Overview
The SIMATIC HMI Template Suite is Siemens' reference library of pre-engineered HMI screens, faceplates, scripts, and style assets built on the SIMATIC WinCC Style Guide. Engineers adopt it as a starting point for visualization projects running on Comfort Panels, WinCC Runtime Advanced, and WinCC Runtime Professional, accelerating screen engineering and enforcing a uniform corporate look across machines and lines.
The suite is version-coupled to the corresponding TIA Portal release. Each major TIA Portal release (V14, V15, V15.1, V16, V17, V18, V19) ships with a parallel HMI Template Suite release that must match the project's TIA Portal service pack level. V15.1 is the variant that aligns with TIA Portal V15.1 and is the one commonly requested when older TIA Portal installations remain in production or when customers must maintain machine series already qualified on TIA Portal V15.1.
This reference consolidates the official Siemens channels that still distribute legacy versions of the suite, the version-to-TIA Portal compatibility matrix, the installation prerequisites, and the typical issues encountered when integrating V15.1 templates into an existing WinCC project.
190100 – connection failure, 190500 – faceplate version mismatch).
Version Compatibility Matrix
| HMI Template Suite | TIA Portal Version | WinCC Runtime Target | Status (as of TIA V19) |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14 | V14 SP1 / V14 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Legacy – support request only |
| V15 | V15 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Legacy – support request only |
| V15.1 | V15.1 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Legacy – distributed via SIOS support request |
| V16 | V16 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Legacy – support request only |
| V17 | V17 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Legacy – support request only |
| V18 | V18 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Available – Siemens Online Support |
| V19 | V19 | Comfort, RT Advanced, RT Professional | Available – Siemens Online Support |
Siemens periodically removes older Template Suite downloads from the public search index once the corresponding TIA Portal version drops below its standard product support lifecycle. V15.1 fell into this category after TIA Portal V16 was released; the download remains available, but only through a direct request to Siemens Technical Support.
Official Download Channels
The first-line distribution channel for every SIMATIC HMI Template Suite version is the Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) portal. Each release is published as a separately installable setup (SIMATIC_HMI_Template_Suite_Vxx_x.exe) under entry ID 91174767.
Step-by-step: Locate the HMI Template Suite entry on SIOS
- Navigate to the Siemens Industry Online Support portal at support.industry.siemens.com.
- Use the search field and enter the article number
91174767or the phrase HMI Template Suite. - Open the canonical article HMI design with the HMI Template Suite.
- Scroll to the Downloads section. Available versions are listed per TIA Portal major release.
When the public download table no longer lists the V15.1 entry (typical once TIA Portal V17 is current), use the Request Support path described below.
Step-by-step: Request a legacy download via Siemens Technical Support
- Open the SIOS support landing page at support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/sc/4868.
- Select My Support > Request and authenticate with your Siemens Single Sign-On account (create one if you do not have it – the account is free of charge).
- Choose product area SIMATIC HMI → HMI Software → HMI Template Suite.
- In the request text, include: the required version (V15.1), the TIA Portal installation version, the target runtime (Comfort Panel, RT Advanced, RT Professional), the article number
91174767, and the order number / license key if your installation is tied to a SIMATIC HMI license dongle. - Submit the request. Siemens typically delivers a signed download link within 2–5 business days.
Alternative: Sales channel
If a support-account workflow is not feasible, contact your regional Siemens sales representative or authorized SIMATIC HMI distributor. For OEM and end-customer accounts that hold a maintenance contract, the local sales office can provide the V15.1 setup as a file transfer through the Siemens Product Information Management (PIM) portal.
System Prerequisites
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| TIA Portal | V15.1 (exact match required) |
| SIMATIC WinCC | WinCC V15.1 (Engineering in TIA Portal) |
| Runtime target | SIMATIC Comfort Panels, WinCC Runtime Advanced ≥ V15.1, WinCC Runtime Professional ≥ V15.1 |
| Operating system (engineering) | Windows 7 SP1 / Windows 10 (64-bit), language packs matching the project |
| Disk space | ~3.5 GB during installation, ~1.2 GB after |
| RAM | 16 GB minimum recommended for TIA Portal V15.1 |
| .NET | .NET Framework 4.6.2 or higher (installed by TIA Portal setup) |
| Local admin rights | Required during installation |
Installation Procedure
- Verify TIA Portal V15.1 is installed and a project opens without errors.
