This post is written for the high school teacher or college instructor outfitting a classroom for introductory lessons in Industrial Automation (IA). It also serves as an aspirational guide to individuals preparing to transition into the IA field.
The IA kit is the common hardware platform for a growing collection of related education content found in DigiKey’s Field Guide to Industrial Automation and Control.
The kit is best described as a breadboard for IA with a collection of components such as terminal blocks, pushbuttons, relays, and related devices. These are the same durable IA devices we find in an operational control panel.
The kit does not include a PLC. However, it is PLC-ready as all supporting components for an introductory PLC class are present. The active parts are all part of the same +24 VDC ecosystem and are simply repurposed for the PLC. Note that the term small does not imply a limited PLC. I’ve used the base to host PLCs such as the Siemens Gen 2 S7-1200.
The shopping cart is located here as a DigiKey myList. You can review and modify the cart to include specific components to meet your needs. A student inventory sheet in MS Word format is also available.
Industrial Automation Inventory.docx (350.1 KB)
Key Takeaways
- Students develop practical skills in terminal wiring, relay logic, troubleshooting, component identification, and datasheet interpretation. They do so using the components found in industrial control panels.
- Wire, ferrules, tools, test equipment, and a suitable 24 VDC power supply are required or recommended separately.
- The IA kit PLC-ready for the PLC of your choice (not included).
This article is part of the DigiKey Field Guide for Industrial Automation
Location: Teach It → Kits
Learning Pathway: Industrial Automation Technician → Fundamentals
Difficulty: 
Technician — difficulty levels explained
Author: Aaron Dahlen | MSEE | Senior Applications Engineer, DigiKey
Last update: 28 Jul 2026
Figure 1: The industrial breadboard ready for an experiment using the time-delay relay.
Why not use a conventional educational trainer?
This kit is designed to match the physical equipment that technicians and engineers will encounter in the field.
-
Students gain muscle memory by making terminal-to-terminal wire connections. It replaces the conventional banana-plug panel with actual control wire. Instead of spending money to hide the industrial complexity, the IA kit exposes it on day one. It also exposes the practical problems associated with physical wiring ranging from loose connections to stripped screw terminals.
-
When compared to a plugboard trainer, the IA kit is designed to grow with the curriculum as additional components can easily be accommodated. As mentioned, the kit forms the base of a PLC trainer. It may also be used to explore safety relays. My personal favorite is to use two kits to explore distributed I/O. The PLC is installed on one trainer and the remote I/O station on another.
-
Elementary electronics lessons are focused through an industrial lens. As a simple example, students are required to master the concept of nodes using the shape and feel of terminal blocks and real components.
-
Students will use datasheets to determine component specifications. For example, the relays contain the, at first, cryptic terminal marking of A1, A2, 11, 12, and 14. Students must use the datasheet to determine the significance of these markings.
-
Instead of learning KCL using resistors, students will use relays and indicator lamps. The concepts are further refined when students locate the information within component datasheets.
Taken together, we see that this kit is the missing middle ground between a solderless breadboard and a prewired PLC trainer. The foundational concepts are learned by manipulating the actual IA components. There is also less abstraction when compared to traditional lessons using resistors. The theory remains, but there is immediate anchoring into the component datasheets.
Why is this called an industrial breadboard?
The IA kit is an industrial breadboard. From an education standpoint, it performs the same function as the solderless breadboard. When combined with precut and ferruled wires, students are able to quickly assemble circuits with the speed and convince of a solderless breadboard. This is done using the same IA components they are likely to encounter in a control panel. Table 1 compares the IA kit with a solderless breadboard.
| Solderless Breadboard | IA Kit | Shared Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Solderless breadboard | DIN rail and terminal blocks | Provides a reusable platform for building and modifying circuits. |
| DIP integrated circuit | Pushbutton, relay, timer, or sensor | Places a functional device into an experimental circuit. |
| Breadboard power rails | +24 VDC and return distribution blocks | Distributes power throughout the circuit. |
| Jumper wires | Blue and white-with-blue stripe wire | Connects circuit nodes without permanent wiring. |
| IC pin numbers | Industrial terminal numbers such as A1, A2, 11, 12, and 14 | Requires the student to wire from the schematic and datasheet. |
| Logic gate or flip-flop IC | Pushbuttons and relays | Implements logic and memory using visible industrial hardware. |
Table 1: Comparison of IA kit to a conventional breadboard.
