Mastering the Process Object View (POV) in SIMATIC PCS 7: Bulk Parameterization and Mass Engineering Workflows

The SIMATIC PCS 7 Process Object View (POV, accessible via View -> Process Object View or Shift+F10 in SIMATIC Manager) is a tabular bulk engineering tool that allows engineers to view, filter, mass-edit, and export plant parameters across all CFC charts simultaneously without opening individual diagrams. Documented comprehensively in the SIMATIC PCS 7 Engineering System System Manual (Chapter: Process Object View), the POV provides dedicated tabbed views for General parameters, Signals, Messages, Picture Objects, Archive Tags, and Hierarchy Folders. It also serves as the authoritative interface to audit consumed AS and OS Process Object (PO) license counts.

The Engineering Challenge: Tabular Mass Engineering vs Graphical Chart Editing

In large SIMATIC PCS 7 projects containing hundreds of Continuous Function Charts (CFC) and thousands of technological blocks, modifying engineering properties graphically—such as adjusting alarm deadbands, updating measurement engineering units (°C, bar), or re-addressing field I/O—requires opening each chart individually, clicking block pins, and saving. This workflow is labor-intensive and prone to human error.

The Process Object View (POV) bridges this operational bottleneck by presenting the entire plant hierarchy as a consolidated, relational spreadsheet. Located in SIMATIC Manager under View -> Process Object View (or shortcut Shift + F10), POV enables project-wide mass parameterization in seconds.

Structure and Functional Tabs of the Process Object View (POV)

The lower pane of the Process Object View organizes project metadata across dedicated technological tabs:

General Tab: Displays block instance names, block types, chart paths, author, and execution cycles.
Parameters Tab: Exposes all block input and output parameters. Engineers can filter by block type (e.g. PIDConL), isolate specific parameters (e.g. Gain, TI, TD), and perform column-wide paste operations.
Signals Tab: Details all hardware I/O interconnections, symbolic addresses, and signal types (DI, DO, AI, AO).
Messages Tab: Displays all message texts, alarm classes (Alarm, Warning, Tolerance), and event IDs. Message texts can be mass-edited or checked for linguistic consistency.
Picture Objects Tab: Manages WinCC block icon assignments and picture placement.
Archive Tags Tab: Configures historical long-term archiving settings, acquisition cycles, and smoothing filters directly from the AS view.

Filtering, Bulk Parameterization, and Cross-Chart Signal Reconnection

The true power of POV lies in its multi-tier filtering engine:

Hierarchy Scope: Selecting a specific plant folder in the left tree limits the table to blocks within that unit; selecting the root multiproject displays the entire facility.
Column Filters: Right-clicking column headers allows filtering by string patterns (e.g. filtering for all blocks where Type = MotL).
Bulk Interconnection: Dragging symbolic tags from the Symbol Table directly into the Signals tab connects I/O channels to driver blocks without opening CFC charts.

Auditing AS and OS Process Object (PO) License Consumption

In addition to bulk editing, the Process Object View is the official engineering mechanism to audit license compliance:

Selecting the CPU folder and switching to the Process Objects tab reveals the AS RT PO Count (number of licensed process objects consumed by active control blocks).
Similarly, selecting the WinCC OS Server reveals the OS RT PO Count.
This view allows project managers to verify whether new plant expansions will exceed purchased license boundaries before site commissioning.

Comparative Capability Matrix: CFC Chart Editor vs Process Object View

The following table compares engineering workflows between graphical CFC editing and tabular POV manipulation:

Engineering TaskGraphical CFC EditorProcess Object View (POV)Productivity Gain with POVChanging Gain across 50 PID controllersOpen 50 charts individuallyFilter PIDConL.Gain, mass paste95% time reductionRenaming 200 Alarm Message TextsOpen 200 block message dialogsEdit in Messages tab / Excel export90% time reductionRe-addressing an entire ET 200M stationTrace wires across dozens of sheetsRe-map addresses in Signals tabEliminates wiring errorsAlgorithmic Logic DesignSuperior (Visual interconnection)Not Supported (Cannot draw wires)CFC strictly required for topologyAS/OS PO License AuditManual calculationInstant automatic count displayAuthoritative audit tool

Step-by-Step Mass Engineering Workflow Using POV and Microsoft Excel

Follow this sequence to execute rapid bulk parameterization:

Open POV: In SIMATIC Manager, select the plant hierarchy folder. Click View -> Process Object View.
Apply Filter: Switch to the Parameters tab. In the Filter by Block Type dropdown, select MonAnL.
Select Parameter Columns: Right-click table header -> Select Columns.... Display PV_AH_Lim, PV_WH_Lim, PV_WL_Lim, and PV_AL_Lim.
Export to Excel: Select all rows (Ctrl + A), right-click and select Copy. Paste into Microsoft Excel.
Modify Parameters in Excel: Apply formulas or scaling rules to adjust thresholds across all instruments.
Paste Back into POV: Copy the modified columns from Excel. In the POV Parameters tab, select the top-left cell and press Ctrl + V.
Save and Compile: Click Save in SIMATIC Manager. Perform a delta compilation of CFC charts to commit the bulk updates.

Verification

Confirm mass updates through these validation checks:

CFC Instance Inspection: Open a sample of updated CFC charts. Confirm that block parameters reflect the newly pasted values.
Compilation Consistency: Run Compile Charts as Program -> Changes Only. Verify 0 errors.
PO License Audit: Check the Process Objects summary in POV; verify consumed PO count matches license capacity.
WinCC Faceplate Audit: Open WinCC Runtime; confirm limit values and message descriptions display the updated engineering strings.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Observe the following engineering precautions:

Do Not Paste Structural Logic: POV edits parameter values and simple interconnections; it does not construct complex branching logic.
Read-Only Parameters: Parameters marked as non-interconnectable or internal system variables cannot be modified via POV.
Commercial Accuracy Disclaimer: Software order numbers (MLFBs), package structures, and hardware capacity prerequisites vary across PCS 7 versions and hardware platforms. System integrators must confirm exact software entitlements and licensing requirements against the official Siemens Catalog CA 01 and obtain an authorized Siemens distributor quotation prior to purchasing.

Engineer FAQ

How do I check my consumed Process Object (PO) license count in POV?

In Process Object View, select the AS CPU or WinCC OS folder and view the 'Process Objects' tab, which displays total consumed vs licensed PO counts.

Can I edit alarm message texts across the entire plant using POV?

Yes, the Messages tab in POV displays all message texts, allowing engineers to filter by alarm class and edit texts without opening individual charts.