Siemens: Programming Software Selection Guide

What makes up TIA Portal?

Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal is an all-in-one engineering platform that allows users to effectively commission, program, and diagnose Siemens automation hardware and software, all within a single software interface that allows for integrated system diagnostics, communication, and other features. As additional versions are released, newly released hardware and updated programming functions are added to the wide variety of products and options TIA Portal offers.

TIA Portal encompasses several software packages to program various Siemens automation and drive components. For all software packages listed, various support services (software upgrade services [SUS], license upgrades, add-on features, etc.) are available. As of TIA Portal V14 SP1, all TIA Portal software packages are also compatible on a Windows 10 64-bit operating system. For specific inquiries about an application, please don’t hesitate to contact AWC for any technical questions or further assistance!

STEP 7 – SIMATIC S7 PLC Programming Software

The Programming Style Guide and Programming Guideline for SIMATIC S7-1200/S7-1500 provide tips, tricks, and recommended best practices for developing a project in TIA Portal.

* Both S7-PLCSIM (for simulating PLCs) and WinCC Basic (for configuring SIMATIC Basic Panels) are included with both STEP 7 Professional and STEP 7 Basic at no additional cost.

** If any other SIMATIC S7 platforms in addition to the S7-1200 will be programmed, STEP 7 Professional will be required.

***For S7-300s with FW < V2.6 or S7-7400H CPUs, STEP 7 V5.6 or STEP 7 Professional 2017 will be required.

STEP 7 Safety Programming Software – add-on package for programming fail-safe SIMATIC S7 PLCs

What PLC hardware do you have?
What PLC software edition do you need?*

S7-1200FC
STEP 7 Safety Basic**

S7-1500F and S7-1500F Software Controller, ET200SF-CPU
STEP 7 Safety Advanced

S7-300F (FW >= 2.6)
STEP 7 Safety Advanced

S7-400F
STEP 7 Safety Advanced

ET200SP F-CPU
STEP 7 Safety Advanced

The Programming Guideline for Safety with SIMATIC S7-1200/S7-1500 provide tips, tricks, and recommended best practices for developing a project in TIA Portal.

* The previous installation of the corresponding edition of STEP 7 is a pre-requisite for installing the STEP 7 Safety add-on.

** If any other SIMATIC S7 fail-safe CPUs in addition to the S7-1200FC will be programmed, STEP 7 Safety Advanced will be required.

WinCC – SIMATIC HMI Engineering Software

What HMI hardware do you have?
What HMI software edition do you need?

HMI Basic Panels
WinCC Basic

HMI Comfort Panels
WinCC Comfort

PC single stations such as SIMATIC IPC
WinCC Advanced for engineering, WinCC Runtime Advanced for runtime**

Multiple PC stations, SCADA
WinCC Professional for engineering*, WinCC Runtime Professional for runtime**

HMI Unified Comfort Panels
WinCC Unified*

*WinCC Professional and WinCC Unified cannot be installed in parallel with each other.

**WinCC Runtime Advanced and Professional are tag-based licenses that are loaded to the PC itself.

Startdrive – SINAMICS Drive Commissioning Software

What drive hardware do you have?
What functions are you trying to accomplish?
What drive software do you need?

G120, S120, S210
Commissioning and diagnostics
Startdrive Basic V16

G120, S120, S210
Integrated Safety Acceptance Tests
Startdrive Advanced V16

G130, G150, S150
Commissioning and diagnostics
Startdrive Basic V16

For tips and tricks on how to use the Startdrive features in a TIA Portal project, please review the Getting Started – SINAMICS Startdrive guide.

Additional platforms

The below software packages are used to configure and program hardware that is not available within TIA Portal; therefore in contrary to the above, these software packages are not integrated into TIA Portal.

What hardware do you have?
What software do you need?

S7-300 (pre-2009), S7-400, S7-400H
STEP 7 V5.6 or STEP 7 Professional 2017

S7-200
S7-Microwin

LOGO! logic modules
LOGO! Soft Comfort

Legacy SIMATIC HMI panels (Micro, TP, OP, MP)
WinCC flexible 2008 SP5

For information on how to transition from the S7-200 to the S7-1200, please review the Making the Transition from S7-200 to S7-1200 guide.