C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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Evaluating Technical Benefits and Licensing Requirements When Upgrading PCS 7 V8.2 to V9.0

Evaluating Technical Benefits and Licensing Requirements When Upgrading PCS 7 V8.2 to V9.0

Upgrading an existing SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2 facility (S7-417-5H and REDCONNECT V8.2) to V9.0 alongside a new S7-410H expansion delivers essential technological benefits: native PROFINET architectures, support for ET 200SP HA and Compact Field Units (CFU), Plant Automation Accelerator (PAA) integration, and migration from end-of-life Windows 7 / Server 2008 to Windows 10 Enterprise / Server 2016. Because SIMATIC Manager cannot manage mixed PCS 7 versions within a single Engineering Station (ES) multi-project, upgrading requires procuring dedicated upgrade licenses: ES Software Upgrade (6ES7651-5AX58-0YE5), OS Software Server Upgrade (6ES7652-5BX58-0YE0), and SOFTNET-IE S7 REDCONNECT Upgrade (6GK1704-0HB00-3AE0). Validate all license quantities and part numbers through an authorized Siemens distributor or the Siemens Industry Mall.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Industrial manufacturing facilities frequently expand their production capacity by constructing new process units. When the existing plant runs on legacy hardware (e.g., S7-417-5H controllers, SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2, and Windows 7) while the new unit is designed around modern standards (S7-410-5H, PCS 7 V9.0, and Windows 10), automation leaders face a strategic architectural decision: should the legacy facility be upgraded to V9.0, or should the systems remain isolated? If the plant architecture mandates a unified Engineering Station (ES) and multi-client supervisory stations viewing both facilities, maintaining split PCS 7 versions is technically unsupported. Upgrading resolves software obsolescence and security vulnerabilities while unlocking high-bandwidth PROFINET field networks.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

Analyzing the upgrade from PCS 7 V8.2 to V9.0 involves assessing multi-project engineering constraints, hardware evolution, and licensing structures:

1. Multi-Project and Multi-Client Constraints

In SIMATIC PCS 7, multi-version coexistence has strict boundaries:
- Engineering Station (ES): SIMATIC Manager cannot host a single multi-project containing both V8.2 and V9.0 AS/OS stations. A single ES can only execute one installed version of STEP 7, CFC, and WinCC.
- OS Client Multi-Server Access: An OS Client running WinCC V7.4 (PCS 7 V9.0) cannot reliably load server data packages from an OS Server running WinCC V7.3 (PCS 7 V8.2) due to database schema differences in Tag Logging and Alarm Logging.
- Therefore, a common ES and unified multi-client station mandate upgrading the entire system to PCS 7 V9.0.

2. Core Technological Benefits of PCS 7 V9.0

  • PROFINET Industrial Fieldbus: Enables redundant PROFINET rings (MRP, S2 system redundancy, and R1 controller redundancy), replacing bulky PROFIBUS DP copper infrastructure with fiber-optic Industrial Ethernet.
  • Next-Generation I/O Lines: Native support for SIMATIC ET 200SP HA (compact, high channel density, $-40^\circ\text{C}$ to $+70^\circ\text{C}$ operation) and SIMATIC Compact Field Unit (CFU) for decentralized field-mounted I/O.
  • Plant Automation Accelerator (PAA): Enables bidirectional digital-twin data exchange between process engineering diagrams and PCS 7 engineering.
  • Operating System & Security: Replaces obsolete Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 with Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB/LTSC and Windows Server 2016, providing patch support and modern cybersecurity compliance (IEC 62443).

3. Upgrade Licensing Topology

Siemens structures upgrades via cost-effective 'Upgrade Packages' rather than requiring repurchasing full base licenses:
- ES Upgrade: Upgrades AS/OS engineering software and libraries from V8.x to V9.0.
- OS Server Upgrade: Upgrades base WinCC runtime and Process Object (PO) tiers.
- REDCONNECT Upgrade: Upgrades high-availability communication drivers on OS server CP1623 cards.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

To plan and execute a seamless facility upgrade from PCS 7 V8.2 to V9.0:

Step 1: Software and Hardware Audit

  1. Audit the installed hardware base:
    - Verify that legacy S7-417-5H CPUs have firmware compatible with PCS 7 V9.0 (check SIOS compatibility tables).
    - Inspect existing PC hardware; ensure IPCs meet Windows 10 / Server 2016 64-bit hardware requirements.
  2. Audit active software licenses using Automation License Manager (ALM) on the ES and OS stations.

