Configuring WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime 128 Power Tags Projects

The Siemens MLFB 6AV6613-1BA51-3CA0 identifies WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime 128 Power Tags, a runtime-only HMI license intended for visualization PCs. Because it is supplied without the configuration software, integrators must purchase WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced (or a successor engineering tool) to develop, compile, and transfer a project. This reference documents the architecture, the engineering environment required, the project compile pipeline, the Runtime Loader transfer sequence, and the field-proven diagnostics used to bring a 128 Power Tag PC Runtime online.

1. Product Identification: 6AV6613-1BA51-3CA0

Every WinCC flexible SKU is decoded through its MLFB (Maschinenlesbare Fabrikate-Bezeichnung) order number. The MLFB for the runtime in question decodes as follows:

The full Siemens support record for this MLFB is maintained at: WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime 128 - Support entry 6AV6613-1BA51-3CA0.

The package contains:

• WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime installation media (or download through OSD)
• License key (transferred to a USB dongle or hard-disk license via Automation License Manager)
• WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime Loader
• Readme, Release Notes, and Getting Started PDF

Notably, the package does not include the WinCC flexible configuration application, the tag editor, the graphics designer, or any of the screen editors required for project development.

2. Runtime vs. Engineering System Architecture

WinCC flexible 2008 is split into two distinct execution modes:

The 128 Power Tag limit applies to the Runtime instance after compile. If the compiled project contains more than 128 tags with the "Power Tag" property enabled, the Runtime will refuse to start, enter start-up inhibit, and log error 140001: "The configured number of Power Tags exceeds the licensed count."

2.1 WinCC flexible 2008 Edition Tier

WinCC flexible 2008 was shipped in four edition tiers. Only Advanced and above can target a PC Runtime.

If your engineering station only has Standard, Compact, or Micro installed, the project wizard will not list PC as a target device. Installing the Advanced DVD is mandatory before continuing.

3. Prerequisites

Before creating a single screen, verify the following on the engineering workstation:

1. Windows OS: WinCC flexible 2008 officially supports Windows XP Professional SP2/SP3, Windows 2003 Server, and Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate 32-bit. 64-bit Windows is not supported; install on a 32-bit OS or use the XP Mode / 32-bit compatibility layer.
2. WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced installation DVD or the SP-rolled-up image. Minimum baseline SP level for new development is SP5; earlier service packs expose known tag import defects.
3. Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 / 3.0 and Internet Explorer 6 SP1 as runtime pre-requisites (required by WinCC flexible Runtime internally).
4. Siemens Automation License Manager V4.x (ALM) installed. The Advanced license and the Runtime 128 Power Tag license are both stored in the ALM repository.
5. STEP 7 V5.4 or V5.5 if the project integrates with SIMATIC S7-300/400/WinAC; optional if the project only uses Modbus TCP / OPC.
6. Administrator rights on the engineering PC for the duration of installation and the Runtime Loader port binding (default TCP 2308).

4. Installing WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced

1. Insert the WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced DVD or mount the ISO. Run Setup.exe from the root.
2. When prompted, choose Installation type: Engineering System (Configuration). Do not select Runtime on the ES.
3. Select all component groups: Graphics Designer, Tag Editor, Alarm Editor, Recipe Editor, Report Designer, Script Editor, Connection Editor, and Project Translation Tool.
4. Specify the installation path; defaults to %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible 2008.
5. After file copy, the installer transfers the Advanced license into the Automation License Manager. Confirm in ALM that WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced appears as a valid local license.
6. Apply the latest service pack (SP5) if not already included. Restart the workstation.

Verification: launch WinCC flexible from the Start menu, choose File > New. The wizard should list PC (WinCC flexible Runtime) as a selectable target device.

5. Creating a PC Runtime Project

1. Open WinCC flexible. Click File > New.
2. In the New Project wizard, expand PC in the device tree and select PC (WinCC flexible Runtime). Confirm Standard as the initial device version.
3. Set the project name (e.g., PlantFloor_RT) and the storage path. WinCC flexible creates a .hmi file plus a folder of the same name.
4. In the project view tree, expand Communication > Connections. Right-click and choose Add Connection. Configure the PLC bus type. For SIMATIC S7-300/400, select SIMATIC S7-300/400 and the appropriate CP interface (MPI/DP/ISO-on-TCP/TCP). For Modbus TCP, select Modicon Modbus TCP/IP.
5. Under Tags, define external tags with the Power Tag attribute enabled. Each Power Tag corresponds to one runtime-licensed tag; non-power tags (e.g., internal arithmetic variables) do not consume the 128 quota.
6. Author your process screens under Screens. Bind the IO fields, bar graphs, and trend views to the Power Tags.
7. Configure alarms, recipes, schedules, and area pointers as required.
8. Save the project.

5.1 Power Tag Configuration

A Power Tag is an external tag whose acquisition mode is set to "Cyclic continuous," "Cyclic on demand," or "On change," and which is actively polled by the Runtime. To mark a tag as a Power Tag:

1. Open the Tag Editor and select the desired external tag.
2. In the Properties pane, under General, the Power Tag property must be set to Yes. This is the default for new external tags but can be turned off for derived or calculated tags.
3. Verify the address is valid for the configured connection (e.g., DB101.DBD0 for S7-300/400).

Power Tag count is enforced at compile time. WinCC flexible's compiler reports Warning 100003 when Power Tags approach the 128 threshold, and error 120015 blocks compile if the count exceeds the licensed quota of the target Runtime.

