Resources & Tools

Affordable entry-level PLC — great for learning ladder logic without spending thousands. Used these early in my automation journey.

Industry-standard PLC programming software. Free 30-day demo available. If you're going industrial, this is the one to learn.

Free tutorials and reference guides for PLC ladder logic — good starting point for complete beginners.

Structured video courses on PLCs, SCADA, and industrial automation. Paid, but genuinely high quality production.

My go-to for CAD and CAM work. Hobbyist license is free. Integrated CAM toolpaths, post-processor library, and simulation.

NYC CNC covers Fusion 360 CAM workflows, machining techniques, and CNC setup. Practical, hands-on content.

The best machinist community on the web. When I was reverse-engineering that 30-year-old CNC, this forum was gold.

Interactive G-code learning and reference. Good for getting comfortable with manual code and understanding what your CAM is generating.

Start here. Python is the scripting language for engineers — readable, powerful, and there's a library for everything.

Best free Python book for people who want practical results fast. Covers file ops, web scraping, Excel automation, PDFs.

The React framework I use for wfdnelson.com. Great for building full-stack web apps with server rendering out of the box.

Utility-first CSS framework. Makes building custom UIs fast without writing a mountain of custom CSS.

What I'm currently enrolled in. Solid applied focus, flexible study options. Recommended for working engineers looking to formalise.

Industrial IoT specialisations from top universities. Bridges the gap between traditional automation and modern connected systems. One of the better structured courses I've seen on IIoT.

Affiliate link — I may earn a small commission if you enrol. Doesn't change the price.

Comprehensive PLC programming course covering ladder logic, function block, and structured text. Regularly discounted. Good value for a self-paced intro.

Affiliate link — I may earn a small commission if you enrol. Doesn't change the price.

Free, well-structured electronics fundamentals. Good refresher or starting point before diving into control systems.

Engineering reference — formulas, unit conversions, material properties, fluid dynamics. Bookmarked for years.

Career advice for software craftspeople. Covers everything from debugging mindset to long-term career strategy. Relevant for engineers moving into software.

Amazon affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The best Python book for people who want results fast. Free online, but the print edition is worth having on the shelf. Directly relevant to engineering automation.

Amazon affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A solid technical reference for industrial control system fundamentals. Dense but thorough — good for building up the theory base.

Amazon affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Primary code editor. Extensions for Python, JS, MDX, and Git make this a complete dev environment.

Markdown note-taking with local-first storage. I keep technical notes, project logs, and learning summaries here.

Version control for all code projects. If you're not version-controlling your automation scripts, start now.

Where wfdnelson.com is hosted. Droplets handle a Next.js app without breaking a sweat. Simple, no-nonsense cloud hosting.

Referral link — you get $200 in credits, I get a small credit too.