Add RFID Login to PCS 7 V9.0 and WinCC V7.4 SP1 with PM-LOGON

PM-LOGON V2.0 is listed by Siemens as compatible with SIMATIC WinCC V7.4 SP1, and Siemens' 2022 release notes identify supported RFID readers including SIMATIC RF1040R/RF1060R/RF1070R, Admitto-A series, and selected PC/SC or serial readers. For two OS stations, PM-LOGON Runtime is installed on the stations that need card login, while the configuration and licensed-user requirements depend on the chosen PM-LOGON components and number of card-assigned users. The precise purchase package cannot be determined from “two stations” alone.

Choose between PM-LOGON and WinCC Chip Card Terminal

These are distinct login approaches. PM-LOGON V2.0 adds RFID-card login and is explicitly compatible with WinCC V7.4 SP1 in Siemens' 2022 release notes. Its V2.0 release notes provide an applicable reader list, so it is the documented route when selecting a reader from that list.

WinCC's native Chip Card option is a separate User Administrator feature. Siemens documentation describes enabling the WinCC Chip Card Terminal and writing user data to a chip card, but the cited later-version WinCC documentation does not establish that an arbitrary currently manufactured reader is compatible with WinCC V7.4 SP1. Do not infer reader compatibility solely from a modern device supporting USB or PC/SC; use the exact WinCC/PM-LOGON release documentation for the selected reader.

PM-LOGON V2.0 compatibility and reader selection

The Siemens PM-LOGON V2.0 Release Notes, dated 2022-04-19, list SIMATIC WinCC V7.4 without SP and SP1 among compatible process communication/basic systems. The notes also list supported reader families and models: SIMATIC RF1040R, RF1060R, RF1070R; Admitto-A and Admitto-C series; HID OmniKey 5021/5022; other readers meeting the stated generic PC/SC or COM-port interface conditions; Teratron PC-LOC USB; Euchner EKS USB Reader model EKS-A-IUX-G01-ST01; and R. STAHL EX-card reader UB03 in “active send” and “phg_crypt” modes.

For the Admitto-C series, Siemens says the reader must be configured with a special parameter set matching the transponder type and that the parameter set must be specified during ordering. The release notes direct readers to Siemens for additional reader-specific prerequisites. Reader support is conditional on the model, interface, transponder, and configuration; it is not a blanket approval of all products from a listed vendor.

How to plan two OS stations

Decide which users will log in with a card and which identity repository/login provider is used. PM-LOGON associates card identifiers with user credentials and performs the target login through a supported login provider; the required configuration depends on the selected architecture.
Select the PM-LOGON V2.0 system components for that architecture. The PM-LOGON manual's V2 licensing summary separates the Configurator, user packages, Runtime, and PM-LOGON Server licensing. It states that user capacity is separately defined by User Packages, Runtime can run on suitable devices without a separate Runtime license, and each PM-LOGON Server instance requires a license. Verify the exact licensing arrangement with the applicable PM-LOGON V2 order information before purchase.
Install the same V2 release of the PM-LOGON PC components used together. Siemens' V2.0 Release Notes state that PC Runtime, Server, and Configurator components are compatible with one another only in the same version.
Install PM-LOGON Runtime on each OS station that requires card login and connect the reader supported for that release. Assign/configure cards using the selected Configurator and user repository.
Validate login, logout/card removal behavior, reader communication, and account mapping separately on both OS stations before operational use. Test with the actual card and reader combination intended for the plant.

Licensing questions to resolve before ordering

The number of OS stations alone does not determine the total PM-LOGON licenses. The Siemens PM-LOGON V2 manual describes separate licensing dimensions for configuration, licensed card users, and optional server instances; it also says the Runtime application does not need a separate license on each suitable device. Confirm which Configurator or Server component is required for the intended centralized or local assignment architecture, how many individual users will receive card assignments, and whether the selected user repository changes the package requirements.

The source response gives specific 2022 order numbers for a Configurator and a 100-user package, but the exact bill of material depends on the selected configuration and those order numbers were not independently verified in the accessible Siemens order document. Do not order from those identifiers without checking the applicable PM-LOGON version's Siemens price/order list or product note.

