Separate PLCSIM and PC Station Downloads in PCS 7 V8
Download the AS configuration and program to PLCSIM; configure and download the SIMATIC PC station to the intended PC. These are different targets, and neither operation alone establishes OS runtime deployment. Siemens' V8.0 SP1-or-higher tutorial gives a PC-station Configure/Download sequence. For the reported V8.0 virtual training setup, the unexplained Station Configuration Editor problem and exact maintenance level still need resolution before a complete repair can be confirmed.
Table of Contents
- Identify the Download Target
- Prepare the PC Station Against the Training Guide
- Keep AS Simulation and OS Deployment Separate
- Verification
- Limitations and Operational Precautions
- Engineer FAQ
- Technical References
- Related Articles
- Related Tags
Identify the Download Target
S7-PLCSIM simulates the automation CPU. A configured SIMATIC PC station represents PC-side components; it is not the simulated CPU. The target and selected communication path must therefore be established before downloading. S7-PLCSIM readme.
The reported learning setup routed the interface to PLCSIM while attempting a PC-station download and already showed an unexplained Station Configuration Editor problem. This is evidence to separate the targets, not proof of the complete failure cause. Successful IP ping does not establish that PC-station configuration is correct.
Prepare the PC Station Against the Training Guide
For the opened V8.0 SP1-or-higher tutorial:
- Match the PC station name to the intended local computer/Station Configuration Editor identity.
- Configure the PC station's components and network interface for that computer; save and compile.
- Complete and compile the required connection configuration in NetPro.
- Select the PC station in SIMATIC Manager and use PLC > Configure.
- Complete the configuration transfer and close it after the successful-transfer indication.
- Select the PC station and use PLC > Download to activate the network configuration, reviewing the replacement and target-stop prompts before proceeding in the isolated training environment.
Getting Started, sections 4.4.2.2–4.4.2.5. Confirm applicability to the actual installed maintenance level.
Keep AS Simulation and OS Deployment Separate
Use the AS configuration and program as the PLCSIM target. Keep the PC-station configuration as a separate PC-side task. Loading either is distinct from compiling or deploying the WinCC OS project.
Before retrying the reported failure, record the Station Configuration Editor's exact problem and compare configured components and indices with the actual PC setup. Record the interface path for each target. Do not use an accessible simulated node as evidence that it is the intended PC station.
The replies disagree about the precise scope of component-view versus HW Config downloads. That scope needs applicable product evidence; it does not remove the need to resolve the selected target and existing station error.
Verification
Verify the PC-station component/identity state independently of the simulated CPU's state. Confirm that the intended PC configuration transfer completes and that required connections are active.
For AS simulation, verify the intended CPU configuration and program are loaded. For OS testing, verify project opening, tag association and required runtime behavior separately. A successful download in one category does not prove the others. No VM, station or simulator test was performed.
Limitations and Operational Precautions
PCS 7 V8.0 was reported without a precise maintenance level; the opened tutorial starts at V8.0 SP1. The Station Configuration Editor diagnostic and complete installed software baseline are missing. The exact download failure remains unresolved and requires review.
The VMware setup's product support is not established here. Keep the tutorial isolated from real equipment, back up its project and review every target-stop/replacement prompt. Do not change production access points or stop actual modules merely to reproduce the learning exercise.
Engineer FAQ
Can PLCSIM receive the PC station as though it were an S7 CPU? The simulated CPU and PC-station targets are distinct.
Does ping prove the station is configured? No; inspect the PC components and configuration state.
Does downloading hardware load the WinCC project? Treat OS project compilation/deployment separately.
Technical References
- Siemens: Getting Started Part 1, V8.0 SP1 or higher with APL, January 2013, A5E02779288-03, sections 4.4.2.2–4.4.2.5.
- Siemens: S7-PLCSIM V5.4 SP8 readme, June 2017, scope of CPU simulation; not an approval of the unidentified V8 installation.