Configuring Redundant WinCC OS Stations Using Standard Intel NICs (IE General) Without CP 1623

It is fully supported by Siemens to configure a SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Single Station or redundant OS Server pair using standard, commercial on-board Intel Gigabit Ethernet network adapters (without specialized CP 1623 or CP 1613 communications processors). In the SIMATIC PC Station hardware configuration, engineers must insert an 'IE General' card in place of a CP card and assign the physical Intel adapter's MAC and IP address. For redundant connections to S7-400H fault-tolerant controllers, the station requires the software package SIMATIC NET SOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT (Order No. 6GK1704-0HB00-0AA0). While high-precision hardware time stamping (1 ms SOE) is not supported on standard Intel adapters, standard process visualization, alarms, and trends operate with 100% functionality.

Dedicated CP Processors vs Standard On-Board Intel Network Cards

Historically, SIMATIC PCS 7 engineering standards mandated dedicated communication processors (e.g., CP 1613, CP 1623) on OS Servers communicating over Industrial Ethernet.

With modern high-speed multi-core PC hardware, engineers frequently query whether standard commercial on-board Intel network interface cards (NICs) can be utilized:
* The Answer: Yes. Siemens officially releases standard commercial and industrial Intel network adapters (e.g., Intel I210, I350, PRO/1000) for both OS Single Stations and redundant OS Server pairs.
* The Architectural Shift: Protocol processing is shifted from an onboard hardware ASIC (CP 1623) to a lightweight Windows software driver layer (SOFTNET-IE), delivering significant hardware cost savings without compromising communication stability.

Configuration in HW Config: The Role of 'IE General'

To configure an Intel network card in SIMATIC Manager:

Open the SIMATIC PC Station in HW Config.
From the Hardware Catalog, browse to:
SIMATIC PC Station -> CP -> Industrial Ethernet -> IE General.
Drag the IE General module into the virtual PC rack (e.g., Slot 3 or 4).
In module properties:
* Enter the exact static IP address and subnet mask assigned to the physical Intel NIC.
* Attach the card to the PlantBus Industrial Ethernet network.
In NetPro:
* Create the S7 connection or S7 fault-tolerant connection between the WinCC Application and the AS controllers.
* NetPro routes traffic through the configured IE General interface.

S7-REDCONNECT Licensing: Hardnet vs SOFTNET-IE

When connecting to redundant S7-400H or AS 410-5H controllers, the licensing framework differs based on the installed hardware:

Hardnet S7-REDCONNECT (For CP 1623 / CP 1613)

Requires a physical PCIe CP card.
Protocol stack runs in hardware on the card.
Licensed via SIMATIC NET Hardnet S7-REDCONNECT.

SOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT (For Intel IE General Cards)

Operates on standard off-the-shelf Intel NICs (Order No. 6GK1704-0HB00-0AA0).
Protocol stack executes in Windows kernel memory.
Fully supports up to 4 redundant physical sub-paths to redundant S7-400H CPU pairs.
In redundant architectures, each OS server requires its own SOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT license.

Performance Trade-Offs and Hardware Time Stamping Limitations

While standard Intel cards deliver full operational equivalence for SCADA control, engineers must account for two technical trade-offs:

Hardware Time Stamping (1 ms SOE) Prohibited:
* Sequence of Events (SOE) time stamping with 1 ms resolution requires hardware clock synchronization directly on the network ASIC (supported exclusively by CP 1623 and CP 443-1 with IRIG-B / IEEE 1588).
* Standard Intel NICs support only standard software time stamping (typically 10 to 50 ms resolution).
Host PC CPU Utilization:
* High-traffic plants exchanging > 50,000 tags per second generate slight CPU overhead on the host OS PC when using SOFTNET-IE compared to hardware-offloaded CP 1623 cards.

Network Adapter Architecture Comparison Matrix

The following table compares CP 1623 and Intel IE General architectures for PCS 7 OS Servers:

Technical CriterionDedicated CP 1623Standard Intel NIC (IE General)Hardware RequiredPhysical PCIe Card (6GK1162-3AA00)Standard On-board / PCIe Intel NICHW Config ModuleCP 1623IE GeneralRedundancy PackageHardnet S7-REDCONNECTSOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT (6GK1704-0HB00-0AA0)Hardware Time Stamping (1 ms)SupportedNot Supported (Software time only)Virtualization CompatibilityLimited (Requires ESXi Passthrough)Full (VMXNET3 / Hyper-V compatible)Hardware CostHighLow / Included on motherboard

Deploying Intel IE General adapters reduces capital cost while simplifying hardware sparing.

Verification

To verify that the OS communicates cleanly via standard Intel adapters:
1. In the Windows System Tray, open the Station Configuration Editor; confirm that IE General indicates status 'RUN' (Normal).
2. Open WinCC Channel Diagnosis; verify that connections under SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite -> Industrial Ethernet / Named Connections show 'Ready / OK'.
3. In WinCC Runtime, verify that all dynamic process tags, alarms, and trends update smoothly.
4. On a redundant S7-400H system, physically disconnect one of the Intel network cables; verify that communication seamlessly maintains tag updates across the secondary path.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Ensure commercial desktop energy-saving features (e.g., 'Green Ethernet' or 'Allow computer to turn off this device to save power') are disabled in Windows Device Manager.
Never use non-Intel consumer network adapters (e.g., Realtek or Marvell) for production PCS 7 OS Servers; use certified Intel server-grade NICs.
In redundant OS Server setups, both server machines must be licensed identically with SOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT.
Always validate final license quantities, module availability, and MLFBs against the applicable Siemens catalog and authorized distributor quotation.

Engineer FAQ

Can I use standard Intel cards for the Redundancy Link between OS Servers?

Yes. The WinCC Redundancy synchronization link can utilize standard Intel network cards connected via a crossover cable or dedicated switch, completely independent of Plant Bus hardware.

Why does NetPro give an error when creating an S7-H connection with IE General?

In NetPro, an S7 fault-tolerant connection over IE General requires that the PC Station has the SOFTNET-IE S7-REDCONNECT software package selected in its station properties.

Can an OS Client use an Intel network card?

Yes. OS Clients communicate exclusively over the Terminal Bus and have always used standard commercial network cards without requiring specialized CP hardware.