Featured Components
The shopping cart for the IA lab kit is located here as a DigiKey myList. This component list is best viewed as a roadmap to learning. I hand-selected these parts because they fit together to support the IA curriculum and address common classroom challenges. Rather than dissect the entire list, we will explore the highlights.
Tech Tip: This is not the only way to outfit an industrial trainer. It could have been streamlined and perhaps assembled for a lower cost. However, the featured components complement each other and were selected to address specific classroom obstacles. What you see is a byproduct of the effort to assemble DigiKey’s Field Guide to Industrial Automation and Control.
Why use visually distinct, configurable switch blocks?
The Altech switch blocks are configurable. The featured parts selection includes simple pushbuttons as well as an on-off selector switch and even a momentary on-off-momentary switch. From an instructor’s perspective, the greatest advantage is the color of the switch body. They can be seen across the room allowing you to quickly identify each student’s hardware configuration.
Why include two mechanically different DPDT relays?
The Phoenix Contact and the Weidmüller DPDT relays perform the same function, but each has a slightly different construction as shown in Figure 2. Students will need to explore the datasheet to determine:
- Terminal identification: This is a constant reminder for students to read the datasheets and not make assumptions.
- Flyback suppression: One is internal while the other is external and removable. This facilitates lessons in polarity and advanced concepts such as contact release time and the importance of interposing relays.
- Forcing level: The Weidmüller DPDT relay includes a forcing lever. This adds a new twist to the relay latch lesson as the latch will close and stay closed if the relay is forced.
Figure 2: Side-by-side comparison of the Phoenix Contact and Weidmüller DPDT relays.
Why include a proximity sensor with an M12 connector?
At least one sensor is required for any IA trainer. The proximity sensor and associated cable have a hidden lesson that is not immediately obvious as the 2-meter-long cable becomes a lesson in sensor wiring:
- Students wrestle with the wire colors typically associated with the M12 connectors where “brown is hot and blue is not.”
- Students are exposed to the sensor/actuator block.
- The cable itself becomes a consumable as each new group of students learns to strip, ferrule, and terminate the flying leads.
Tech Tip: Students will struggle as the blue wire color takes on a new meaning. They begin by using blue for the +24 VDC node. The M12 connector and associated wire associate blue with the +24 VDC return. I’ve found it useful to playfully sing the phrase “brown is hot and blue is not.”
Why include the motor starter with thermal overload block?
The three-wire motor starter and the start-stop-jog controllers are the bread and butter of relay logic. Including a full-featured motor starter allows students to see the control circuit in operation as opposed to simulating the control via a conventional relay.
This decision is also tied to the Competency-Based-Education (CBE) module sequencing implicit in this series of education articles. We begin with the relative safety of +24 VDC control circuitry. At this point some programs will transition students to closely supervised labs using 120 VAC control circuitry. Consequently, the featured motor starter provides an onramp for the AC-based circuitry. Stated another way, the motor starter can be fully explored and characterized before shifting to the higher-risk 120 and 208 VAC systems.
Safety: The AC-powered systems require qualified supervision and institutionally approved safety procedures including personal protective equipment, safety mats, and lockout/tagout protocols. The high powered systems are generally less tolerant of mistakes and experimentation; the consequences of mistakes are higher.
For example, a variable DC power supply can be used to test the thermal trip mechanism of a motor starter overload block. The equivalent test in a 120 or 208 VAC environment requires either large power resistors or a dyno load for the attached motor. These options expose students to electrical and mechanical hazards not present in the +24 VDC environment.
