Siemens WF706 and WF723 HMI Documentation Reference Guide

The Siemens WF706 and WF723 are legacy operator panel (HMI) devices that belong to the SIMATIC HMI product family. Engineering teams maintaining older SIMATIC S5 and early S7 installations still encounter these panels in brownfield plants, and locating authoritative documentation remains the primary engineering challenge. This reference consolidates the official Siemens Support entry points, identifies the configuration tools (GRACIS and COM 723), clarifies the relationship to WinCC, and provides a verification path for engineers who need to support, configure, or migrate these panels today.

1. Product Family Identification

The WF706 and WF723 are monochrome and color operator panels respectively, designed for use with SIMATIC S5 PLCs and certain S7 controllers. The "C" suffix (e.g., WF706C, WF723C) denotes the color variant of the corresponding monochrome unit. Both panels belong to the earlier generation of Siemens HMI hardware that predates the current SIMATIC HMI Comfort and Unified Comfort Panel series.

The official Siemens Support entry for the WF 706 C is maintained at the following URL:

WF 706 C - DOCUMENTATION DESCRIPTION (Entry ID 48281316)

This Siemens Industry Online Support entry contains a downloadable PDF (approximately 3,900 KB) describing the WF706C hardware, available documentation, and configuration prerequisites. Access may require a Siemens Support account with appropriate entitlement. The entry is a top-level description record; the bundled PDF is the primary reference for the original equipment documentation.

Entry ID 17203940 is also referenced historically for the WF706 documentation set on the legacy support portal. The migration of older entry IDs into the current Industry Online Support platform means some 17203940 paths now redirect or are consolidated under newer entry numbers, including 48281316.

1.1 Part Numbers and Documentation

Siemens historically used 6AV3-series order numbers (MLFB - Machine-Readable Product Designation) for the WF product line. The exact order numbers are not reproduced in publicly indexed material; the official documentation PDF linked above is the authoritative source for MLFB mapping. When ordering replacement units, spares, or documentation, engineers should reference the MLFB printed on the device nameplate and cross-reference it with Siemens sales.

2. GRACIS Configuration Software

GRACIS (Grafik Configuration System) is the dedicated Siemens configuration and graphics editor for the WF series operator panels. It is the recommended tool for building process screens, defining tag connections, configuring alarm logging, and generating the runtime project that is downloaded to the panel.

GRACIS operates on Windows-based engineering workstations and produces a binary project file that is transferred to the WF panel via serial or MPI connection depending on the panel variant. The software was distributed as a separately licensed package and is no longer available through standard Siemens sales channels. Engineers supporting these panels typically obtain GRACIS media from decommissioned engineering stations, third-party resellers specializing in legacy Siemens software, or Siemens' trade-in programs.

2.1 GRACIS Project Workflow

1. Launch GRACIS and create a new project selecting the target panel type (WF706, WF706C, WF723, or WF723C).
2. Configure the PLC connection parameters - protocol, MPI address, baud rate, and rack/slot for S7 backplanes.
3. Define the tag database (process variables) corresponding to the PLC's data blocks, inputs, outputs, flags, and timers/counters.
4. Build the screen hierarchy using the GRACIS graphics editor. Place static and dynamic objects, define animations driven by tag values, and assign navigation between screens.
5. Configure alarm classes, message priorities, and the alarm logging buffer.
6. Configure recipes, trending, and password-protected user levels where supported by the target panel.
7. Compile the project to generate the runtime binary.
8. Download the compiled runtime to the panel via the configured transfer path.
9. Verify communication and tag updates in online mode.

GRACIS projects are not directly forward-compatible with WinCC Flexible, TIA Portal WinCC, or SIMATIC WinCC Unified. A migration path from GRACIS to WinCC is not provided by Siemens as a free utility; migration is generally performed by manually re-creating screens in the modern tool. See Section 6 for migration guidance.

3. COM 723 S5 Add-On

COM 723 is a SIMATIC S5 add-on package that provides communication and configuration support for the WF723 panel. It integrates with the S5 programming environment (STEP 5) and supplies the function blocks, data structures, and parameter dialogs needed to bind the WF723 screen logic to an S5 CPU's data areas.

For SIMATIC S5 applications, COM 723 is the binding layer between the S5 user program and the WF723 runtime. Engineers writing S5 code that drives the WF723 typically:

• Install COM 723 as an S5-DOS/Windows add-on into the STEP 5 environment.
• Declare the data blocks (DBs) and flag areas (FY/FW) that the WF723 will read and write.
• Call the COM 723-supplied function blocks (FBs) in the S5 program to initialize communication, refresh tag data, and acknowledge alarms.
• Use the COM 723 parameter editor to assign symbolic names to tag addresses and generate the corresponding GRACIS tag import file.

For SIMATIC S7 applications interfacing the WF723, COM 723 is generally not used; instead, the panel is configured in GRACIS to communicate natively with the S7 CPU using the MPI or PROFIBUS protocol, and the S7 user program exposes tags via DBs in the standard STEP 7 manner.

4. WinCC Compatibility and Equivalence

WinCC V6.0 (and subsequent versions including WinCC V7, WinCC Flexible 2008, and TIA Portal WinCC) is not the configuration tool for the WF706 or WF723. The WF series predates WinCC's HMI configuration role and is configured exclusively by GRACIS.

