PCS 7 WinCC Faceplate Functions Reference and Documentation Guide

Overview: PCS 7 WinCC Faceplates and Their Function Library

SIMATIC PCS 7 faceplates are pre-engineered, parameter-driven HMI objects embedded in WinCC pictures that provide standardized operator control and monitoring views for automation system (AS) blocks. Each faceplate is a WinCC picture (.pdl) bound to a structure tag that mirrors the instance DB of an AS block. Beyond the visible controls and indicators, PCS 7 ships a large set of C-language runtime functions in the WinCC Global Script project that handle the dynamic behavior of these faceplates: opening, closing, batch operations, permission checks, multi-instance loops, and event routing.

When an engineer opens a PCS 7 OS picture in Graphics Designer and inspects the global script C editor, the project tree under Project Functions shows function names beginning with PCS7_ or grouped under the @PCS7_* namespace. These are not documented in the WinCC Information System shipped with WinCC standalone; they live in the PCS 7-specific documentation set. This reference consolidates the documentation sources, identifies the canonical library file (@PCS7_Elements.pdl), explains the function families, and provides field-proven procedures for locating, calling, and debugging these functions in PCS 7 V7.0 and later.

Documentation Sources: Official Siemens Manuals

The PCS 7 faceplate function library is documented in several PDF manuals. The titles and entry IDs differ between PCS 7 versions, but the core manuals for V6.x, V7.0, V8.x, and V9.x follow a consistent naming pattern.

For PCS 7 V7.0, the two principal references are the Faceplates manual and the Programming Instructions for Blocks manual. Earlier versions (V6.1) used the same file naming convention with different revision indices. V8.x and V9.x consolidate the faceplate information into the SIMATIC PCS 7 HMI Manual Collection.

Locating the @PCS7_Elements.pdl Library

The @PCS7_Elements.pdl file is the master library that contains completed objects for buttons, lists, indicators, sliders, and bar graphs used in PCS 7 faceplates. It is the canonical source for the visual gadgets that the C functions manipulate at runtime.

1. Open WinCC Explorer on the PCS 7 OS station.
2. Switch the project view to the OS System (e.g., OS1) — not the engineering project.
3. Open the Graphics Designer and load the project @PCS7_Elements.pdl from the WinCC project folder:
   <Project path>\<OS name>\Grafic\@PCS7_Elements.pdl
4. Inspect the object tree: each gadget has its own configured properties and is bound to a subset of faceplate C functions.

The gadget naming convention is consistent across versions:

PCS 7 Global Script C Function Families

The C functions visible in the WinCC Global Script editor for a PCS 7 OS are organized into functional groups. The principal groups are listed below; the function name pattern indicates intent and the parameter block typically includes the tag prefix and instance number.

Most functions are called from C-action scripts attached to events on picture objects in @PCS7_Elements.pdl or to events on the user-defined faceplate. The C-action body typically looks like this:

// C-Action: Mouse click on open-faceplate button
char* tag = "S7#1/MOT_SPEED/";
int instance = 1;

if (BP_Bedienung_M(tag, instance) == 1)
{
    BP_AUF_M(tag, instance);
}

Where tag is the prefix portion of the structure tag (without the instance number) and instance is the loop index. The BP_Bedienung_M call checks the operator's authorization level; if the check returns 1 (authorized), BP_AUF_M opens the faceplate.

Step-by-Step: Accessing Faceplate Function Help Offline

The WinCC Information System that ships with WinCC alone does not contain the PCS 7 faceplate function reference. The correct procedure to obtain help depends on the platform and installed components.

1. Click Start → SIMATIC → Documentation. This opens the SIMATIC documentation portal with manuals filtered to the installed PCS 7 version.
2. Alternatively, mount the PCS 7 documentation DVD and navigate to \Manuals\English\. Look for the s7jfpl*.pdf and s7jpa70*.pdf files.
3. For PCS 7 V7.0 on Windows XP, the documentation installer is on the same DVD as the OS installation media. After installation, the PDFs are placed under C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\PCS7\Documentation\.
4. For PCS 7 V8.x/V9.x, use the integrated help: open the Global Script C editor in WinCC Explorer, place the cursor on a PCS7_ function, and press F1. The help text links to the relevant manual in PDF form.

