Importing S7 Tags to WinCC flexible 2008 in Integrated Projects

Overview

WinCC flexible 2008 (and the SP updates 2008 SP1 / SP2 / SP3) was Siemens' HMI configuration suite for SIMATIC Panels, the PC-based WinCC flexible Runtime, and the WinAC software PLC running on a SIMATIC MP377 or standard PC. When the WinCC flexible project is created as an integrated sub-project under STEP 7 (SIMATIC Manager), the HMI engineering tool can reach directly into the STEP 7 symbol table and the data blocks (DBs) of the underlying S7 controller. That linkage eliminates the manual re-typing of tag names, addresses and data types that is otherwise required when you maintain a stand-alone (non-integrated) HMI project.

This article documents the three documented procedures to bring STEP 7 tags into a WinCC flexible 2008 tag list inside an integrated project:

1. Direct browsing of STEP 7 symbols from the HMI tag editor (the supported, recommended path).
2. The WinCC flexible Tag Converter utility for batch conversion of S7 DBs and symbol tables.
3. CSV-based import/export (used primarily for faceplate texts and translated lists, not for live process tags).

The procedures apply to S7-300, S7-400, WinAC RTX, WinAC Slot, and WinAC MP — the controller families that participate in an integrated project under STEP 7 V5.4 / V5.5.

Prerequisites

Before you import tags, confirm the following on the engineering station:

Integrated Project Architecture

In an integrated project the STEP 7 station contains the S7 program, the symbol table, the source files, and one or more HMI stations as child objects. WinCC flexible reads its tag pool directly from these STEP 7 objects; no export/import of symbol files is required for tag visibility.

When WinCC flexible 2008 was first released, the What's new in WinCC flexible 2008 documentation explicitly listed text import/export via CSV for faceplates as a productivity feature — but the live tag list has always been sourced from the STEP 7 side via the integrated project link. Understanding this distinction avoids wasted effort on a CSV round-trip for process tags.

Method 1 — Browse STEP 7 Symbols Directly (Preferred)

The supported path inside an integrated project is to add a tag to the HMI and select its STEP 7 source from a tree browser. This is the procedure that the field report originally pointed at; the steps are reproduced and expanded below.

1. Open the integrated project in SIMATIC Manager, then right-click the HMI station and choose Open Object. WinCC flexible ES 2008 launches and shows the HMI project tree.
2. Expand Communication > Tags in the project tree.
3. Double-click Tags to open the tag editor. The tag table is shown with columns for Name, PLC tag, Connection, Address, Data type, Acquisition cycle, and Limit values.
4. Click an empty row, or click the New button, to insert a new tag.
5. In the Properties dialog of the new tag, switch to the General tab.
6. Click the Symbol column, then click the Browse button (the small button next to the symbol input). The STEP 7 symbol browser opens.
7. Navigate the tree to S7 Program > Symbols (the global symbol table) or to S7 Program > Blocks > DBxx for individual data-block elements.
8. Select one or several symbols; close the browser with OK.
9. WinCC flexible auto-fills the PLC tag, the Address (e.g. DB1.DBD0, MW10, I0.0), the Data type, and the Connection. Apply with OK.
10. Save the HMI project (Ctrl+S) and recompile.

Repeat for as many tags as required. The same browser is used for both external tags (pointing to the AS) and internal tags that simply reuse the STEP 7 symbol as a documentation reference.

Method 2 — Tag Converter for Bulk DB Conversion

The WinCC flexible Tag Converter is delivered on the WinCC flexible DVD (folder \Tools\TagConverter\) and is intended for projects that originate outside the integrated link — for example, when you have a STEP 7 program from a third-party PLC, an S7-200 (PPI) tag list that needs migrating, or when an integrator hands you a CSV file generated from a non-integrated source.

