Siemens APACS+ Wonderware HMI Migration: MBI/MNI to PCS 7 Reference

The Moore APACS distributed control system shipped from the factory with Wonderware InTouch bundled as the OEM "ProcessSuite" package. Plants that standardized on this combination in the 1990s now face an end-of-support cliff: ProcessSuite is on the Siemens mature-product list, no new licenses are sold beyond 2006, and primary support ended in 2010. This reference covers the four viable upgrade paths from Windows 3.1 / InTouch v5 to a current operating system and HMI, with detailed coverage of the MBI/MNI interface hardware, OPC bridging, virtualization, and the Siemens DBA migration toolchain.

1. Legacy Stack Overview

The Moore APACS controller used Wonderware extensively as its front-end HMI and repackaged it as ProcessSuite. Original ProcessSuite bundles contained InTouch v7.11, the APACS API I/O driver, the 4-Mation configuration utilities, and DDE-based tag database integration. The reference architecture looked like this:

The original flow was strictly DDE-based: the APACS API DLL exposed points as DDE topics, and InTouch polled them at 250 ms or 1 s intervals. There was no native OPC server in the original ProcessSuite release.

2. MBI vs MNI Hardware: Slot and Bus Selection

The Module Bus Interface (MBI) and Module Net Interface (MNI) cards are the physical bridge between the APACS I/O backplane (Module Bus) and the operator workstation. Selecting the correct variant is the single most common source of migration delays.

3. Migration Path Decision Matrix

There is no single correct upgrade path. The decision depends on the remaining life of the APACS controllers, plant cybersecurity policy, and whether the operator graphics need modern features (alarm shelving, historical trending, redundancy).

4. Path A: InTouch Upgrade with OPC Bridge

This path retains the existing operator graphics investment and modernizes only the workstation tier. The defining engineering task is replacing the original DDE-based APACS API with an OPC DA 2.0 / 3.0 server.

4.1 Prerequisites

• Wonderware InTouch v9.5 or later license with at least the same I/O point count as the legacy database.
• Matrikon OPC Server for APACS (or equivalent third-party OPC DA server that wraps the APACS API).
• OPC Link client for InTouch, which ships with the Wonderware I/O Server pack and acts as the DA-to-InTouch bridge.
• Workstation with either an ISA slot (to retain the legacy MBI/MNI) or a free PCI slot plus budget for ACM firmware upgrades.

4.2 Tag Database Conversion

The original ProcessSuite tag database was stored in DBDump text files exported from 4-Mation. Convert in three steps:

1. Export the full point list from 4-Mation with Point > Export > All Points. The output is a CSV with columns TagName,Descriptor,EU_High,EU_Low,ScanPeriod,AlarmPriority.
2. Import the CSV into the new OPC server's configuration utility. Verify that the server populates its address space with the APACS point names exactly as exported; mismatched capitalization breaks InTouch access names.
3. Regenerate the InTouch access name list using Special > Substitution referencing the new OPC topic. The $(PROJECTNAME)ACC macro must point to the OPC Link topic, not the legacy APACS API topic.

4.3 DDE-to-OPC Translation Table

5. Path B: Virtualization for Minimum Engineering Effort

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (free download from Microsoft) supports running Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 3.1 inside a virtual hard disk on a Windows XP Pro host. This is occasionally used as a stopgap to preserve a working ProcessSuite application while the rest of the plant moves forward.

5.1 Hardware Pass-Through

Virtual PC 2004 does not natively expose ISA slots to guest operating systems. The two practical workarounds are:

• USB-to-ISA bridge (e.g., the Arcom ZB88 or equivalent). Latency is typically 50-150 ms per I/O scan, which is unacceptable for closed-loop display but adequate for supervisory monitoring.
• Network bridge: run a separate physical Windows NT workstation with the MBI card installed, then expose its data to the XP host via Matrikon OPC Tunneller or KEPware's Bridge. The XP host runs InTouch; the NT workstation runs the APACS API driver.

5.2 Virtualization Suitability Matrix

6. Path C: OPC Bridge with Third-Party OPC Server

The Matrikon OPC Server for APACS wraps the APACS API and exposes the controller point database as OPC DA 2.05a items. Plants often pair this server with the Wonderware OPC Link client, ICONICS Genesis64, or a custom .NET application for long-term HMI modernization.

6.1 OPC Server Topology

6.2 OPC Item Naming Convention

Matrikon's APACS OPC server exposes the namespace as Channel.Device.Group.Tag. For a single-channel single-controller configuration:

Channel1.ACM01.AI_101.PV          // analog input PV
Channel1.ACM01.AI_101.EU_HI       // engineering range high
Channel1.ACM01.PID_201.MODE      // control mode word
Channel1.ACM01.DO_301.STATE      // digital output state

For multi-controller configurations exposed via the MNI, the Device segment carries the controller name as configured in the OPC server.

6.3 Configuring OPC Link in InTouch

1. Install OPC Link on the InTouch workstation as a Windows service.
2. Open the OPC Link configuration and add the Matrikon APACS server as a server hierarchy node.
3. For each tag, define an access name using the pattern OPC_MATRIKON with application Matrikon.OPC.APACS and topic Default.
4. Define InTouch item names as OPCMatrikon_PV:Channel1.ACM01.AI_101.PV or use the Bridge mode to map the OPC tag name directly to the InTouch tag name.
5. Set the poll-on-demand flag for non-critical tags and use unsolicited reporting for alarms to reduce bus traffic.

