C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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Printing PCS 7 CFC Charts to File (.prn and PDF) - Resolving Printit.exe Freezes in Windows 7 and 10

Printing PCS 7 CFC Charts to File (.prn and PDF) - Resolving Printit.exe Freezes in Windows 7 and 10

In SIMATIC PCS 7 (V8.0 through V9.1), batch printing CFC charts using the legacy 'Print to file' (.prn) checkbox fails because the 32-bit background printing engine printit.exe cannot handle modal Windows file-save dialogs in modern 64-bit operating systems, causing empty outputs in Windows 7 or application hangs in Windows 10. To resolve this and generate clean PDF documentation: 1) Do not use the 'Print to file' checkbox; 2) Install a virtual PDF printer driver (such as Microsoft Print to PDF, Adobe PDF, or PDFCreator) configured to output directly to a designated folder without interactive prompts; 3) In CFC, navigate to Chart > Print > Setup and select the PDF printer; and 4) If printit.exe hangs, terminate the process in Task Manager and verify the integrity of the report layout templates (.RPL) in the Step 7 installation.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Creating hardcopy or digital documentation of complex Continuous Function Charts (CFC) is a routine requirement during FAT, SAT, and plant handover in SIMATIC PCS 7. Engineers accustomed to legacy Step 7 workflows frequently attempt to batch-plot hundreds of CFC charts by checking the 'Print to file' option to generate *.prn files for subsequent PDF conversion. On modern 64-bit systems (Windows 7 and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC), this operation fails consistently: in Windows 7, the print process terminates without generating files; in Windows 10, the background process printit.exe deadlocks, freezing the CFC editor and requiring forceful task termination. This technical guide explains the root cause of printit.exe deadlocks, outlines template file mechanics, and provides the reliable modern workflow to export CFCs directly to PDF.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

CFC Print Subsystem Architecture and printit.exe Deadlock

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                         PCS 7 CFC Editor Environment                    |
|                                                                         |
|   [Engineer selects 'Chart > Print' -> Checks 'Print to File' (*.prn)]  |
+-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------+
                                    | Spawns Background Process
                                    v
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|               32-Bit Print Daemon: 'printit.exe'                        |
|               (C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Step7\S7bin\printit.exe)  |
|                                                                         |
|   1. Loads Report Layout Template (*.RPL)                               |
|   2. Prepares Vector Graphics Layout                                    |
|   3. Calls Windows GDI Print Hook for Output File Path                  |
+-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------+
                                    |
         +--------------------------+--------------------------+
         |                                                     |
         v Windows 7 (64-Bit)                                  v Windows 10 (64-Bit)
+------------------------------------+           +------------------------+
| Silent File Creation Failure       |           | Deadlock in Session 0  |
|                                    |           |                        |
| - Print dialog dismissed silently  |           | - Modal 'Save As' pop- ||
| - File handle dropped by OS spooler|           |   up spawned hidden    |
| - Zero byte or missing *.prn file  |           | - 'printit.exe' HANGS  |
|                                    |           | - Entire ES Freezes!   |
+------------------------------------+           +------------------------+

Root Cause Breakdown

  1. Session Isolation and Hidden Dialogs: On Windows 10, when 32-bit printit.exe sends a 'Print to File' job through modern printer drivers, the Windows spooler attempts to invoke a common file dialog (GetSaveFileName). Because printit.exe executes as an automated child process without an active top-level window handle, the dialog is spawned hidden in the background or fails security isolation, causing the thread to block indefinitely waiting for non-existent user input.
  2. Office Applications vs. PCS 7: Office applications (Word, Excel) are top-level interactive GUI applications that directly host the file dialog in their foreground message pump; background daemons like printit.exe lack this capability.
  3. Corrupted Report Layout Files (*.RPL): CFC utilizes layout templates (@CFC_*.RPL) located in S7bin. If templates are damaged or desynchronized during software updates, the print generator aborts before outputting data.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

Step 1: Terminate Hung Print Tasks in Task Manager

  1. If CFC is currently frozen, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Under the Details tab, locate printit.exe.
  3. Select printit.exe and click End Task.
  4. If S7tgtopx.exe (SIMATIC Manager) remains unresponsive, end it and restart SIMATIC Manager.