The native WinCC chip-card option and modern readers

WinCC's native Chip Card feature is separate from PM-LOGON. Siemens WinCC documentation describes configuring the WinCC Chip Card Terminal in Windows and using the WinCC User Administrator to write cards. Siemens' WinCC V7.4 SP1 General Information and Installation manual also notes that after upgrading to V7.3 or later, passwords on cards must be rewritten because the stored user information uses an improved hash function. This is relevant to migration of existing native WinCC cards, not to selecting a PM-LOGON reader.

The available WinCC V7.4 SP1 reference does not establish that the native Chip Card feature works with arbitrary currently manufactured readers. If retaining that method, verify the exact reader and card type against the installed V7.4 SP1 documentation and driver support. PM-LOGON V2.0's release-note compatibility and reader list provide a clearer basis for choosing RFID hardware for that version.

Verification

Confirm the exact PM-LOGON version and WinCC release on both stations, and confirm that the selected model/interface and transponder combination is listed or explicitly cleared by Siemens for PM-LOGON V2.0. Test the reader's UID/card detection in its supported mode, verify the card-to-user mapping, and test the actual WinCC V7.4 SP1 login on both OS computers. Also verify that the authentication result maps to the intended WinCC/Windows user and that operators can recover through the site-approved alternative login process.

The V2.0 release notes warn that productive operation in virtualized environments or RDP sessions is not generally supported and that the radio link can be affected by surrounding electrical fields. Include those conditions in the site acceptance decision if applicable.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The ticket does not state the planned reader model, card/transponder type, number of cardholders, user repository, or whether PM-LOGON is to use a central Server or a local Configurator arrangement. Those facts affect device compatibility and licensing. Siemens' release notes list WinCC V7.4 SP1 support but require the PC components used together to be the same PM-LOGON version. They also say installation/operation on an Active Directory Domain Controller is unsupported, and warn that production use in virtualization or RDP is not generally supported.

The WinCC native chip-card reader support is not verified for a currently manufactured reader in this project. Do not deploy either login method until the selected card, reader, target OS, credentials, and fallback access have been tested and approved for the plant.

Engineer FAQ

Does PM-LOGON V2.0 support WinCC V7.4 SP1? Yes. Siemens' V2.0 release notes explicitly list WinCC V7.4 SP1.

Can the PM-LOGON Runtime be installed on both OS stations? Yes, the V2 manual states that Runtime can run on suitable devices without a separate Runtime license. Other component and card-user licensing still applies.

Can any current USB card reader be used with WinCC's built-in Chip Card Terminal? That is not established. Check the exact V7.4 SP1 and reader documentation; PM-LOGON V2.0 has its own release-specific reader list.

Technical References

Siemens, Release notes for PM-LOGON version 2.0, release 2022-04-19, pp. 1–3. This opened release note specifies component version matching, unsupported environments, reader models/interfaces, and compatibility with WinCC V7.4 SP1: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/985/109779985/att_1094606/v2/PM-LOGON_V2.0_ReleaseNotes.pdf
Siemens, PM-LOGON Manual, 28.01.2022, §§1.1–1.2, “Description” and “Licensing,” and §2.1, “Installation prerequisites.” The official Siemens result identifies separate Configurator, Server, Runtime, and User Package licensing; its attachment returned HTTP 403 during this review: https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/attachments/109810587/PM-LOGON_Manual.pdf
Siemens, SIMATIC HMI WinCC V7.4 SP1 – General information and installation, System Manual, 02/2017, A5E40840020-AA, “Migration of chip cards when using the 'Chip card reader' option,” p. 136. This opened manual describes V7.3-and-later card data changes relevant to migration: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/335/109746335/att_915480/v1/WinCC_GeneralInfo_Installation_Readme_en-US_en-US.pdf
Siemens, PM-LOGON System Description, valid from 2020-05-28, sections 1–2. This official summary describes the Runtime role on operator stations and user-package licensing; the support attachment returned HTTP 403 during this review: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/291/109780291/att_1023604/v2/PM-LOGON_Systemdescription.pdf

Add RFID Login to PCS 7 V9.0 and WinCC V7.4 SP1 with PM-LOGON