What parts are required but not included in the kit?
The kit requires supporting materials that may already be present in your classroom.
-
Wire and ferrules: In a school setting, I recommend purchasing bulk wire and select tools that will be used by all students. This allows you to make and store precut and ferruled wires. This is also part of the learning exercise, as each cohort of students learns how to prepare the wires. Individual learners can purchase small quantities of wire. However, the blue and white-with-blue stripe colors are recommended for the reasons outlined in this article.
- Blue 22 AWG Alpha Wire 3053 BL001
- White-with-blue stripe 22 AWG Alpha Wire 3053 WU001
- Ferrule Schneider Electric DZ5CE007
- Twin-wire ferrule Schneider Electric AZ5DE005
- Wire stripper Phoenix Contact 1212150
- Ferrule crimp tool Phoenix Contact 1213146
-
Hand tools: Simple handheld tools are required to assemble the trainer including screwdrivers and nut drivers. A small screwdriver kit such as the Weller XP600 is useful as a variety of small screwdrivers are required to wire and manipulate the settings on the IA components.
-
Test equipment: To get started, nearly any handheld multimeter is suitable as the trainer is limited to 24 VDC. For the best value you will need to determine the curriculum’s endpoint or if the student will purchase their own meter to carry into the field. For industrial automation control panel work, I strongly recommend a CAT IV-rated meter. Be sure to follow all applicable safety protocols before entering a panel.
-
Power supply: A bench-type power supply that can deliver 24 VDC at 3 A is sufficient for the introductory labs. While the experiments do not normally consume 3 A, it is useful for intermediate experiments that explore the operation of the circuit breaker and the motor overload block. In fact, those experiments would benefit from a dual or triple output power supply.
Tech Tip: Common teaching-lab power supplies like the B&K Precision 1760A continue to be useful. They also perform double duty as they may be used for analog circuitry.
For a lower-cost option consider using a 24 VDC laptop-style power supply. Be sure to select a power supply capable of tripping the 1 A thermal-magnetic circuit breaker. Yet another alternative is to use an electronic circuit breaker as described in this article. The protection device will simply hold at a given current as opposed to waiting for a thermal trip during a short circuit.
What parts are recommended but not included in the kit?
The three-phase motor simulator is an excellent addition to the IA kit. The linked article describes the kit and includes a parts list as well as programming instructions. You will need basic soldering skills to assemble the kit.
Troubleshooting with the Student-Constructed Projects
As we close, consider the troubleshooting opportunities presented by this kit.
-
Students will make errors as part of the formative learning process. This is unavoidable, necessary, and should be encouraged within the confines of the +24 VDC trainer. Note that a student-constructed wire diagram is a vital deliverable. It is inseparable from the troubleshooting process.
-
As an instructor, you can shift to summative troubleshooting assessments using the student-constructed projects. There is no end to the mischievous yet instructive faults that can be injected into the project. It also provides you one last time to review the student’s wire diagram.
Continue Exploring Industrial Control Systems
If this discussion was helpful, you may also want to explore:
DigiKey Navigation
- Full Catalog: Industrial Control & Automation
Related Foundational Articles
DIY Siemens S7-1200 G2 Safety PLC Trainer: Parts & Build Guide
Getting Started with DigiKey’s Arduino Opta Kit
About This Author
Aaron Dahlen, LCDR USCG (Ret.), is a Senior Applications Engineer at DigiKey in Thief River Falls. His background in electronics and industrial automation was shaped by a 27-year military career as both technician and engineer, followed by over a decade of teaching.
Dahlen holds an MSEE from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has taught in an ABET-accredited electrical engineering program, served as coordinator of an electronic engineering technology program, and instructed military technicians in component-level repair.
Today, he has returned to his home in northern Minnesota, completing a decades-long journey that began with a search for capacitors. Read his story here.