Integrate WinCC Comfort V11 with STEP 7 V5.5: Migration & Tags

Integrate WinCC Comfort V11 with STEP 7 V5.5: Migration & Tag Import Guide

This technical reference covers the two field-proven paths for combining a WinCC Comfort V11 (TIA Portal) HMI station with a STEP 7 V5.5 PLC project. The combination is common when a plant floor already runs legacy S7-300/S7-400 controllers programmed with STEP 7 V5.5 but a new Comfort Panel (KP700, TP700, KTP700, etc.) is being added or replaced with a TIA Portal-configured device. Native direct integration between STEP 7 V5.5 and WinCC Comfort V11 is not supported; the engineer must either migrate the controller project into TIA Portal or transfer symbols through an export/import CSV workflow.

1. Overview of the Two Integration Paths

Both paths preserve the S7-300 program logic on the PLC. The difference is whether the controller program itself moves into the TIA Portal project tree (migration) or whether the HMI simply receives a copy of the symbol list (tag export).

2. Prerequisites

2.1 Hardware / Software Matrix

2.2 Project Files in Scope

• *.s7p — STEP 7 V5.5 project file (cannot be opened by TIA Portal directly without migration)
• *.ap11 — TIA Portal V11 project archive
• *.csv — Symbol export (STEP 7 V5.5 side) / tag import (WinCC Comfort V11 side)

3. Path A — Migrating STEP 7 V5.5 into TIA Portal V11

This is the recommended path when the HMI and PLC must be maintained as a single, integrated project going forward. After migration, the PLC station, the Comfort Panel, and the connections between them all live in one TIA Portal project, which means tag updates in the PLC automatically propagate to the HMI when the project is recompiled.

3.1 Pre-Migration Checklist

1. Compile the STEP 7 V5.5 project without errors (PLC → Compile All).
2. Resolve any remaining warnings under PLC → Check Block Consistency.
3. Remove unsupported hardware (e.g., obsolete CP modules, soft-PLC stubs) that have no TIA Portal equivalent.
4. Document all symbol names, DB structures, and UDTs — these become the contract between PLC and HMI after migration.
5. Close the project in STEP 7 V5.5 to release file locks.

3.2 Step-by-Step Migration Procedure

1. Open STEP 7 Professional V11 (TIA Portal) on the engineering station.
2. From the Project view, select Project → Migrate project.
3. Browse to the STEP 7 V5.5 .s7p file and confirm.
4. TIA Portal performs an automatic conversion: S7 program blocks are translated to the TIA Portal representation, HW Config is converted to the device view, and the symbol table is preserved.
5. Review the migration log (Inspector window → Info → Compile). Any blocks that failed conversion are listed with the original STL source for manual rework.
6. Add the Comfort Panel device: Add new device → HMI → Comfort Panel → KP700 (or your specific variant).
7. Create an HMI connection from the new HMI station to the migrated S7-300 station. The connection wizard offers the standard S7ONLINE protocol over PROFINET (default) or PROFIBUS.
8. Drag the migrated PLC tags from the project tree into the HMI tag table — TIA Portal automatically resolves data types and address pointers.
9. Recompile both stations (Right-click device → Compile → Software (rebuild all blocks)).
10. Download to the PLC first, then to the HMI. Order matters: the HMI must be able to resolve tags against an online PLC program that matches.

3.3 What Migrates Cleanly vs. What Does Not

4. Path B — CSV Tag Export from STEP 7 V5.5 and Import into WinCC Comfort V11

Use this path when the STEP 7 V5.5 PLC project cannot be migrated (e.g., production-locked, vendor-supported by a third party under contract, or the HMI team has no STEP 7 Professional license). The PLC remains under STEP 7 V5.5 control; the HMI is built as a standalone project in WinCC Comfort V11 and merely consumes a snapshot of the symbol table.

4.1 Exporting Symbols from STEP 7 V5.5

1. Open the STEP 7 V5.5 project and the relevant S7 Program's Symbols editor.
2. Select Symbol Table → Export (or Table → Export).
3. Choose a destination directory and file name. STEP 7 V5.5 exports in CSV with a specific column layout required for WinCC Comfort import.

4.2 Required CSV Column Layout

WinCC Comfort V11 expects a specific column order. The column separator is configurable (default ; in EU locales, , in US locales). Each row is one tag.