Step 2: Procure Upgrade License Packages

  1. Procure the following specific upgrade packages via an authorized Siemens distributor:
    - ES Upgrade: SIMATIC PCS 7 Software Upgrade Package ES V8.x to V9.0 (MLFB: 6ES7651-5AX58-0YE5).
    - OS Server Upgrade: SIMATIC PCS 7 Software Upgrade Package OS Server V8.x to V9.0 (MLFB: 6ES7652-5BX58-0YE0).
    - REDCONNECT Upgrade: SIMATIC NET SOFTNET-IE S7 REDCONNECT Upgrade V8.x to V9.0 (MLFB: 6GK1704-0HB00-3AE0).
  2. Confirm PO count expansions if new equipment is added to the legacy project.

Step 3: Upgrade Automation License Manager and Licenses

  1. Install the latest version of Automation License Manager (ALM) on the ES and OS servers.
  2. Transfer upgrade license keys to the local drives.
  3. In ALM, select the existing V8.x license and execute License Key -> Upgrade to transform it into a valid V9.0 license.

Step 4: Software Installation and Multi-Project Migration

  1. Perform clean operating system installations (Windows 10 / Server 2016) on the target workstations.
  2. Install SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 via the Frame Setup.
  3. Archive the V8.2 multi-project and open it in SIMATIC Manager V9.0.
  4. Follow the PCS 7 Migration Wizard to upgrade block libraries, compile CFC charts with the latest APL V9.0 library, and compile OS runtime projects.

Verification

To confirm successful upgrade and unified operation:

  1. License Verification in ALM:
    - Verify that all licenses show status 'OK' with version '9.0' and zero license deficit warnings.

  2. Communication and REDCONNECT Test:
    - On the OS Server, open the 'Communication Diagnostics' tool and verify that redundant S7 connections to both the S7-417-5H and S7-410H are healthy.

  3. Multi-Client Verification:
    - Open the unified OS Client runtime.
    - Navigate between pictures representing the legacy facility (S7-417-5H) and the new facility (S7-410H).
    - Confirm that faceplates, alarms, and trends from both units populate seamlessly without script errors.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Operational limitations and precautions:

  1. No S7-417 Firmware Modernization: Upgrading PCS 7 to V9.0 does not grant the older S7-417-5H native PROFINET system redundancy (S2/R1); native PROFINET S2 redundancy requires the CPU 410-5H.
  2. Plant Downtime Required: Upgrading an S7-417-5H AS program from V8.2 to V9.0 with updated APL libraries typically mandates an AS Stop (complete download) unless an asynchronous H-system update sequence is strictly followed.
  3. Windows 7 Obsolescence: Operating legacy PCS 7 V8.2 on Windows 7 leaves the facility vulnerable to unpatched security exploits.
  4. Commercial Disclaimer: License quantities, options, and MLFBs must be validated against the official Siemens Industry Mall or an authorized Siemens distributor before procurement.

Engineer FAQ

Can an Engineering Station run both PCS 7 V8.2 and V9.0 simultaneously?

No. Only one version of SIMATIC PCS 7 can be installed on an Engineering Station. Multi-projects containing different versions cannot be managed concurrently.

Can a PCS 7 V9.0 OS Client read data from a PCS 7 V8.2 OS Server?

Siemens does not support mixed-version client-server configurations due to internal WinCC database schema and communication protocol differences.

What is the upgrade license part number for the Engineering Station?

The MLFB for upgrading the ES from V8.x to V9.0 is 6ES7651-5AX58-0YE5.

Does upgrading to PCS 7 V9.0 require replacing the S7-417-5H CPU?

No. The S7-417-5H is supported in PCS 7 V9.0. However, it operates using classical PROFIBUS or standard Ethernet, not advanced PROFINET S2/R1 redundancy.

What operating system does PCS 7 V9.0 require?

PCS 7 V9.0 supports Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2015/2016 and Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition (64-bit).

Technical References

Related Articles

Related Tags

  • PCS 7 Upgrade
  • V8.2 to V9.0
  • REDCONNECT
  • Licensing MLFB
  • S7-410H Migration
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