Connecting OSIsoft PI System to SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2 via OpenPCS 7

Connecting an enterprise OSIsoft PI System historian to SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2—incorporating redundant OS Single Stations and an Engineering Station—is officially implemented using an OpenPCS 7 Station. OpenPCS 7 acts as an independent OPC server (OPC DA, OPC HDA, and OPC A&E) that pools data and historical archives from the redundant OS runtime servers, providing seamless failover and shielding the automation system from external query loads. This architecture requires an OpenPCS 7 software license key on the OpenPCS 7 station and the standard OSIsoft PI OPC Interface on the external PI server, without requiring additional licenses on the OS Single Stations.

Integration Architecture: OpenPCS 7 as the Enterprise Bridge

Connecting enterprise historians like the OSIsoft PI System (now AVEVA PI) to SIMATIC PCS 7 requires continuous real-time process data acquisition, historical archive backfilling, and alarm/event collection. In a plant with redundant OS Single Stations, the interface must automatically handle redundant server switchovers without causing data gaps or duplicate records.

Siemens addresses this requirement through OpenPCS 7. The OpenPCS 7 station connects to the terminal bus, queries both redundant OS nodes, and exposes standardized OPC interfaces (OPC DA 3.0, OPC HDA 1.2, OPC A&E 1.10, and OPC UA) to the external OSIsoft PI Interface node.

Why Direct WinCC Connections Are Deprecated for Enterprise Historians

The table below contrasts direct WinCC connectivity against OpenPCS 7 architecture:

Architectural ParameterDirect Connection to WinCC OSDedicated OpenPCS 7 StationRedundancy ManagementExternal client must manually code failover logic between Server 1 and Server 2.Automated Seamless Failover: OpenPCS 7 automatically routes queries to active master.Control Room ImpactHeavy historical queries compete for disk I/O with operator alarm and screen updates.Decoupled Load: Query caching and buffering offload live OS runtime servers.Historical Archive AccessRequires custom SQL or OLE-DB scripts; proprietary compressed format.Standard OPC HDA: Native historical data access supported by standard OSIsoft PI interface.Cybersecurity IsolationBridges IT/OT boundary directly into mission-critical OS servers.DMZ Integration: OpenPCS 7 resides in the perimeter network, protecting control tiers.

Configuring OpenPCS 7 and OSIsoft PI Interface

To establish the high-availability interface between PCS 7 V8.2 and OSIsoft PI:

Step 1: Configure OpenPCS 7 in SIMATIC Manager

In the PCS 7 Multiproject, insert a new PC Station named OpenPCS7.
In HW Config, insert the OpenPCS 7 application from the hardware catalog.
In NetPro, configure a connection between the OpenPCS 7 station and the redundant OS server packages.
Compile OS and download the target station configuration to the OpenPCS 7 computer.

Step 2: Configure OSIsoft PI OPC Interface

On the external OSIsoft PI Interface server, install the PI Interface for OPC DA / OPC HDA.
Configure the interface connection string pointing to the OpenPCS 7 OPC Server (OPCServer.OpenPCS7).
Configure digital and analog PI points using standard instrument tag naming conventions matching PCS 7 hierarchy paths.
Enable PI Interface historical recovery (HDA backfill) to automatically restore trend records following network maintenance.

Procurement Schedule for OpenPCS 7

The following Equipment Schedule specifies the relevant order numbers for OpenPCS 7 integration:

Software Packages:
- OpenPCS 7 V8.2 Software Media and License Key:  6ES7658-0CX18-0YA5
- OpenPCS 7 V8.2 Upgrade Package:                6ES7658-0CX18-0YE5

[!IMPORTANT]
Commercial Accuracy Disclaimer: OpenPCS 7 is licensed per OpenPCS 7 server station. The redundant OS Single Stations do not require additional OpenPCS 7 runtime licenses. On the enterprise side, OSIsoft PI software licenses (PI Server tag count and PI OPC Interface licenses) are procured separately through OSIsoft/AVEVA. Final license quantities and MLFBs must be validated against the applicable Siemens ST PCS 7 Catalog and authorized distributor quotations.

Verification

To verify that process data flows smoothly into the OSIsoft PI System:

On the OpenPCS 7 station, launch OPC Scout: confirm connection to OPCServer.OpenPCS7 displays good quality status.
On the OSIsoft PI Interface server, open PI Interface Configuration Utility (PI-ICU): verify interface status is Running.
Open PI ProcessBook or PI Vision: create a trend display for a target PCS 7 analog tag (e.g., Plant1/UnitA/TI_101.PV_Out#Value).
Confirm that real-time process changes in PCS 7 reflect immediately in the PI trend.
Simulate OS redundancy switchover: confirm that PI data acquisition continues without flatlining or gap interruptions.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Operational boundaries for enterprise historian interfaces:

Tag Name Suffixes: In PCS 7 V8.2, tags exposed via OpenPCS 7 utilize full hierarchical paths and structure pins (e.g., #Value). Ensure PI tag naming rules allow standard PCS 7 naming syntax.
DCOM / Firewall Port Configuration: If OpenPCS 7 and the PI Interface machine are on separate network domains, configure Windows Defender Firewall rules and DCOM security endpoints according to the OpenPCS 7 manual.
OPC UA Evolution: In modern installations (PCS 7 V9.0+), deploy OpenPCS 7 OPC UA to eliminate classic DCOM configuration complexities.

Engineer FAQ

Can OSIsoft PI connect directly to WinCC OS without OpenPCS 7?

While direct OPC DA connections to WinCC are technically possible using the Connectivity Pack, Siemens strongly recommends OpenPCS 7 because it manages automatic redundancy switchover and prevents external queries from degrading operator screen performance.

Does OpenPCS 7 support historical backfill into OSIsoft PI?

Yes. OpenPCS 7 provides an OPC HDA (Historical Data Access) interface that allows the PI Interface to query past WinCC Tag Logging records following network interruptions.

Is an additional license needed on the redundant OS Single Stations for OpenPCS 7?

No. The OpenPCS 7 license key is installed exclusively on the OpenPCS 7 server station itself.

Can OpenPCS 7 run on the same virtual server as the OSIsoft PI Interface?

Yes, installing the PI Interface software directly on the OpenPCS 7 PC station eliminates DCOM network configuration between them, utilizing fast local COM communication.