Understand AS and OS Process Object Licensing in PCS 7 V9.1
In PCS 7 V9.1, determine AS and OS process-object requirements separately through PCS 7 license information; do not estimate the final requirement by counting faceplates alone. Siemens defines qualifying objects using SFCs and block capabilities, including operator control/monitoring and alarm generation, with driver-library exclusions. AS RT PO and OS RT PO serve different licensing roles, and the OS count requires a compiled OS. Archive-tag capacity is another separate quantity.
Table of Contents
- A Process Object Is Not a Faceplate Count
- Keep AS and OS Licenses Separate
- Determine the AS Count
- Determine the OS Count After Compilation
- Verification
- Limitations and Operational Precautions
- Engineer FAQ
- Technical References
- Related Articles
- Related Tags
A Process Object Is Not a Faceplate Count
Siemens' PCS 7 V9.1 licensing manual counts SFCs and qualifying block instances. The stated block criteria are operator control/monitoring capability, alarm generation and exclusion from the driver library. S7_m_c = true identifies operator control/monitoring capability, but it is not the entire licensing test.
A faceplate is a visualization of an object, not an independent license-counting definition. Counting drawn faceplates, every CFC block, or every physical I/O channel is therefore an unreliable substitute for the product's license-information display. Licensing manual, section 4.1
Keep AS and OS Licenses Separate
The manual distinguishes AS runtime licensing from OS runtime capacity. Its AS count is evaluated for the selected project or multiproject and the loaded objects. OS capacity belongs on the relevant OS servers or single stations. An OS RT PO key is not required on an OS client under this V9.1 rule; that does not mean every other client-related product license is unnecessary.
Determine the AS Count
The documented V9.1 workflow is:
- Open SIMATIC Manager and select the intended project or multiproject in component view.
- Select Options > PCS 7 license information.
- Choose Process objects (AS RT PO) and the desired license entry.
- Read Configured license objects, together with the displayed existing and available licensing information.
- Record the selection scope with the result.
The project scope matters: counts from an individual project and the complete multiproject need not describe the same engineering set. Use the actual display rather than a rough instrument-count estimate when making a license decision. Manual, section 4.2
Determine the OS Count After Compilation
For the OS calculation, Siemens requires that Compile OS has been executed. In the PCS 7 license information dialog, select OS process objects and record the configured count for the intended project scope. Inspect Archive tags separately when archiving is required.
Compare that count with the relevant OS license capacity shown in Automation License Manager's Validity column. Do not compile a live project merely to obtain a purchasing estimate without reviewing the consequences of the selected compilation scope.
The manual's CFC statistics comparison is also useful: Chart Reference Data > View > Statistics reports OCM-capable block instances regardless of whether they generate messages. That statistic can differ from the license-relevant AS count; the difference does not automatically indicate a licensing defect. Manual, sections 4.3–4.4
Verification
Record AS and OS figures separately, including the project selection, compilation state, target OS and relevant license products. Reconcile any discrepancy with the documented counting categories before adding licenses or changing block attributes.
For an estimate, retain the engineering assumptions and contingency separately from the measured project count. No fixed percentage of spare POs or one-PO-per-instrument conversion is established by the cited rules.
Limitations and Operational Precautions
These definitions and dialogs are scoped to PCS 7 V9.1. CPU System Expansion Card capacity, engineering-product functionality and runtime PO counts are related licensing subjects but are not interchangeable quantities.
Do not change S7_m_c or disable messages to manipulate the count without reviewing the engineering consequences. Preserve the project before compilation or attribute changes, and verify actual license entitlement rather than treating an article or a count display as a Certificate of License.
Engineer FAQ
Does every displayed faceplate consume one additional OS PO?
The manual defines qualifying process objects, not a count of graphical faceplate windows. Use the compiled OS license-information result.
Why can CFC statistics exceed the AS license count?
The statistics can include OCM-capable instances regardless of message generation, while the documented AS license display applies its licensing criteria.
Technical References
- Siemens — Licenses and configuration limits V9.1, February 2021, A5E50318145-AA — sections 4.1–4.4, PO criteria, AS/OS count procedures, statistics distinction and license placement.