Step 2: Configure a Dedicated Virtual PDF Printer

  1. In Windows Settings, navigate to Devices > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Verify that Microsoft Print to PDF or Adobe PDF is installed.
  3. For high-volume automated batch printing without repetitive file name prompts:
    - Install an industrial PDF utility such as PDFCreator.
    - Open PDFCreator settings and navigate to Auto-Save.
    - Enable automatic saving, configure a target directory (e.g., C:\CFC_PDF_Exports), and set the naming convention token to <Title>_<DateTime>.

Step 3: Configure Print Setup in CFC Editor

  1. In SIMATIC Manager, open any CFC chart.
  2. Select Chart > Print > Setup....
  3. In the Printer Name dropdown, select your configured PDF printer (e.g., Microsoft Print to PDF or PDFCreator).
  4. In the Paper Size settings, select A3 or A4 (Landscape orientation is recommended for CFC charts).
  5. Under Options, UNCHECK the checkbox Print to file.
  6. Click OK to set this printer as the default for the CFC subsystem.

Step 4: Execute Batch Print of CFC Charts

  1. To print all charts in an S7 program:
  2. In SIMATIC Manager, select the Charts folder in the tree.
  3. Select PLC > Print or right-click the Charts folder and choose Print Object List....
  4. Select the print scope (e.g., All charts, Overview, Parameter tables).
  5. Confirm the print job. The virtual PDF printer will capture the vector graphics stream directly, generating individual or merged PDF documents rapidly without invoking printit.exe deadlocks.

Verification

  1. Output Inspection: Open the destination folder (C:\CFC_PDF_Exports). Verify that PDF files are generated with valid page counts, clear vector text, and proper block interconnection lines.
  2. Task Manager Health: Open Task Manager and confirm that printit.exe exits cleanly with 0% CPU utilization once the print job finishes.
  3. CFC Editor Responsiveness: Verify that the CFC editor returns immediately to active editing mode without freezing.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  1. Large Plant Spool Size: Batch printing thousands of CFC charts simultaneously can generate multi-gigabyte spool files. Split large multiprojects into hierarchical subfolders (by plant unit or area) to avoid spooler buffer exhaustion.
  2. Third-Party Printer Hooks: Do not use outdated physical plotter drivers or unverified freeware PDF tools that hook into the Windows GDI subsystem, as they can corrupt memory in 32-bit Step 7 processes.

Engineer FAQ

Why does 'Print to file' freeze PCS 7 on Windows 10?

Because printit.exe runs as a background process and cannot display the modal Windows 'Save Output As' file dialog, causing a thread deadlock.

Why did printing to file work fine in Windows XP and 7 (32-bit)?

Legacy 32-bit Windows versions allowed background child processes to spawn modal file prompts directly on the interactive desktop.

What is printit.exe?

It is the 32-bit vector printing and layout generation executable utilized by Step 7 and CFC to render charts and reports.

How do I unfreeze CFC when it hangs on printing?

Open Windows Task Manager, find printit.exe under the Details tab, and end the process.

What is the best modern way to export CFC charts to PDF?

Use a virtual PDF printer (like Microsoft Print to PDF or PDFCreator with auto-save) and leave 'Print to file' unchecked.

What are RPL files in Step 7?

Report Layout (.RPL) files are system templates that define the page headers, borders, footers, and margins for printed Step 7 documentation.

Can I print an entire multiproject at once?

Yes, by selecting the top-level Charts folder in SIMATIC Manager and choosing Print Object List, but batching by area is recommended.

Why are block interconnections blurry in some PDF exports?

Ensure the virtual PDF printer resolution is set to at least 600 DPI and that vector fonts are embedded rather than rasterized.

Does Microsoft Print to PDF prompt for every single chart?

Yes, unless you print via SIMATIC Manager's grouped document job or utilize a tool like PDFCreator with auto-save enabled.

Where are Step 7 layout templates stored?

Inside the Step 7 installation directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Step7\S7bin.

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • CFC Printing
  • printit.exe
  • PDF Export
  • Print to File
  • Windows 10 LTSC
  • Step 7
  • Documentation
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