4.3 Address Format Reference

4.4 Example CSV File

Name;Path;Datatype;Length;Connection;Address
Motor1_Run;Motors\Conveyor1;Bool;;Connection_1;DB10.DBX0.0
Motor1_Speed;Motors\Conveyor1;Int;;Connection_1;DB10.DBW2
Motor1_Current;Motors\Conveyor1;Real;;Connection_1;DB10.DBD4
E_Stop_OK;Safety;Bool;;Connection_1;I0.0
AlarmText_01;Alarms;String;40;Connection_1;DB20.DBW0

4.5 Importing into WinCC Comfort V11

1. Open the WinCC Comfort V11 project containing the KP700 station.
2. Open the HMI tag table: Project tree → HMI tags → Default tag table.
3. Select Tag table → Import from the menu bar.
4. Browse to the CSV exported from STEP 7 V5.5.
5. Confirm the import mapping. WinCC Comfort auto-detects columns by header name when present; if headers are missing, manually map Name → Name, Datatype → Datatype, Address → Address, etc.
6. Resolve any duplicate-name warnings before completing the import.
7. Recompile the HMI station: Right-click HMI device → Compile → Software.

4.6 Connection Definition for the Imported Tags

The CSV references a connection name (e.g., Connection_1). This must exist in the HMI project before import, otherwise the rows will be imported as offline tags without an address. Define the connection first:

1. Project tree → HMI device → Connections.
2. Right-click → Add new connection.
3. Select S7ONLINE driver.
4. Enter the partner (PLC) IP address and rack/slot. For an S7-313C on rack 0 slot 2, enter slot 2.
5. Name the connection exactly as it appears in the CSV (Connection_1).

5. Choosing the Right Path — Decision Matrix

6. Verification After Integration

6.1 Static Verification (Offline)

• Compile both projects without errors. Warnings about unresolved tags must be zero.
• In WinCC Comfort, open the Cross-reference editor (Tools → Cross-reference). Confirm every imported tag has at least one reference — orphaned tags indicate a bad address or unused export row.
• Validate data types: a STEP 7 WORD becomes an HMI Word; a REAL in DB10.DBD8 becomes Real. Mismatches typically surface as offline value displays showing "####" or as connection-loss alarms at runtime.

6.2 Online Verification (Live PLC + HMI)

1. Download the PLC program first (Path A) or confirm the PLC program is live and unchanged (Path B).
2. Download the HMI configuration to the KP700 via PROFINET or USB.
3. On the HMI, open a screen that displays an imported tag (e.g., Motor1_Run).
4. Toggle the bit in the PLC using the STEP 7 V5.5 Monitor/Modify tool. The HMI display should update within one acquisition cycle (default 1 s for Comfort Panels).
5. From the HMI, force a write (e.g., set Motor1_Speed via an input field). Verify the new value appears in the PLC tag table.
6. Trigger an alarm from the PLC and confirm it appears on the HMI alarm view with the correct text and timestamp.

6.3 Diagnostic Indicators to Watch

7. Version Compatibility Matrix

8. Security and Plant-Floor Considerations

• Know-how protection: STEP 7 V5.5 blocks with know-how protection are migrated into TIA Portal but the protection must be re-applied manually. The CSV export will not include protected symbol details.
• Change management: When using Path B, every PLC symbol change requires a manual CSV re-export. Document this in the project's change-control workflow to avoid tag drift.
• Online vs. offline tag consistency: The CSV is a snapshot. Renaming a tag in STEP 7 V5.5 without re-exporting breaks the HMI linkage silently — alarms and screens will reference the old (orphan) tag.
• Network segmentation: When the HMI connects to the PLC via PROFINET, ensure both devices sit on the same subnet or VLAN. Use the S7ONLINE driver default port (102/TCP).

9. Common Pitfalls and Field Tips

1. Mixing Path A and Path B in the same project. Decide once. A migrated project does not need CSV imports, and a CSV-driven project should not be migrated mid-flight.
2. Forgetting to set the connection name in the CSV. An empty Connection column creates an offline tag that never updates.
3. Using STEP 7 V5.5 absolute addresses without the DB prefix. DBX0.0 is invalid; the import expects DB10.DBX0.0 for a data-block-relative address.
4. Re-downloading the PLC after a CSV re-import without a full PLC restart. If DB structures changed, the PLC must be restarted in STOP → RUN to reinitialize the DBs.
5. Assuming bidirectional sync. Renaming a tag in WinCC Comfort does not propagate back to STEP 7 V5.5 in Path B.
6. Skipping the cross-reference check. Orphan tags consume memory and slow HMI startup. Always run a cross-reference before final download.

10. Frequently Asked Questions