Which PCS 7 Licenses Are Needed to Edit Projects and Connect Online from an Engineering Station?

For PCS 7 V9.1 and V10.0, Siemens lists AS Engineering and OS Engineering for AS/OS engineering on an engineering station. The AS RT PO runtime license is listed as required for downloading to the automation system, not as the engineering license for making project edits. If the PG will also run the operator station, its OS runtime licensing is a separate requirement. A license alone does not establish network access or permission to connect online; the exact purchase quantities depend on the installed PCS 7 version and configured objects.

Separate Engineering, Download, and Runtime Licenses

The names refer to different functions. Siemens' V9.1 and V10.0 license manuals list AS Engineering and OS Engineering in the engineering-station configuration table. They list AS RT PO separately and say it is required only for download. Consequently, a request to edit the AS and OS engineering project is not answered by buying an AS RT PO license alone. The AS RT PO capacity is determined by the licensed process objects in the project.

What Is Needed to Edit the AS and OS Project

For engineering work on the AS and OS components, the cited manuals list both AS Engineering and OS Engineering. Use the exact manual and catalog for the PCS 7 release installed on the PG to confirm version-specific packaging and license media. If the project includes optional components such as BATCH, Route Control, Maintenance Station, or SIMATIC PDM, their engineering licenses are separate and only apply when those functions are used.

What the AS RT PO License Covers

AS RT PO covers the licensed process-object capacity associated with loading an automation station. In Siemens' V9.1 documentation, counted objects include SFCs and qualifying block instances that can be operated/monitored and generate alarms, subject to the documented exclusions; the license-information dialog reports configured license objects. The engineering-station table states that AS RT PO is needed for download. Determine the required capacity from the target project rather than selecting a size from the post: in the V9.1 manual, SIMATIC Manager's Options > PCS 7 license information reports the configured AS PO objects for the selected project.

If the PG Also Runs WinCC OS Runtime

Editing OS engineering and running an operator station are different uses. When the PG is also configured as an OS single-station system or OS server, the applicable OS runtime software and OS RT PO license may be needed for runtime process objects. Siemens' V10.0 manual describes OS visualization on an engineering station without OS RT PO for up to two hours, and says an OS RT PO key is not required for an OS client. These are V10.0 limits; confirm the installed version and station role before purchasing.

Connecting to the AS Online

The license tables identify the license needed for engineering and the AS download limit; they do not make a license equivalent to an online connection. To view values or perform permitted online engineering, the PG must also have the correct project and target selection, communication interface/routing, an available target, and suitable access rights. The ticket supplies no CPU, project, network, station role, PCS 7 release, or desired online operation, so those connectivity and authorization requirements cannot be diagnosed from the license question alone.

Verification and Purchase Decision

Identify the PCS 7 release and the intended Engineering Station and Operator Station roles.
Confirm AS Engineering and OS Engineering are present for AS/OS project editing under the matching license table.
In the selected project, use Options > PCS 7 license information and inspect AS process-object counts to calculate the needed AS RT PO capacity for download.
If the PG runs OS runtime, separately check the applicable OS station software, OS RT PO capacity, and any archive requirement.
Confirm the selected PG interface can reach the intended AS and that the user is authorized for the desired online actions.

Ask Siemens or the authorized supplier to map those verified requirements to purchasable items for the installed version; do not infer the number or type of keys from this ticket.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The source gives no PCS 7 version, configuration count, installed licenses, target CPU or station role. The manuals cited here are V9.1 (2021) and V10.0 (2024), so they establish their own release guidance and should not be treated as a complete quotation for an unspecified older release. The V10.0 two-hour OS visualization statement is not an ongoing runtime entitlement. Before loading changes to a process system, confirm the target and change scope and use site-authorized backup, approval, and download procedures.

Verification

Check the installed license keys in Automation License Manager and compare them with the requirements in the manual matching the project's PCS 7 version. In SIMATIC Manager, inspect Options > PCS 7 license information for configured AS process-object counts. Separately verify the PG's communications route and access rights by using the site-approved online connection procedure. A visible license key does not prove that communication is configured, that the selected CPU is correct, or that download is authorized for the planned process change.

Engineer FAQ

Which keys are listed for editing AS and OS engineering? The V9.1 and V10.0 manuals list AS Engineering and OS Engineering for the engineering station.

Is AS RT PO the engineering license? No. It is the AS runtime process-object license and Siemens lists it as required for download.

Do I need OS RT PO to edit an OS project? The engineering and runtime functions are licensed separately. OS Engineering is the editing key; runtime requirements depend on whether the PG also runs an OS station.

Does AS RT PO provide online connectivity to the PLC? The license manual defines capacity/download licensing, not network routing or access rights; those must be checked separately.

How many process objects should I buy? Determine the configured AS object count in PCS 7 license information and select a capacity under the matching release's licensing rules.

Technical References

Siemens, Licenses and configuration limits (V9.1), Installation Manual, 02/2021, §§4.1–4.3 and 5.1, pp. 13–18, 35. Lists AS/OS engineering licenses, AS RT PO download requirement, and project PO-count procedure. https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/371/109794371/att_1057404/v1/ps7lic_en-US_en-US.pdf
Siemens, Licenses and configuration limits (V10.0), Function Manual, 07/2024, §§5.1–5.3 and 6.1, pp. 15–20, 35–39. Lists current V10.0 engineering/download/runtime roles and OS visualization/client notes. https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/493/109973493/att_1293964/v1/ps7lic_en-US_en-US.pdf

PCS 7 AS Engineering and OS Engineering licenses

PCS 7 AS RT PO license count

PCS 7 engineering station online connection

Which PCS 7 Licenses Are Needed to Edit Projects and Connect Online from an Engineering Station?