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Resolving 'tgtopx.exe Abnormal Program Termination' During SIMIT XML Export in SIMATIC PCS 7

Resolving 'tgtopx.exe Abnormal Program Termination' During SIMIT XML Export in SIMATIC PCS 7

In SIMATIC PCS 7, when exporting an automation project to XML for SIMIT simulation ('Right-click project > Export XML') results in the crash 'Runtime Error! C:\Program Files (x86)\SIEMENS\STEP7\S7BIN\tgtopx.exe abnormal program termination' generating an empty 0-byte XML file, the failure is caused by corrupted technological object descriptors, uncompiled CFC charts, or illegal characters in hierarchy folder names. The 'tgtopx.exe' utility (Technology Object to XML Parser) encounters an unhandled null-pointer exception when traversing broken Plant Hierarchy links or mismatched Control Module Types. To resolve this, engineers must execute a Plant Hierarchy consistency check, compile all CFC charts, eliminate non-ASCII characters from folder names, and install the latest SIMATIC XML Data Exchange update.

Table of Contents

Role of tgtopx.exe in the PCS 7 to SIMIT Export Pipeline

In virtual commissioning workflows, SIMIT Simulation Platform generates automated simulation models (signals, actuators, valves, sensors) by importing the technological engineering structure from SIMATIC PCS 7.

In SIMATIC Manager, selecting Export XML... triggers the executable:
C:\Program Files (x86)\SIEMENS\STEP7\S7BIN\tgtopx.exe
(Technology Objects to Process XML Exporter).
- It traverses the Plant Hierarchy, S7 programs, and CFC chart databases.
- It parses Control Module Types (CMT), block parameters, I/O addresses (IW/QW), and symbol names.
- It writes an integrated XML / CAEx schema file that SIMIT imports to automatically instantiate simulation components and signal couplings without manual tagging.

Root Causes of tgtopx.exe Abnormal Program Termination

Because tgtopx.exe is a strict, low-level C++ parser, unhandled schema exceptions trigger an immediate crash:

  1. Uncompiled or Out-of-Sync CFC Charts: If charts were modified or block types were imported without executing Compile > Charts as Program, the underlying database records lack binary offset tables, causing tgtopx.exe to encounter null pointers.
  2. Broken Plant Hierarchy Cross-References: Hierarchy folders that contain orphaned references to deleted charts or pictures crash the hierarchy crawler.
  3. Special Characters in Folder or Symbol Names: Non-ASCII characters (e.g., umlauts ä, ö, ü, slashes /, brackets [ ], or ampersands &) in hierarchy folder names or block comments break the XML string serializer.
  4. Incomplete Control Module Types (CMTs): CMTs in the Master Data Library that have unresolved technological I/O interconnections or missing optional block pointers.
  5. Outdated XML Exporter Version: Early releases of tgtopx.exe in STEP 7 v5.5 / PCS 7 v8.1 had known buffer limit crashes on projects containing over 5,000 technological tags.

Step-by-Step Diagnostic and Remediation Procedure

Follow this procedure to repair the project database and complete the export:

Step 1: Execute Plant Hierarchy Consistency Check

  1. In SIMATIC Manager, open the multiproject.
  2. Select menu Options > Plant Hierarchy > Check Consistency.
  3. Review the diagnostic log. If missing charts, broken links, or duplicate folder names are detected, click Repair or manually correct the paths.

Step 2: Sanitize Hierarchy Folder and Chart Names

  1. Ensure no hierarchy folder, CFC chart, or block instance contains illegal characters:
    - Avoid: \, /, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |, &, #.
  2. Restrict names to standard alphanumeric characters and underscores (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, _).

Step 3: Perform Full AS Compilation

  1. In the tree view, select the Charts folder for each AS station.
  2. Select Compile > Charts as Program.
  3. Choose Entire program (do not select Changes only).
  4. Verify that the compilation finishes with 0 errors.

Step 4: Export Individual S7 Programs

  1. If exporting the entire Multiproject container still crashes:
  2. Right-click the individual S7 Program under the CPU object (rather than the top-level Multiproject).
  3. Select Export XML....
  4. Choose a destination path on a local root partition (e.g., D:\Exports\AS1_Sim.xml).
  5. tgtopx.exe will complete execution and produce a fully populated XML file.

Diagnostic Matrix for SIMIT XML Export Failures

The table below outlines common SIMIT export errors and corrective actions:

Export ErrorUnderlying MechanismCorrective Actiontgtopx.exe Runtime CrashCorrupted hierarchy or uncompiled CFCRun PH consistency check; perform full AS compile0-byte XML createdAborted string serialization (special char)Remove /, &, and umlauts from hierarchy namesOut of memory during exportProject exceeds buffer limit of 32-bit parserExport sub-projects or individual AS programs separatelySIMIT rejects XML on importMismatched schema versionUpdate SIMIT import component or install PCS 7 XML patch

Alternative Simulation Coupling: Virtual Controller Direct Import

If XML export remains problematic due to legacy project constraints:
- In modern SIMIT (v8.1, v9.0, v10.x), bypass XML export entirely by using the SIMIT Virtual Controller (VC) coupling.
- SIMIT can open the PCS 7 project directly (.s7p) and compile the S7 user program into native simulation code without requiring intermediate XML exchange.

Verification

To confirm that the SIMIT export is resolved:
1. XML File Integrity Audit: Inspect the generated XML export file; verify that the file size is non-zero (typically 2 MB to 50 MB depending on project scale).
2. XML Well-Formedness Check: Open the XML file in an XML viewer (or web browser); confirm that the closing tag </Project> is present at the end of the document.
3. SIMIT Import Validation: Launch SIMIT; select Import > PCS 7 Project (XML); confirm that all signals, drives, and valves populate the simulation task cards without syntax errors.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Engineering teams must observe the following precautions:
- The tgtopx.exe utility executes as a 32-bit process; on massive multiprojects with tens of thousands of tags, memory limits can be reached. Always export by individual AS subsystem.
- Do not run XML export while CFC charts are open in edit mode or while online monitoring is active.
- Always validate final license quantities and MLFBs against the applicable Siemens catalog and authorized distributor quotation when procuring SIMIT simulation licenses.

Engineer FAQ

Where can I find the crash log for tgtopx.exe?

Windows logs the crash details in Event Viewer under Windows Logs > Application, referencing faulting module tgtopx.exe and exception code 0xc0000005 (Access Violation).

Can I export from STEP 7 v5.6 on Windows 10?

Yes. Ensure the latest STEP 7 v5.6 Hotfix and SIMIT Component updates are installed to ensure Windows 10 64-bit compatibility.

Does SIMIT require an Engineering Station license to import XML?

No. SIMIT requires its own simulation runtime and engineering licenses, but does not consume PCS 7 engineering licenses to import XML files.

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • SIMIT
  • tgtopx.exe
  • XML Export
  • Virtual Commissioning
  • Plant Hierarchy
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