6. Compiling the Project

Compiling produces a binary runtime file (.fwx) that is loaded by WinCC flexible Runtime. The compile chain is:

1. Open the project in WinCC flexible ES.
2. Navigate to Project > Compiler > Generate Runtime Files (or use the toolbar compile icon).
3. WinCC flexible executes four compile passes: Tag consistency, Screen consistency, Script consistency, and Connection consistency. Any error halts the build.
4. On success, WinCC flexible writes a transferable file named <projectname>.fwx into the subdirectory \HMI\<projectname>\<device>\<projectname>.fwx.
5. Right-click the device node, choose Compiler > Check Consistency if you wish to validate before generating the .fwx.

7. Transferring via Runtime Loader

The Runtime Loader is the delivery mechanism from the ES PC to the visualization PC. The Runtime Loader listens on TCP 2308 and accepts .fwx files transferred via the ES.

1. On the visualization PC, install WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime. Install WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime Loader as part of the same package, or as a separate component.
2. Activate the Runtime license in the Automation License Manager.
3. Launch WinCC flexible Runtime Loader. Configure a local project storage path; default is %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime\HMI.
4. Configure the Loader to either run as a Windows service (auto-start) or as a foreground application (operator-triggered start). For a production line, the service mode is preferred.
5. On the engineering PC, open WinCC flexible, choose Project > Transfer > Transfer Settings.
6. Set the transfer mode to Ethernet (TCP/IP) and enter the visualization PC's IP address and port 2308. Set the device selection to PC (WinCC flexible Runtime).
7. Click Transfer. The ES compresses the .fwx, pushes it to the Loader, the Loader writes it to disk, then triggers the Runtime to restart.

To verify the transfer succeeded, the Runtime Loader displays the last .fwx filename, its timestamp, and the operator who transferred. The Runtime window title bar reflects the project name on successful start.

7.1 Runtime Start Modes

8. SITOP PSU8600 Integration Use Case

The Siemens support record for 6AV6613-1BA51-3CA0 highlights a sample application that links WinCC flexible Runtime to the SITOP PSU8600 power supply system. The PSU8600 exposes its diagnostics over PROFINET or Ethernet/IP; SITOP provides ready-made WinCC flexible faceplates (status, output current, output voltage, overload warnings, buffer module state, individual module on/off).

For PSU8600 integration:

1. Add the PSU8600 as an OPC DA / Modbus TCP node, or use the SITOP ULS (User Language Script) bridge to expose its data block.
2. Import the SITOP faceplate library into your WinCC flexible project (menu Options > Libraries > SITOP PSU8600 if installed).
3. Drop the faceplate onto a screen, parameterize the connected tag addresses.
4. Mark the diagnostic tags as Power Tags so the Runtime polls them cyclically.
5. Compile and transfer.

Each SITOP faceplate consumes between 4 and 12 Power Tags depending on the views enabled. With a 128 Power Tag license, an entire 6-module PSU8600 rack plus discrete alarms fits comfortably.

9. Verification Checklist

After transfer, walk through the following to confirm a healthy deployment:

1. License valid: Open Automation License Manager. "WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime 128 Power Tags" appears as a non-expired local license.
2. Runtime starts: The Runtime window opens with no error dialog. Title bar matches the project name.
3. Tag polling: Open an IO field bound to a known address and verify the value updates within the configured acquisition cycle (default 1 s).
4. Connection status: The status icon shows green "Connected" for the configured PLC connection.
5. Alarm logging: Trigger a known alarm on the PLC and confirm the WinCC flexible alarm view displays it within one poll cycle.
6. Runtime Loader log: The Loader's log shows the transfer time, source IP, project file hash, and successful start notification.
7. Power Tag count: From the Runtime menu Help > System Information > Runtime, confirm "Active Power Tags = N" where N ≤ 128.

10. Troubleshooting Matrix

11. Migrating to a Modern Engineering Environment

WinCC flexible 2008 reached end of marketing in 2014 and end of support in 2020. The Siemens migration path is TIA Portal with WinCC (TIA Portal) or WinCC Unified. The runtime-only PC SKU 6AV6613-1BA51-3CA0 cannot host a TIA Portal project; a new Runtime license (e.g., 6AV2105-0xxxx for WinCC Unified PC Runtime) must be procured.

When migrating a 128 Power Tag project to TIA Portal:

• Use the TIA Portal "Migration of WinCC flexible projects" wizard.
• External tags map to PLC tags or HMI tags; Power Tag semantics map to the "HMI tag" with "Acquisition cyclically continuous".
• Convert any VBScript in WinCC flexible to VB or C# scripts in TIA Portal; some legacy Win32 API calls are not supported.
• Re-purchase a TIA Runtime license sized to your tag count (128/512/2048/4096/unlimited).

12. Field-Proven Engineering Tips

1. Tag naming convention: Prefix every Power Tag with PT_ to make license audits trivial.
2. Compile signature: Store the SHA-256 of each .fwx in a change-management log; the Runtime Loader displays the file name but not the hash.
3. Network isolation: Place the visualization PC and ES on a dedicated VLAN; the Runtime Loader's cleartext transfer is not encrypted.
4. Backup Runtime: Periodically copy the %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible 2008 Runtime folder; this captures the runtime state, project, and ALM cache.
5. Watchdog tag: Configure a heart-beat Power Tag that toggles every second from the PLC; an IO field bound to it acts as a visual "Runtime healthy" indicator.

FAQ