Troubleshoot PCS 7 Charts Missing Only from One Engineering Station
If chart folders appear empty on one PCS 7 engineering station but the same project displays correctly on another, preserve the project and investigate the affected workstation. Do not assume that charts have been deleted or that an SQL database must be removed. The documented CFC Chart > Open... route can provide an additional access check, but no manufacturer-verified repair for this particular station-specific display failure was established.
Table of Contents
- Recognize the Station-Specific Symptom
- Open Charts Through the Documented CFC Dialog
- Compare the Same Project on Two Stations
- Verification
- Limitations and Operational Precautions
- Engineer FAQ
- Technical References
- Related Articles
- Related Tags
Recognize the Station-Specific Symptom
The distinguishing observations are that charts remain accessible in the plant hierarchy, compilation and downloading still work, and the same archived project displays its chart folders correctly on another engineering station. These observations argue for investigating the affected workstation before concluding that charts have been deleted. They do not prove a particular damaged component.
The reported attempts to replace AMDbase.db and AMDBase.dbn, reorganize the project and remove lock files did not restore the display. No confirmed root cause or successful workstation repair was established. An SQL database deletion suggestion was not supported by the subsequent observations.
Open Charts Through the Documented CFC Dialog
For CFC V9.0 SP5, Siemens documents an alternative chart-opening route that can help distinguish a folder-display problem from loss of chart access:
- In the CFC editor, select Chart > Open....
- Select the project and its S7 program folder.
- Open the chart folder in that dialog.
- Double-click the required chart, or select it and choose OK.
If the chart opens, record that result without altering it. This is a documented access method, not a verified repair for the SIMATIC Manager display. If the installation uses another CFC release, confirm that release's dialog before applying the sequence. CFC manual, chapter 10.1.2, pp. 86–87
Compare the Same Project on Two Stations
Use the following read-only engineering comparison:
- Preserve a complete recoverable project archive. Avoid mixing individual database files from different project states.
- Retrieve the same archive into separate working locations on the affected and a known-working ES. Do not introduce edits or downloads as part of the comparison.
- Compare chart-folder visibility, hierarchy access and the documented CFC open dialog on both.
- Record the installed PCS 7, STEP 7 and CFC builds, together with any relevant component errors.
- Collect the observable workstation symptoms and exact application messages for manufacturer support.
The useful outcome is a reproducible difference with the project content held constant. A different project revision or an independently modified copy weakens that comparison.
Verification
Check representative charts from each affected AS through both SIMATIC Manager and the CFC editor. On any proposed repaired station, close and reopen the project and confirm that the chart list remains available without changing project content.
Compare representative chart names and content with the preserved working copy. Do not download to a controller solely to prove that the offline folder display is restored. Visibility, chart opening and online controller operation are separate checks.
Limitations and Operational Precautions
The exact PCS 7/CFC release and the workstation defect were not established. Reinstallation is a possible separately planned recovery measure, not a verified necessary or sufficient solution for this symptom.
Do not delete SQL databases or replace AMDbase.db/AMDBase.dbn as a general repair. No applicable manufacturer procedure supporting those operations was found for this case. Preserve diagnostic evidence and backups before any workstation recovery; account for engineering software, licenses and project access in the recovery plan.
Engineer FAQ
Are the charts necessarily lost if the component-view folder is empty?
No. Continued chart access elsewhere and normal display on another ES are evidence that must be investigated before declaring data loss.
Is an SQL database fault established by this symptom?
No. A causal link was not verified, and the reported SQL check did not identify a suspect database.
Technical References
- Siemens — CFC for SIMATIC S7 V9.0 SP5, November 2020, A5E41356073-AF, chapter 10.1.2 — supported alternative chart-opening route. The manual does not establish the workstation-specific root cause described here.