Usage sequence for DB-driven import:

1. Start the Tag Converter from the WinCC flexible DVD or from the Siemens support site.
2. Choose the source format: STEP 7 Data View for a live STEP 7 DB, or Generic Printer / CSV for a tab/comma-separated file.
3. If using Data View, point the converter at the STEP 7 project directory; the converter enumerates every DB and every element with name, address, type, and comment.
4. If using CSV, lay the file out with the columns: Name;Address;Type;Comment (semicolon-separated, decimal commas disabled on European locales).
5. Pick the target: WinCC flexible tag list (.exp).
6. Run the conversion and save the resulting .exp file into a temporary folder.
7. In WinCC flexible, open the tag editor and use Tags > Import/Export > Import to pull the .exp file into the project.

Method 3 — CSV Import for Texts (Not Process Tags)

WinCC flexible 2008 introduced text import/export to CSV specifically for faceplate labels, button texts, and multilingual string lists — see the What's new in WinCC flexible 2008 PDF on Siemens Industry Online Support. This pathway is not designed for live process tags because it does not carry the STEP 7 address; it carries only display strings.

Procedure:

1. In the WinCC flexible project tree, navigate to Languages > Project texts.
2. Use Edit > Export to dump every faceplate and button text to a CSV template.
3. Translate the second column offline.
4. Use Edit > Import to bring the translations back; WinCC flexible recompiles the runtime text database.

If you need a CSV path for process tags, you must combine the Tag Converter (Method 2) with the .exp import — a plain CSV import under Tags > Import/Export will be rejected.

Step-by-Step Configuration: Connection and Symbol Setup

Tag browsing relies on the WinCC flexible connection to the AS being configured correctly. If the Browse button shows no entries, fix the connection first.

1. In the WinCC flexible project tree, double-click Communication > Connections.
2. Add a connection; set the Communication driver:
   • SIMATIC S7 300/400 — for S7-300/S7-400 PLCs and WinAC RTX/Slot.
   • WinAC — for WinAC MP (MP377 onboard controller).
3. Set the Station address (MPI / PROFIBUS / Ethernet IP) and the Rack/Slot or TSAP as required by the network.
4. Switch back to the tag table; create a new tag and click Browse. The connection and the STEP 7 symbol list are populated.
5. If the symbol table is empty in the browser, recompile the STEP 7 program (PLC > Compile and Download Objects) so that the symbol view is refreshed.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Performance and Engineering Limits

WinCC flexible 2008 ties tag count to the target panel class. Practical limits for the runtime side (not the ES, which is essentially unbounded) include:

• MP 377 (12"/15"/19") — supports several thousand external tags; exact figure depends on the runtime version loaded on the panel.
• WinCC flexible Runtime (PC-based) — limited primarily by license (PowerTags). 128 / 256 / 512 / 1024 / 2048 / 4096 PowerTag licenses are typical.
• Cyclic acquisition — minimum 100 ms; longer cycles reduce panel/CPU load. Avoid sub-second scans for tags that do not need it.

Because browsing binds a WinCC flexible tag to a STEP 7 symbol, renaming the symbol in STEP 7 propagates to the HMI on the next compile — the tag will not orphan itself silently. That is the engineering payoff of the integrated project.

Best Practices

• Define all process tags in the STEP 7 symbol table first; let the HMI import them. Do not create duplicate internal tags with the same name.
• Use symbolic addressing (e.g. Motor1.Start) — never hard-code absolute addresses in the HMI tag table, or the symbolic link breaks.
• Group DBs logically (one DB per plant area) so the Tag Converter output is readable and reviewable.
• Save the Tag Converter .exp file in Source under the HMI station for revision traceability.
• After every STEP 7 program change, run Project > Compile and Check All in WinCC flexible; unresolved symbols are reported in the output window.
• Reserve CSV text import strictly for faceplate and button labels, not for process variables.

Verification

1. Open the WinCC flexible tag table and confirm that every imported tag shows a non-empty PLC tag column and a populated Address column.
2. Start the offline simulator (Start > Runtime) and watch the tags in the tag table. Online values appear only if the simulator has a stub PLC attached; otherwise verify in the output window that no address resolution errors were logged.
3. Transfer the compiled project to the MP 377 or to WinCC flexible Runtime. From Runtime, open Diagnostics > Tags; every imported tag should read "OK" and cycle at the configured acquisition rate.
4. In STEP 7, force a value on one of the linked tags via the VAT; confirm the change is visible on the HMI within one acquisition cycle.