A PC currently runs WinCC Flexible Runtime and communicates with four password-protected Siemens S7-300 PLCs over PROFIBUS through a CP5611 card. The practical objective is to add data collection without changing the working Runtime project or PLC programs. The available evidence supports a separate Runtime project when PLC addresses are known, but it does not establish that an OPC connection, CP5611 filter driver, or direct Runtime-database reader can be added safely.
Define the access constraints
PLC password protection and the missing WinCC Flexible project prevent symbolic browsing and reuse of the existing configuration. A separate project therefore requires manually entered absolute addresses, such as DB1.DBD10. Obtain the required data-block, input, or other PLC addresses from controlled documentation; guessing addresses cannot establish data type, meaning, or scaling.
| Collection path | Evidence status | Required information |
|---|---|---|
| Separate WinCC Flexible Runtime | Supported when run in a separate operating system | PLC addresses, data types, and acquisition settings |
| New OPC connection | Not established | Installed OPC components, compatible access path, and coexistence test |
| CP5611 filter driver | Not established | Documented driver API and proof that passive access will not disrupt communications |
| Read the Runtime database | Not established | Confirmation that the current project logs the required tags and identification of its storage interface |
Configure a separate Runtime project
The supported approach is to create a stand-alone WinCC Flexible project and run its Runtime in a virtual machine or other separate operating system. This avoids replacing the active project because each Runtime executes in its own operating-system instance. The evidence does not define how the CP5611 is exposed to the second operating system, so confirm that hardware and driver access before commissioning.
- Record each required PLC address, data type, engineering meaning, and scaling from approved documentation.
- Create a stand-alone WinCC Flexible Runtime project rather than modifying the active project.
- Configure the four S7-300 connections and enter absolute addresses manually; symbolic project data is unavailable.
- Set an acquisition interval appropriate to the collection requirement, then configure Runtime data logging if a historian is needed.
- Run the new project in a separate operating system and verify coexistence before relying on the collected values.
Evaluate OPC, CP5611, and database alternatives
Do not add an OPC connection to the production communication path until the installed software, licensing, driver ownership, and simultaneous-access behavior are known. The evidence provides no OPC server identity or configuration procedure. A CP5611 filter driver is also unsupported by the available information; intercepting a driver without a documented API introduces an unquantified risk to the existing PROFIBUS communication.
Direct database access works only if the active Runtime project already logs the required tags to an accessible store. Installing SQL Express and configuring logging would require access to a project that can be changed; it does not recover unlogged values from the missing project. Treat the database route as a discovery task: first determine whether logging exists, then identify the schema and supported read interface without modifying the live data store.
Verify non-disruptive operation
Start with a limited set of known addresses and compare the collected values with values visible on the existing HMI or another approved reference. Confirm correct data type, byte order, scaling, update behavior, and PLC identity. During the coexistence test, monitor the original Runtime for stale values or communication failures. Stop the added collector if existing operation changes; the evidence supplies no proven loading limit or guaranteed sharing behavior for the CP5611.
FAQ
Can I collect S7-300 data without the WinCC Flexible project?
Yes, if the required absolute PLC addresses and data types are known. Create a stand-alone project and enter addresses manually, such as DB1.DBD10, because symbolic tags from the missing project are unavailable.
Can two WinCC Flexible Runtime projects run on one PC?
The evidence supports running the additional Runtime in a separate operating system, including a virtual machine. Confirm how that operating system will access the CP5611 and verify that the existing Runtime remains unaffected.
Can I read the existing WinCC Flexible Runtime database directly?
Only if the active project already logs the required tags and its storage interface can be identified. If those values were not configured for logging, database access cannot supply them.