- Right-click
SIMATIC_HMI_Template_Suite_V15_1.exeand select Run as administrator. - Accept the EULA. Select Complete installation (recommended) or Custom if you need only the WinCC Professional subset.
- The installer registers the following libraries under
%ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\HMI Template Suite V15.1:-
HMITS_Standard.ap15.1– master library (faceplates, screen templates) -
HMITS_ProEnergy.ap15.1– energy-monitoring faceplates -
HMITS_StyleGuide.chm– style-guide documentation -
HMITS_SampleProject_V15_1.ap15_1– reference project
-
- Reboot when prompted. TIA Portal must be closed during the reboot step to release locked COM servers.
- Open TIA Portal V15.1 and confirm the libraries appear under Libraries > Master Copies.
Integrating V15.1 Templates into a WinCC Project
- In TIA Portal V15.1, open the target WinCC project.
- Open the Libraries task card and switch to the Master Copies tab.
- Open
HMITS_Standard.ap15.1from the installation path. - Drag the desired screen template (e.g.,
@HMITS_Home.pdl) into the project tree under HMI > Screens. TIA Portal creates a local copy and adds the required faceplate type instances. - Compile the project (Project > Compile > All (rebuild)). Review the Info > Compile output for warnings of type Faceplate type version mismatch – these appear if any faceplate in the library has been touched and re-saved in a different TIA Portal version.
- Download to the target device or simulate with the RT Advanced / RT Professional simulator.
Template Suite Content Overview (V15.1)
| Library / Folder | Content | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| @HMITS_Navigation | Sliding / tabbed navigation structure | Main process screens |
| @HMITS_Alarms | Alarm line, alarm view, alarm log screen | Diagnostics and alarm handling |
| @HMITS_Trends | Trend view with archive selector | Process value trending |
| @HMITS_Faceplates_Standard | Motor, valve, PID, analog I/O faceplates | Object-based operation |
| @HMITS_Faceplates_Energy | Energy-monitoring faceplates (SENTRON PAC) | Energy management screens |
| @HMITS_StyleGuide | Color palette, typography, icon set | Corporate design conformance |
Migrating Templates from V15.1 to a Newer TIA Portal
When the underlying TIA Portal version on the engineering workstation is upgraded (e.g., V15.1 → V17), the V15.1 templates can be carried forward with the standard TIA Portal migration wizard:
- Open the V15.1
.ap15_1project in the newer TIA Portal version. - TIA Portal prompts to Upgrade. Confirm.
- Open the HMI Template Suite library delivered for the newer TIA Portal version (e.g., V17). Do not re-open the V15.1 master library in a V17 installation – the binary header differs and produces a
LibraryLoadFaulton every faceplate. - Copy the migrated screen objects from the upgraded project into a fresh V17 project that references the V17 Template Suite master library.
- Compile and download.
190500 (faceplate version does not match type container).
