Which License Enables a PCS 7 Trend Faceplate?

The available Siemens PCS 7 V9.1 documentation does not identify a standalone “trend faceplate” license order number. APL faceplates are delivered as part of the PCS 7 Advanced Process Faceplates software package, while archive-tag capacity and OS runtime functions have their own licensing. The required license therefore depends on the exact trend feature, whether it reads archived values, the PCS 7 version/update and the displayed license error; those details are not present in the question.

Distinguish the Faceplate from Archived Data

A trend view is a visualization function. The PCS 7 Advanced Process Faceplates V9.1 SP2 Readme describes the package as containing APL block icons and faceplates, and sets PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 as its software requirement. The PCS 7 V9.1 licensing manual separately defines OS runtime process-object licenses and WinCC Archive licenses for configured archive tags. Do not treat an archive-tag license, OS runtime license and faceplate software installation as interchangeable.

Identify the Product and Version

Record the PCS 7 version, service pack/update, OS type and the library/faceplate involved. APL Operator Trend Control (AOTC) and a basic APL trend view are not necessarily the same feature.
Capture the exact license warning, including its product name and validity/count, from the OS or Automation License Manager. Do not infer the license from the phrase “trend license.”
Determine whether the trend uses online process values or archived values. Archived values can require WinCC Archive tag capacity; count and license the archive tags on the relevant OS station.
Confirm that the applicable PCS 7 Advanced Process Faceplates package is installed and its faceplates have been transferred to the OS project. The V9.1 SP2 Readme states that this package requires PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 or later, so do not apply that version requirement to a different release without checking its own Readme.
Match the precise message to the PCS 7 V9.1 License and Configuration Limits manual or Siemens support before ordering. Request the exact product and ordering number from Siemens if the warning identifies a separate entitlement.

Version and Licensing Boundaries

Siemens' V9.1 SP2 Advanced Process Faceplates Readme documents the package and its compatibility requirement; it does not establish from the material checked here that a separate purchasable license exists specifically for the trend faceplate. The PCS 7 V9.1 license manual explains OS runtime PO and WinCC Archive tag licensing, including how to inspect configured archive tags after OS compilation. This supports checking the underlying OS/archive licenses, but it does not identify an order code for the unspecified reported “trend license” error.

Verification

Confirm that the required faceplate package is installed for the exact PCS 7 release, transfer/update it in the OS project as required by its Readme, and check OS runtime and archive-tag licensing independently. Open the trend with a known online signal and, where configured, a known archived signal. Verify that archived data appears over the requested time range. If an explicit license warning remains, use its exact text to identify the missing entitlement; successful faceplate display alone does not prove archive licensing or historical data availability.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The source contains no license dialog screenshot, error text, product version or specific APL/library name. As a result, no exact order number can be safely supplied. APL faceplate package availability does not mean OS runtime licenses or archive tags are unlimited. Before buying or changing licenses, reconcile the configured OS PO count and archive-tag count with the installed keys and Siemens' version-specific license rules.

Engineer FAQ

Is there a dedicated PCS 7 trend faceplate license? The V9.1 documentation reviewed does not identify a standalone license by that name. It documents an Advanced Process Faceplates package and separate OS/archive license types; verify the exact license warning before ordering.

Does a trend using historical data need archive tags? The PCS 7 V9.1 licensing manual says archive tags require WinCC Archive licenses. Determine the actual number of configured tags for the OS station.

What version is required for PCS 7 Advanced Process Faceplates V9.1 SP2? Siemens specifies PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 as the minimum for that package. Check the Readme belonging to the version actually installed.

Can I order using only the phrase “trend license”? No. That phrase does not identify a Siemens product or order number. Use the exact warning text, installed product version and affected feature to determine what is missing.

How can I check archive-tag usage? After compiling the OS, open Tools > PCS 7 License Information in SIMATIC Manager and inspect the Archive tags count, then compare it with the licenses present on that OS station.

Technical References

PCS 7 Advanced Process Faceplates Readme V9.1 SP2 Update 3, §§4.1–4.4 — package contents, minimum PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 requirement and installation/OS project transfer. Opened and reviewed.
PCS 7 Licenses and Configuration Limits V9.1, §§4.4–4.5 — OS process-object and archive-tag licensing, archive count inspection procedure and 80,000 archive-tag per-station maximum. Opened and reviewed.

Related Tags

PCS 7, APL, trend faceplate, AOTC, WinCC Archive, license

Which License Enables a PCS 7 Trend Faceplate?