDE; no SACA or vendor certification |
How PLC Simulation Software fits a school program
According to its product facts, PLC Simulation Software offers:
- 12 core lessons, 29 wiring labs and 19 fault-finding labs
- 170 source-catalogued practice scenarios, with access depending on plan
- nine learning dialects, including Allen-Bradley and Siemens SCL
- cohort progress views and timestamped completions
- portfolio PDF exports and public certificate verification
Teams organizations are free to create. Managed Pro seats are billed annually at $199 per seat with a five-seat minimum, and academic quotations are available. Students can also start on a free tier that does not expire.
Use it for the programming and diagnosis hours a trainer can't scale to. Keep hardware for wiring, measurement, commissioning and safety practice. See the PLC trainer kit alternative overview and the teacher page.
A blended lab model many programs use
- Software first, for every student: browser or soft-PLC practice for contacts, coils, timers, counters, sequences and fault diagnosis, assigned as homework with tracked completion.
- Shared trainers for the hands-on gates: wiring, meter checks, downloading to a real controller, HMI and drive setup, and FaultPro-style troubleshooting.
- A 3D plant or capstone project: connect a real or emulated PLC to a virtual machine, or build a capstone on the trainer.
- Assessment: SACA or another industry credential if the program needs one, plus a portfolio of completed projects.
This keeps the trainer schedule for the tasks that truly need hardware and multiplies programming practice.
Questions to ask any vendor before you buy
- Which controller generations and software versions are included, and who pays for vendor licences?
- How many students can work at once, and what can they do from home?
- What fault-insertion or troubleshooting assessment is included?
- Which certifications does the equipment align with, and is it approved for any performance tests?
- What does the LMS export, and does it work with your school's system?
- What are the support, calibration, spare-parts and instructor-training terms?
Frequently asked questions
Does Amatrol publish prices?
No. Its site directs buyers to a representative or distributor through a request-information form. Its support page lists only ordering details, such as a processing fee on small orders and shipping.
Does Amatrol have PLC simulation software?
Amatrol offers virtual trainers that come with many of its systems, including a virtual simulator with its CompactLogix portable trainer course. Its MechaSIM product simulates a machine for a real CompactLogix L16 PLC. It also lists a VR Smart Factory product.
What is the cheapest way to add PLC practice for every student?
A browser or soft-PLC simulator, because it needs no per-student hardware. Pair it with a smaller number of shared hardware trainers for wiring and commissioning.
Sources
- Amatrol: our story, FAQ, distributors and support/ordering
- Amatrol portable PLC trainer for CompactLogix (990-PABCL1F) and Siemens S7-1200 portable trainer (990-PS712F)
- Amatrol eLearning, virtual trainers, FaultPro and certification preparation
- Hampden Engineering and Hampden PLC trainers
- Siemens SCE for educational institutions
- Factory I/O
- The Learning Pit (Professor Bill's LadderLab)
Related reading
Now run it · free to start
Follow a hands-on PLC training path
Move from contacts and coils to timers, sequences and troubleshooting with runnable lessons and objective checks. Free to start, nothing to install.
Ownership disclosure: PLC Programming IO and PLC Simulation Software are operated by the same publisher.