WinCC is, however, a viable equivalent for the functional class of the WF panels when used with SIMATIC S7-300/S7-400 controllers and Panel PCs or modern Comfort Panels. An equivalent graphic application can be built in WinCC V6.0 or later, but the resulting runtime targets a PC-based or modern panel-based HMI and not the WF hardware.

For engineers evaluating whether to maintain the WF hardware or migrate to a WinCC-based equivalent, the following functional comparison applies:

5. Locating Official Documentation

The following approach is recommended for engineers who need to obtain authoritative documentation for the WF706 or WF723:

5.1 Siemens Industry Online Support

1. Navigate to support.industry.siemens.com.
2. Search for the entry ID 48281316 for the WF 706 C Documentation Description PDF.
3. Alternatively, search by MLFB (the 6AV3-prefix order number on the device nameplate).
4. Register for a Siemens Support account if access to download-restricted PDFs is required.
5. Use the "Advanced Search" filter for product family "SIMATIC HMI" and sub-family "WF" or "COROS" (the older designation).

5.2 Siemens Sales / Regional Support

For documentation sets not exposed on the public Support portal, contact a Siemens regional sales representative or the local Siemens Industry Customer Care center. Provide the MLFB and the panel's serial number. Siemens can sometimes provide scanned reproductions of legacy manuals on request, particularly for maintenance contracts covering older equipment.

5.3 Legacy Documentation Services

Specialist third-party vendors archive legacy Siemens HMI documentation. These services are commonly used to obtain COM 723 paper manuals, GRACIS installation media, and out-of-print wiring diagrams for the WF series. Validate the authenticity of any third-party documentation against the official entry ID 48281316 where possible.

6. Migration Path to Modern SIMATIC HMI

Where the WF706 or WF723 is reaching end of life, Siemens recommends migrating to a current SIMATIC HMI platform. The migration is a manual exercise; no automated GRACIS-to-WinCC converter is provided by Siemens. The general migration procedure is:

1. Inventory the existing GRACIS project - screens, tags, alarms, recipes, scripts, and any user-defined function blocks.
2. Identify the modern target panel (e.g., KTP700 Basic, TP700 Comfort, or a Unified Comfort Panel such as MTP1000) sized to the application.
3. Select the target configuration tool:
   • WinCC Comfort / Professional (TIA Portal) for SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels.
   • WinCC Unified (TIA Portal) for SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels.
   • WinCC V7.x for PC-based SCADA / Panel PCs.
4. Re-create the tag database in the new tool, mapping legacy GRACIS tag names to the new tag namespace.
5. Re-create screens using the new graphics library, leveraging vector graphics and modern animation capabilities.
6. Re-create alarms with the new alarm class structure and the appropriate logging configuration.
7. Validate the new project against the existing PLC program, ensuring all tag addresses, data types, and trigger conditions match.
8. Perform FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) and SAT (Site Acceptance Test) with operational procedures to confirm functional equivalence.

7. Communication Wiring and Protocols

The WF706 and WF723 support the communication methods appropriate to the S5/S7 generation they were designed for. Engineers maintaining these panels should verify the protocol configuration against the original documentation PDF (Entry 48281316). Typical communication parameters used during commissioning include:

For the download of the GRACIS-generated runtime to the panel, the transfer utility within GRACIS handles the binary upload via the configured channel. Always confirm the active protocol by examining the panel's communication diagnostic screen before initiating a download.

8. Troubleshooting Matrix

The following matrix addresses the most common fault scenarios encountered with WF706 and WF723 panels in service. Each entry lists the symptom, likely root cause, and corrective action.

9. Verification and Commissioning Checklist

When commissioning a WF706 or WF723 panel - whether a new installation, a re-commissioning after repair, or a panel swap - use the following verification sequence:

1. Confirm the panel's MLFB and firmware version against the project documentation.
2. Inspect the wiring against the approved schematic, including shield termination at one end only.
3. Power the panel and verify the boot screen appears without error codes.
4. Establish communication with the PLC; verify the panel reads live tag values.
5. Test alarm triggering by forcing an alarm condition in the PLC and confirming the panel displays the message and logs it to the buffer.
6. Test operator inputs (button presses, setpoint entries) by observing the corresponding tag values change in the PLC.
7. Verify the project download path by re-uploading the runtime from the panel and confirming it matches the engineering source.
8. Document the as-commissioned configuration, including panel firmware version, GRACIS project version, and PLC program version.

10. Engineering Notes and Best Practices

• Preserve project archives. GRACIS projects are binary and version-specific. Maintain a versioned archive of every project deployed to a WF panel, including the GRACIS build number and the COM 723 version (where applicable). Without the project archive, recovering the panel's configuration after a memory failure is not possible.
• Document tag-to-PLC mapping. Maintain a CSV or spreadsheet that maps each GRACIS tag name to its PLC address, data type, scaling, and engineering units. This is invaluable for troubleshooting and for any future migration to WinCC.
• Test the spare. For critical process lines, keep a spare WF706 or WF723 pre-loaded with the active project. The lead time for legacy spares is unpredictable.
• Plan the migration now. Even if the panel is functional, initiate a migration roadmap to a modern SIMATIC HMI platform. The longer the migration is deferred, the more risk of an unplanned outage with no available spare.
• Validate against the official PDF. Any configuration parameter not covered in this guide should be verified against the official WF 706 C Documentation Description PDF (Entry 48281316) and the original paper manual for the specific panel variant.