How to Audit Configured and Licensed Process Objects in SIMATIC PCS 7 AS and OS

In SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1, auditing configured versus licensed Process Objects (PO) across Automation Stations (AS) and Operator Stations (OS) is achieved through the integrated 'PCS 7 License Information' tool in SIMATIC Manager. In Component View or Plant View, right-clicking the multi-project root folder or an individual sub-project and selecting 'PCS 7 License Information' opens an audit dashboard detailing total configured AS Runtime POs, OS Runtime POs, and installed license capacities. Cross-verifying these counts against Automation License Manager (ALM) on the Engineering Station and target OS Servers guarantees licensing compliance prior to software downloads.

Process Object (PO) Accounting Framework in SIMATIC PCS 7

In SIMATIC PCS 7, software and hardware capacity is licensed using Process Objects (PO) rather than arbitrary I/O tag counts:
* What Is a Process Object?:
* A basic automation unit representing a controllable technological entity in the plant: a motor (MotL), a control valve (VlvL), a closed-loop controller (PIDConL), an analog monitor (MonAnL), or a dosing unit.
* Simple calculation blocks (adders, multipliers) and internal logic gates do NOT consume Process Objects.
* Why Auditing Is Critical:
* If configured AS POs exceed licensed capacity, controller compilation or downloads may be rejected.
* If configured OS POs exceed licensed capacity, WinCC OS delta downloads ('Changes Only') will abort with licensing errors, and runtime will enter demo mode.

Auditing Multi-Project POs via 'PCS 7 License Information'

To view the authoritative licensing audit dashboard in SIMATIC Manager:

Accessing the License Information Tool:
* In SIMATIC Manager, switch to Component View or Plant View.
* Right-click the top-level Multi-project folder (e.g., Plant_MP).
* Select menu: PCS 7 License Information....
Interpreting the Audit Dashboard:
* The utility scans all CFC charts, SFC charts, and OS projects across the multi-project.
* AS Runtime POs Table:
- Lists each automation station (e.g., AS1, AS2).
- Displays Configured POs, Licensed POs, and Remaining Capacity.
- OS Runtime POs Table:
- Lists each Operator Station server.
- Displays total configured WinCC POs versus installed runtime license tiers.
Single Station Auditing:
* Right-clicking an individual project folder opens the audit report restricted to that specific sub-project.

Differentiating AS Runtime POs vs OS Runtime POs

A fundamental licensing principle is distinguishing AS and OS capacity:

AS Runtime POs (Controller Capacity):
Governed by the CPU hardware expansion: for CPU 410-5H, defined by the System Expansion Card (SEC) capacity. For classic S7-400 CPUs, defined by AS RT PO software licenses.
Counted: Every CFC block instance with alarm capability (Message := 'true') or operator control (S7_m_c := 'true').
OS Runtime POs (Operator Visualization):
Governed by WinCC Runtime licenses installed on each OS Server (e.g., WinCC RT 1000 PO).
In redundant OS Server pairs, both servers must be licensed independently for the identical PO capacity.
AS/OS Engineering POs:
Engineering station license authorizing compilation of process objects.

Verifying License Keys in Automation License Manager (ALM)

To reconcile configured counts against actual installed licenses:

Launch Automation License Manager (ALM) on the Engineering Station.
Select local drive C:: verify the presence of:
* AS/OS Engineering (e.g., PCS 7 Engineering V8.1).
* CPU 410 Expansion Packs (if performing online CPU expansion).
Connect ALM across the network to each OS Server (Edit > Connect Computer...):
* Confirm that each OS Server has a valid, non-trial SIMATIC WinCC RT (xx PO) license matching or exceeding the configured OS PO count reported in SIMATIC Manager.

Comparison of Process Object Counting Rules and Tiers

The table below outlines Process Object consumption rules across typical PCS 7 library blocks.

Block NameBlock TypeConsumes AS RT PO?Consumes OS RT PO?Typical ConsumptionPIDConLContinuous PID ControllerYes (1 PO)Yes (1 PO)Standard control loopMotL / VlvLMotor / Valve ActuatorYes (1 PO)Yes (1 PO)Standard driveMonAnLAnalog Measurement MonitorYes (1 PO)Yes (1 PO)Transmitter monitoringPcs7AnInHardware Channel DriverNO (0 PO)NO (0 PO)Hardware driverAdd04 / Mul04Math CalculationNO (0 PO)NO (0 PO)Internal mathSFC ChartSequential Function ChartYes (1 PO per chart)Yes (1 PO)Batch sequence phase

Verification

To confirm that Process Object auditing is complete and verified:
1. In SIMATIC Manager, open PCS 7 License Information.
2. Confirm that total Configured POs is less than or equal to Licensed POs for all AS and OS entries.
3. Open WinCC Explorer on the OS Server: right-click the root project node and select Properties > Process Objects.
4. Confirm that Configured Process Objects in WinCC matches the OS count reported in SIMATIC Manager.
5. In ALM, verify that all license keys report status OK with zero missing, corrupted, or expired trial licenses.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Operating a production system where configured POs exceed licensed POs triggers recurring hourly demo mode alerts in WinCC and can prevent online changes-only downloads.
In redundant OS configurations, never assume one server license covers the pair; both Master and Standby OS servers require independent, fully licensed PO keys.
Never estimate licensing requirements solely from physical I/O tag counts; always calculate actual PO consumption using the installed engineering software.
Always validate final license quantities, PowerPack expansion MLFBs, and commercial quotations against the applicable Siemens catalog and authorized distributor quotation.

Engineer FAQ

Where can I see total Process Object consumption in PCS 7?

In SIMATIC Manager, right-click the Multi-project root container and select 'PCS 7 License Information' to see the complete audit of AS and OS POs.

Do hardware driver blocks like Pcs7AnIn consume Process Objects?

No. Basic channel driver blocks (Pcs7AnIn, Pcs7DiIn) and mathematical calculation blocks consume zero Process Objects.

What happens if my project exceeds its licensed Process Objects?

WinCC Runtime will enter demo mode, generating recurring popup warnings every hour, and SIMATIC Manager will block 'Changes Only' delta downloads to the OS until upgrade licenses are installed.