If the help is not installed, the manuals can be downloaded from Siemens Industry Online Support using the entry IDs listed in the table above. Search the support portal with the manual number (e.g., s7jfplb_e.pdf) for the latest revision matching your PCS 7 version.

Verifying the Faceplate Runtime Interface

To confirm that a faceplate is wired correctly to the C functions, perform the following verification on the OS runtime:

1. Compile and download the AS program. Confirm that the instance DBs are present in the S7 CPU.
2. Start WinCC Runtime on the OS. Open a process picture containing a faceplate instance.
3. Right-click the faceplate object and select Open faceplate. The faceplate window must appear in the foreground.
4. Inspect the runtime data: the process values in the faceplate must match the values in the CFC/SFC chart on the AS.
5. Trigger an alarm from the AS. The faceplate's message line must show the active message within one polling cycle (typically 1 second).
6. Acknowledge the alarm from the faceplate. The AS must register the acknowledgment (check the ACK_STATE bit in the instance DB).

If the faceplate does not open, the most common cause is a missing or mistyped structure tag prefix. Open the picture properties in Graphics Designer, select the faceplate object, and inspect the Tag Prefix and Instance properties in the configuration dialog.

Common Errors and Troubleshooting

Differences Across PCS 7 Versions

Faceplate function behavior and naming has evolved between major PCS 7 releases. The table below summarizes the major transitions that affect scripting.

For projects running PCS 7 V7.0 on Windows XP (the source scenario), the legacy function names with _M and _B suffixes apply, and the help files are exclusively PDF documents installed from the PCS 7 documentation DVD.

Best Practices for Working with PCS 7 Faceplate Functions

1. Do not modify the @PCS7_Elements.pdl file directly. Copy the gadgets you need into a project-specific @MyGadgets.pdl and reference the original C functions.
2. Use the configuration dialog of each gadget (right-click → Properties → Configuration) to set the tag prefix and instance, rather than hard-coding them in C actions.
3. Document any custom C function calls in a project-specific global script header file (PCS7_Custom.h) to keep the wiring maintainable.
4. Test faceplate interactions in a simulated environment (SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM) before running on a live OS, especially for batch and loop operations.
5. Keep the PCS 7 documentation DVD or the corresponding Siemens support download in a known location; the manuals are version-specific and frequently updated.

Field Notes on the Win XP / PCS 7 V7.0 Combination

The original scenario describes a PCS 7 V7.0 project running on Windows XP. This combination reached end of support several years ago, and Siemens officially retired WinCC V7.0 runtime support for new installations after Windows XP SP3. Engineers maintaining legacy V7.0 systems should be aware of the following constraints:

• The WinCC Information System is not bundled with PCS 7; it must be installed separately from the WinCC DVD.
• Global Script C functions are compiled at runtime via the WinCC C interpreter; no external MSVC build is required, but the C compiler is a 16-bit-compatible subset that does not support all C99 features.
• Microsoft Windows XP SP3 is the last supported platform for PCS 7 V7.0; SP2 and earlier are not certified.
• For modern replacement paths, Siemens recommends migrating to PCS 7 V9.1 or migrating to the SIMATIC WinCC Unified platform, which uses a different faceplate model based on TIA Portal and .NET-based scripting.

Migrating Legacy Faceplate Logic to Modern Platforms

When upgrading a PCS 7 V7.0 OS to V8.x or V9.x, the C function calls in the Global Script typically continue to work without modification because the function family naming is preserved. However, projects that used custom gadgets or non-standard C functions may need recompilation. The migration tool included in PCS 7 V8.0 (and later) scans the project for legacy C function calls and flags those that have been renamed.

For a complete migration to WinCC Unified (SIMATIC Unified PC RT V16 or later), the faceplate model changes substantially. The C function library is replaced by VBScript, C# (WinCC Unified Script), or graphical scripting. The HMI Faceplates Basics PDF (entry ID 68014632) documents the new model in detail.