Free · Browser-based · Used in 120+ countries

Wire it
before you
build it.

Build and test hardwired control circuits — DOL starters, relay logic, VFDs — in your browser. Inject faults, then find them with a real multimeter.

Launch PickettPanel — Free Try a project →

No install · No sign-up · Any browser · IEC & ANSI

Updated 1 October 2026, v1.1.3. New DM-10 multimeter, VFD speed control, seven new presets and lots of fixes. See what's new
VFD Drive Circuit — RUNNING ● LIVE
PickettPanel simulator showing a VFD drive circuit running with live current flow, 3-phase motor and sequence log
New · Learn by building
50 control circuits to build.

A free series of projects, from a start/stop seal-in to a PLC mixing tank. Each one opens straight into PickettPanel, working or with hidden faults to find: one on Easy, three on Hard. The last five are big Challenge circuits, up to 42 parts.

See the projects →
Who uses PickettPanel

Built for the bench.
Tested in the classroom.

Whether you're learning it, teaching it or wiring it, it's the same free tool.

🎓
Trades Students & Apprentices
City & Guilds · SOLAS · ETCB

Hardwired control circuits appear in every electrical apprenticeship assessment. Most students only get to practise them during lab sessions — limited time, shared equipment, instructor waiting.

PickettPanel gives you unlimited practice time. Build the circuit at home, understand why the seal-in contact works before you wire a real panel.

  • Simulate before the lab session
  • Understand relay logic visually
  • Prep for City & Guilds, SOLAS assessments
  • 50 projects to build and fault-find, Easy or Hard
  • No electrical hazard while learning
🔧
Electricians & Maintenance Technicians
Industrial · Manufacturing · Automation

A breakdown on a live machine is no place to learn. Practise tracing faults on motor starters, drives and PLC circuits before you meet them on the job, or brush up on circuits you don't see every day.

PickettPanel Lite exports IEC or ANSI PDF drawings with wire numbers and title blocks. A Pro version with testing tools, fault-finding scenario packs and more components is in the works.

  • Fault finding with a multimeter, Easy or Hard
  • Motor starters, VFD drives and PLC circuits
  • IEC and ANSI drawing symbols
  • Export drawings to PDF
FAQ

Quick answers.

Is PickettPanel free?

Yes — PickettPanel Lite is free and runs entirely in your browser, no sign-up. It includes the full simulator: motor control, VFD drives, fault injection, the multimeter, PLC ladder logic and PDF export. A Pro version with testing tools, fault-finding scenario packs, more components and professional drawings is planned.

What circuits can I simulate?

Ten built-in circuits in the Presets menu (start/stop, indicators, DOL and forward/reverse starters, two-location control, an on-delay timer, a VFD drive, PLC start/stop, PLC + VFD and a 24V control circuit), plus 50 Projects to build, from a two-hand control to a PLC mixing tank. Or build your own from scratch. Protection trips realistically: fuses on I²t, overloads thermally, MCCBs with thermal + instantaneous elements, and the drive's own electronic overload.

Can I practise electrical fault finding?

Yes. Open any of the 50 Projects on Easy (one hidden fault) or Hard (three), or inject your own: broken wires, welded contacts, open coils, motor winding faults, single phasing or drive faults. Then find it with the multimeter: the leads stay attached while you operate the circuit, and it reads continuity, phase-to-neutral (~230V) and line-to-line (~400V) like a real installation.

Does it use proper IEC or ANSI symbols?

Yes, in IEC or ANSI. Tools → Drawing Symbols switches the canvas between the panel view, IEC 60617 (Europe, UK and Ireland) and ANSI / NFPA 79 (North America). IEC drawings carry standard terminal markings: A1-A2 coils, 13-14 and 21-22 contacts, 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 contactor poles, 95-96 overload trip contact. Drive terminals are L1/L2/L3 in, U/V/W out. PDF export produces ladder diagrams and field wiring drawings with title blocks in either standard.

Who is PickettPanel for?

Electrical apprentices and trades students preparing for practical assessments, instructors who want a live teaching aid for control circuits and fault finding, and working electricians and maintenance technicians who want to practise motor control and fault finding.

More free tools
There's more on the main site.

PickettPanel is one of a set of free browser tools built by a working electrician. No sign-up, no install, nothing to pay.

Visit pickettech.com →