C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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Configuring AS-OS Communication with S7-PLCSIM in SIMATIC PCS 7 for Virtual Commissioning

Configuring AS-OS Communication with S7-PLCSIM in SIMATIC PCS 7 for Virtual Commissioning

In SIMATIC PCS 7 (v7.0 to v9.x), establishing communication between a virtual Automation Station (AS) running in S7-PLCSIM and WinCC Operator Station (OS) on a single workstation requires setting the PG/PC Interface to 'PLCSIM.MPI' or 'PLCSIM.TCPIP', configuring the WinCC communication channel to use Named Connections or Industrial Ethernet, and launching S7-PLCSIM before activating WinCC Runtime. Because PCS 7 projects standardly use Named Connections over Industrial Ethernet (CP 1613/CP 1623), PLCSIM must simulate the S7 connection using the virtual S7DOS simulation driver.

Table of Contents

S7-PLCSIM Virtual Communication Architecture in PCS 7

In SIMATIC PCS 7, testing control software without physical controller hardware relies on S7-PLCSIM:
* Virtual CPU Execution: S7-PLCSIM emulates the S7-400 CPU instruction set, organization blocks (OB35, OB100), process image partitions, and memory areas.
* Internal Communication Driver (S7DOS): When PLCSIM launches, it hooks into the local Siemens communication stack (S7DOS).
* AS-OS Integration: In standard PCS 7 architectures, WinCC communicates with the AS controller using Named Connections (via SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite). In simulation mode, WinCC redirects these Named Connections across the internal PLCSIM communication pipe rather than physical network interface cards.

Named Connections vs Standard Industrial Ethernet in Simulation

Configuring the simulation path depends on the project connection structure:
1. Named Connections (Default PCS 7 Standard):
* Configured in NetPro between the WinCC Application and the AS CPU.
* To simulate, the PG/PC Interface must have its Access Point S7ONLINE assigned to PLCSIM(MPI) or PLCSIM(ISO) depending on the PLCSIM release.
2. Multiple AS Simulation:
* Standard S7-PLCSIM V5.4 supports only one active simulated CPU instance at a time.
* To simulate multi-AS architectures (e.g. AS1 and AS2 simultaneously), engineers must either test controllers sequentially, upgrade to SIMIT Simulation Platform, or utilize specialized multi-instance simulation tools.

Step-by-Step AS-OS PLCSIM Configuration Procedure

Follow this procedure to establish communication between PLCSIM and WinCC OS:

[Phase 1: Configure PG/PC Interface for Simulation]
   │  • Open: Control Panel -> "Set PG/PC Interface"
   │  • Access Point of the Application: Select "S7ONLINE (STEP 7)"
   │  • Interface Parameter Assignment Used:
   │      - Select: "PLCSIM(MPI)" (or "PLCSIM(TCPIP)" / "PLCSIM(ISO)")
   │  • Click "OK"
   │
[Phase 2: Launch S7-PLCSIM and Download AS Program]
   │  • In SIMATIC Manager: Click the "Simulation On/Off" toolbar button
   │  • S7-PLCSIM launches in STOP mode
   │  • In SIMATIC Manager: Select the AS Station -> PLC -> Download
   │  • Download Hardware Configuration and CFC charts to the virtual CPU
   │  • Switch PLCSIM CPU operating switch to "RUN-P"
   │
[Phase 3: Configure WinCC Communication Channel and Activate Runtime]
   │  • In SIMATIC Manager: Right-click the OS Station -> Open Project
   │  • In WinCC Explorer -> Tag Management -> SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite:
   │      - Navigate to "Named Connections"
   │      - Right-click "Named Connections" -> System Parameters -> Unit tab:
   │          Verify "Logical Device Name" is linked to "S7ONLINE"
   │  • Activate WinCC Runtime -> Process values update from PLCSIM!

Communication Channel Configuration and Simulation Interface Matrix

Compare communication parameters between physical runtime and PLCSIM simulation:

Subsystem / SettingPhysical Plant RuntimeS7-PLCSIM Simulation ModePG/PC Interface S7ONLINECP1623(ISO) or Network CardPLCSIM(MPI) or PLCSIM(TCPIP)WinCC Channel UnitNamed ConnectionsNamed Connections (via S7ONLINE)Controller HardwarePhysical S7-400 / CPU 410-5HEmulated Virtual S7-400Simultaneous CPUsUnlimited across Plant BusSingle CPU (PLCSIM V5.4) / Multi (SIMIT)Field I/O SimulationPhysical transducers and ET 200Forcing variables via PLCSIM View Objects

Verification

To confirm that AS-OS communication is active in PLCSIM:
1. In WinCC Explorer, open Tag Management -> SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite -> Named Connections.
2. Right-click the connection -> select Status; verify that connection status indicates Connected with a green checkmark.
3. In S7-PLCSIM, open a variable view table; toggle an analog process input or discrete limit switch.
4. Observe the corresponding WinCC process picture; confirm that faceplate indicators and trend curves react dynamically to the forced simulation values.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Never execute S7-PLCSIM on an active Engineering Station connected to a live physical production Plant Bus without isolating network adapters. If the PG/PC interface is switched to physical adapters while PLCSIM is active, address conflicts can occur. Standard S7-PLCSIM does not simulate hardware fault interrupts (OB82/OB86) or PROFINET redundancy switchover; use Siemens SIMIT for high-fidelity safety and fault-tolerant testing.

Engineer FAQ

Can PLCSIM simulate two AS controllers communicating via S7 connections?

Standard S7-PLCSIM V5.4 cannot run multiple concurrent CPUs on one PC. Multi-controller testing requires SIMIT or virtual machines running separate PLCSIM instances bridged via NetToPLCSim.

Why does WinCC show disconnected tags even though PLCSIM is in RUN?

WinCC Named Connections require the Access Point S7ONLINE in 'Set PG/PC Interface' to point directly to PLCSIM. If set to a physical NIC, WinCC will not connect to PLCSIM.

Does S7-PLCSIM support fail-safe programs (S7 F Systems)?

Yes. S7-PLCSIM can execute fail-safe blocks and Safety Matrix logic, allowing complete safety interlock verification offline.

How do I return the workstation to physical controller communication?

Open 'Set PG/PC Interface' and change S7ONLINE back to your physical communications processor (e.g. CP1623(ISO) or standard network card).

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • S7-PLCSIM
  • Virtual Commissioning
  • Named Connections
  • WinCC Simulation
  • PG/PC Interface
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