7. Path D: PCS 7 Migration via the Siemens DBA Tool

The Siemens Database Administrator (DBA) tool is the only Siemens-supported path for converting a ProcessSuite / 4-Mation application into a PCS 7 Operator Station (WinCC) project. It preserves the controller-side engineering and produces a complete WinCC graphics and alarm tree on the OS side.

7.1 DBA Tool Workflow

1. Inventory the existing 4-Mation modules, ACM configuration, and ProcessSuite window source. Export each ACM's database to the .exp format using 4-Mation.
2. Install the DBA tool on a Windows Server 2008 R2 or 2012 R2 engineering station matching the target PCS 7 V8.x or V9.x version.
3. Import the .exp files into the DBA. The tool maps 4-Mation modules to PCS 7 CFC charts and SFC sequences.
4. Compile the WinCC OS project. The DBA translates ProcessSuite AlarmWorx and dynamic objects into WinCC alarm classes and faceplate instances.
5. Load the compiled OS to the AS-OS network and verify against the live ACM database.

7.2 What the DBA Tool Does Not Convert

• Custom 4-Mation script blocks that reference external DLLs must be re-engineered in CFC.
• ProcessSuite Vision graphic extensions (custom ActiveX controls) are not migrated; WinCC re-implements these as WinCC Graphics Designer objects.
• Operator graphics using legacy Wonderware SmartSymbol objects must be reviewed manually for WinCC symbol library equivalents.

8. ACM Firmware Upgrade Considerations for PCI MBI Migration

Swapping an ISA MBI for a new PCI MBI card is not a like-for-like replacement. The PCI card uses a different bus-mastering mechanism and a new card revision ID that the ACM firmware must recognize.

8.1 Required ACM Firmware Revision

Siemens documentation requires ACM firmware revision 8.4 or later for PCI MBI compatibility on APACS+ controllers. Earlier revisions report a Module Bus Fault with a card-identification mismatch in the ACM diagnostic log.

8.2 I/O Module Firmware

Siemens strongly recommends upgrading all I/O modules in the affected chassis to firmware revision matching the ACM upgrade. This is the most expensive line item in the migration budget and is frequently underestimated.

9. ProcessSuite Licensing Constraints

ProcessSuite Vision is not equivalent to a generic InTouch license. The ProcessSuite license specifically entitles the user to run the bundled InTouch v7.11 binary and the APACS API driver. Modifying a ProcessSuite-created project to run under a separately purchased InTouch v9.x or v10.x is prohibited by the Siemens/Moore license agreement for the ProcessSuite bundle.

10. Power and Thermal Sizing for the New Workstation

Replacing the original 1990s operator console with an industrial PC requires verifying that the new chassis can be installed in the existing console furniture without exceeding thermal or power budgets.

10.1 Single-Phase Power Calculation

Typical industrial-grade panel PC: 120 V single-phase, 2.5 A full load.

S = V x I
S = 120 V x 2.5 A
S = 300 VA = 0.30 kVA

10.2 Three-Phase Power Calculation (Operator Console Cluster)

If the operator console is fed from a three-phase 208 V panel and the panel PC draws 2.5 A per phase:

S = sqrt(3) x V_LL x I_line / 1000
S = 1.732 x 208 V x 2.5 A / 1000
S = 0.90 kVA

10.3 UPS Sizing

For a 30-minute holdup on a 300 VA single-phase load at 0.8 power factor:

E = S x PF x t
E = 300 VA x 0.8 x 0.5 h
E = 120 Wh battery capacity minimum

Always apply a 1.25 derating factor for battery aging: 120 Wh x 1.25 = 150 Wh minimum nominal battery capacity.

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

12. Verification and Commissioning Checklist

Use this checklist for sign-off after any of the four migration paths:

1. Tag database parity: export the InTouch / WinCC tag list and compare to the 4-Mation export line-for-line. Mismatches must be < 0.1%.
2. Alarm round-trip: force-trigger an alarm from the ACM engineering station and verify it appears in the HMI within 2 seconds and clears within 5 seconds of the trigger being removed.
3. Mode changes: cycle each PID loop through Auto, Manual, Computer, and Cascade modes from the HMI. Verify the ACM database reflects the change within 1 scan period.
4. Setpoint writes: change the setpoint from the HMI and verify the new value is written back to the ACM and observed on an independent engineering station.
5. Trending: verify historical trend data is captured at the configured scan rate and that the trend buffer survives an HMI restart.
6. Redundancy: if the plant uses redundant HMI servers, fail over the primary and confirm the secondary takes over within the configured switchover time.
7. Backup: verify the backup of the new InTouch / WinCC project and OPC server configuration completes and is restorable to a cold workstation.

13. Reference Documentation

For lifecycle status and Siemens' official position on APACS+ support windows, refer to the Siemens APACS+ Lifecycle Solutions brochure:

• Siemens APACS+ Lifecycle Solutions (PABR-70134-0323)

For historical context on the Moore-to-Wonderware integration model and the lifecycle considerations that drive modern migration projects, see the Control Engineering editorial coverage of legacy HMI life extension:

• Maximizing the Life of Your Legacy HMI Installation — Control Engineering

For the underlying OPC standards that the modern migration paths depend on, the OPC Foundation maintains the current DA 3.0 specification and conformance test tools:

• OPC Foundation — Specifications and Conformance

For Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (used only in the virtualization path for life extension of Windows 3.1 / NT 4.0 ProcessSuite installations), the official Microsoft download is archived at:

• Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 SP1

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