Activating the 'Select I/O' Function in SIMATIC PCS 7 Process Object View (Parameters and Signals Tabs)

The 'Select I/O' function in SIMATIC Manager appears disabled (greyed out) when the user is viewing the project in Component View or Plant View, or when the Process Object View is open on an unsupported tab (such as 'General' or 'Messages'). To activate 'Select I/O', open the Process Object View by selecting 'View > Process Object View' (or pressing the Process Object View icon), navigate to the 'Parameters' or 'Signals' tab in the right-hand pane, and select a folder or chart in the plant hierarchy. The 'Select I/O...' button in the toolbar and context menu will become immediately active, allowing bulk selection of block pins for mass editing.

Process Object View Architecture and Bulk Engineering Capabilities

In large SIMATIC PCS 7 facilities containing thousands of I/O points, individually opening hundreds of Continuous Function Charts (CFC) to parameterize alarms, tune sample times, or map signal interconnects is prohibitively slow and error-prone. To streamline mass engineering, Siemens provides the Process Object View (POV) within SIMATIC Manager.

Process Object View aggregates block parameters, signal connections, message definitions, picture assignments, and archive tags into structured, spreadsheet-like tabular grids. Engineers can edit hundreds of block attributes simultaneously, paste data from Microsoft Excel, and execute mass find-and-replace operations across the entire plant hierarchy.

Why 'Select I/O' Appears Greyed Out: View and Tab Dependencies

Engineers frequently encounter situations where the menu option Edit > Select I/O... or the toolbar button remains stubbornly greyed out. This occurs due to strict structural prerequisites in SIMATIC Manager:

Component View / Plant View Active: The user is browsing the project inside the traditional Component View (which shows hardware stations, CPU folders, and S7 programs) or the standard Plant View. The 'Select I/O' utility is an exclusive feature of the Process Object View and cannot execute in other views.
Unsupported Tab Selected: Even inside Process Object View, the right pane features multiple functional tabs: General, Blocks, Parameters, Signals, Messages, Picture Objects, and Archive Tags. The 'Select I/O' command is functional only on the Parameters tab and Signals tab, where block inputs and outputs are manipulated. On tabs like Messages or Picture Objects, 'Select I/O' is intentionally disabled by the editor.

Configuring Displayed Parameters on the Parameters and Signals Tabs

By default, the Parameters tab displays only standard visible block parameters (such as SP_Int, Gain, TI). When an engineer needs to modify hidden or specialized pins across dozens of motor or valve blocks (e.g., configuring Feature bits, Monitor times, or SampleTime):

The Select I/O dialog queries the Master Data Library block definitions.
The engineer selects the specific block type (e.g., MotL FB1823) and checks which additional input and output pins should be displayed as columns in the table.
Once applied, the Process Object View expands to include the selected pins as editable table columns for all instances.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Enable and Use 'Select I/O'

Follow this sequence to activate and configure 'Select I/O':

Switch to Process Object View: In SIMATIC Manager, select View > Process Object View (or click the Process Object View icon on the main toolbar).
Select Plant Hierarchy Folder: In the left pane, select the plant hierarchy folder (e.g., Plant1 > AreaA) containing the target CFC charts.
Click the Parameters Tab: In the right-hand table, click the Parameters tab (or Signals tab).
Launch Select I/O: Click the Select I/O... button on the Process Object View toolbar, or right-click any column header and select Select I/O....
Filter and Add Pins: In the dialog, select the block type. Check the desired pins (e.g., Feature, OS_Perm, SimOn). Click OK.
Bulk Edit Values: The newly added pins appear as columns. Modify values directly in the grid, copy down columns, or copy/paste from an external Excel engineering spreadsheet.

Process Object View Tab Capability Comparison

The following table compares Process Object View tabs and their support for the 'Select I/O' function:

Process Object View TabPrimary Tab Purpose'Select I/O' Active?Typical Engineering TasksGeneralChart names, author, cycle timesNOAssigning charts to hierarchy folders and cycle OBsBlocksBlock names, comments, block iconsNOMass renaming of block instances and icon numbersParametersBlock input/output values & attributesYES (Fully Active)Tuning PID gains, alarm limits, feature bitmasksSignalsInterconnections between blocksYES (Fully Active)Connecting field I/O symbolic signals to driver blocksMessagesAlarming texts, classes, prioritiesNOMass editing of operator alarm texts and prioritiesPicture ObjectsWinCC graphic picture linksNOVerifying block icon creation across process pictures

Verification

Verify Process Object View functionality through the following steps:

Confirm that clicking 'Select I/O...' opens the dialog displaying block types and parameter trees.
Add a parameter (e.g., MonTiDynamic) to the view. Verify that a new column appears across all relevant block rows.
Edit a value in the table (e.g., change 3.0 to 5.0). Press Enter.
Open the corresponding CFC chart. Verify that the block pin reflects the new value (5.0) immediately.
Save the project and confirm that changes persist across SIMATIC Manager sessions.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Consider these operational rules when using Process Object View:

Avoid Overloading Table Columns: Adding dozens of large structures or string pins to the Process Object View table can slow down table rendering on very large projects (thousands of charts); select only necessary I/O pins.
CFC Locking During Bulk Edits: When editing parameters in Process Object View, ensure the corresponding CFC charts are not currently opened by another engineer on a shared network, which would block database commits.
Delta Compilation Required: Modifying block parameters in Process Object View updates offline chart databases and requires a subsequent CFC Delta Compile and Download Changes in RUN to take effect in the controller.

Engineer FAQ

How do I display hidden block parameters in Process Object View?

Open the Parameters tab, click 'Select I/O...', select the block type, check the desired parameters, and click OK to add them as columns in the table.