Troubleshooting Matrix
| Symptom | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
Setup aborts with Error 1722: Windows Installer package problem
|
Another TIA Portal installation is running | Close TIA Portal, stop S7TraceService64.exe and re-run setup |
| Libraries appear empty in TIA Portal V15.1 | V15.1 setup was installed after TIA Portal V16 was already present; COM hijack | Repair TIA Portal V15.1 via Control Panel > Programs and Features > SIMATIC STEP 7 / WinCC V15.1 > Repair |
| Faceplate shows red question-mark icon at runtime | Type container not downloaded to the panel | Compile project with Type containers > Generate and re-download HMI |
| Alarm line stays empty despite active alarms | Alarm class filter on the template is too restrictive | Open @HMITS_Alarms.pdl, adjust Filter.BitMask in the alarm line properties |
| Color palette does not match the corporate style | Project was opened in a TIA Portal that does not know the V15.1 palette | Import @HMITS_StyleGuide.cst via Tools > Style > Manage
|
| Trend view shows archive data offset by 1 hour | Daylight saving time handling differs between V15.1 RT and V17 RT | Set HMI runtime TimeBase = UTC on the trend view properties |
| Download link returns HTTP 404 on SIOS article 91174767 | Siemens rotates the legacy download token | Re-issue the request through SIOS Support request form |
Licensing Notes
The HMI Template Suite is distributed as a free-of-charge engineering library. It does not require an additional SIMATIC HMI license beyond the TIA Portal WinCC Engineering license already on the workstation. However, every target runtime that consumes the template must hold a valid WinCC Runtime license (RT Advanced or RT Professional). When the template is used on a SIMATIC Comfort Panel, the panel's existing firmware license is sufficient.
OEM redistribution of customized templates derived from the suite is permitted under the terms of the SIMATIC HMI Template Suite EULA, provided that the SIMATIC HMI attribution is preserved in the project documentation.
Field-Commissioning Checklist
- TIA Portal version on engineering PC matches the HMI Template Suite version exactly (V15.1 ↔ V15.1).
- Project compile completes with zero errors and zero warnings under Info > Compile.
- Libraries > Type Versions shows all faceplate types in green (latest version, no pending updates).
- Type container regeneration has been executed before every download to the HMI.
- Alarm classes referenced by the template exist in the project (default classes: Acknowledgement, Warning, Fault, System).
- PLC tags exposed to the template are in the correct DB and accessible without pointer re-mapping.
- Runtime language list matches the languages configured in the template (default: English, German).
- Time synchronization between PLC and HMI confirmed (template uses
Date_And_Timefor trending and alarm timestamps).
Verification
- Open the migrated or newly created WinCC project in TIA Portal V15.1.
- Start the RT Advanced or RT Professional simulator (Online > Start simulation).
- Confirm the home screen renders with the expected color palette and navigation bar.
- Insert a tag-based alarm from the PLC simulation and confirm it appears in the template's alarm line within 2 s.
- Click an alarm entry and verify the navigation jumps to the associated detail screen.
- Open a trend view and confirm archive data is plotted with the correct time base.
- Download to the target Comfort Panel (if applicable) and perform the same visual checks on the panel.
FAQ
Where can I still download the Siemens HMI Template Suite V15.1?
The public download list on the SIOS article 91174767 typically shows the two most recent TIA Portal versions. For V15.1, submit a support request through the SIOS support entry at support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/sc/4868 or contact your regional Siemens sales representative.
Can I install HMI Template Suite V15.1 next to a newer TIA Portal?
Not recommended. The V15.1 installer registers COM components that conflict with TIA Portal V16 and later. Use a dedicated engineering PC, a virtual machine, or migrate the templates to the matching newer suite (V16/V17/V18/V19) instead of running V15.1 side-by-side with a newer portal.
Which TIA Portal version must I use with HMI Template Suite V15.1?
TIA Portal V15.1 with WinCC V15.1 is mandatory. Using V15 or V16 produces unresolved faceplate-type references and runtime errors such as 190500 (faceplate version mismatch). See the version compatibility matrix above for the full mapping.
Does the HMI Template Suite require an additional license?
No. The library itself is free of charge. However, every runtime that displays the templates (WinCC RT Advanced, RT Professional, or a SIMATIC Comfort Panel) must already hold a valid WinCC runtime license, which is independent of the Template Suite distribution.
How do I migrate V15.1 templates to TIA Portal V17 or later?
Open the V15.1 project in the newer TIA Portal and accept the upgrade prompt, then copy the screen objects into a fresh project that references the matching newer HMI Template Suite (V17/V18/V19). After migration, run Libraries > Type Versions > Update to latest version on every faceplate to clear the version-mismatch warning and avoid runtime alarm 190500.