SIMATIC Manager vs TIA Portal: S7-400H and WinCC Configuration

Overview

Siemens has shipped two parallel engineering platforms for the SIMATIC S7 product line since the introduction of TIA Portal in 2010. SIMATIC Manager is the integrated engineering environment that ships with STEP 7 V5.x and targets the classic S7-300, S7-400, C7, and ET 200S/200M families. TIA Portal is the successor platform that bundles STEP 7, WinCC, SINAMICS Startdrive, and Safety Integrated into a single shell; it natively programs the S7-1200, S7-1500, and most S7-300/400 CPUs. Engineers running a fleet of 6ES7 414-4HM14-3AB0 S7-414H fault-tolerant CPUs feeding a shared WinCC station must understand the exact capabilities and limitations of each platform before opening a project file, because the wrong choice can lock you out of an active plant.

This reference consolidates the platform architecture, S7-400H support matrix, Windows 8 / 8.1 compatibility tables, WinCC station connection limits, and migration considerations needed to decide between the two engineering tools.

Platform Architecture Comparison

*CFC is added with PCS 7 and not part of base STEP 7 V5.x.

SIMATIC Manager (STEP 7 V5.x) Technical Specifications

SIMATIC Manager is a 32-bit Windows application that opens S7 projects stored on disk in a folder hierarchy rather than a single file. Each project contains a station folder, a CPU with S7 program blocks, sources, and a system data archive. Engineers interact with hardware configuration through HW Config and with logic through the LAD/FBD/STL/SCL editors.

Supported CPUs and Firmware

SIMATIC Manager V5.5 SP4 and later support the complete S7-300/400 portfolio, including:

• 6ES7 314-… S7-300 CPUs (CPU 312 to CPU 319-3 PN/DP)
• 6ES7 315-… S7-300 CPUs (CPU 315-2 DP, 315-2 PN/DP, 315T)
• 6ES7 317-… S7-300 CPUs (CPU 317-2 DP, 317-2 PN/DP, 317T)
• 6ES7 318-… S7-300 CPUs (CPU 319-3 PN/DP)
• 6ES7 412-… S7-400 CPUs (CPU 412-1, 412-2)
• 6ES7 414-… S7-400 CPUs (CPU 414-2, 414-3 PN/DP)
• 6ES7 414-4HM… S7-400H fault-tolerant CPUs (CPU 414-4H, 414-5H)
• 6ES7 416-… S7-400 CPUs (CPU 416-2, 416-3, 416F)
• 6ES7 417-… S7-400 CPUs (CPU 417-4, 417-5H)

Editor and Library Limits

SIMATIC Manager imposes the following soft limits inside HW Config and the program editor:

SIMATIC Manager Version Map

TIA Portal STEP 7 Technical Specifications

TIA Portal combines STEP 7, WinCC, Startdrive, and the Safety Integrated editor in one shell. The portal is the supported platform for all new S7-1200 and S7-1500 projects, and since TIA V16 a significant portion of the S7-400 portfolio can be migrated from STEP 7 V5.x projects.

TIA Portal Version Map

Editor and Project Limits in TIA Portal

S7-400H Support Matrix Across Versions

S7-400H was historically not supported by TIA Portal, which is the single largest reason many process plants still maintain SIMATIC Manager V5.5 SP4 or V5.6 as their primary engineering tool. Review the matrix below and validate against the official compatibility list at Siemens Industry Online Support for your specific 6ES7 414-4HM… order number.

Windows 8 / 8.1 Compatibility

When SIMATIC Manager and TIA Portal are installed on the same WinCC station that also serves as the engineering host, the operating system must satisfy the requirements of both packages plus the WinCC version. Use the official Siemens Compatibility Tool at Siemens Industry Online Support to validate exact combinations.

STEP 7 V5.x on Windows 8 / 8.1

TIA Portal on Windows 8 / 8.1

TIA Portal V13 SP1 is the earliest release that lists Windows 8 / 8.1 (64-bit) as a supported operating system. Earlier TIA versions (V11, V12, V13 base) target Windows XP / 7 only. Later TIA versions (V15 and above) drop Windows 8 support in favor of Windows 10 / Server 2016 / 2019.

Configuring 6x S7-414H on a Single WinCC Station

The configuration described — six S7-414H CPUs feeding one WinCC SCADA station — is a common topology in power, water, and large process plants. The WinCC station can act as an HMI client and PG/PC simultaneously, and SIMATIC Manager is the practical engineering tool for this topology.

Connection Budget

Each S7-414H CPU supports a fixed number of S7 connections. The connection budget for a single 414H CPU is roughly:

• 16 PG/OP connections (reserved by diagnostic / operator stations)
• 16 S7 connections (for distributed I/O, other CPUs, S7 routing)
• 16 S7-H (fault-tolerant) connections

For six S7-414H CPUs, the WinCC station must establish at least 6 PG/OP connections (one per CPU) plus the required redundant S7-H connections. Configure each CPU on a separate subnet, or use S7 routing if the WinCC station is connected only to the master CPU of each pair.

Step-by-Step Configuration in SIMATIC Manager

1. Open SIMATIC Manager and create a new project. Choose Insert > Station > SIMATIC 400 Station for each S7-414H pair (six stations total).
2. Open HW Config on the first station. Drag a UR2-H or UR2-R rack from the catalog and place the two redundant CPUs (for example, 6ES7 414-4HM14-3AB0) in slots 3 and 4.
3. Insert the synchronization modules (6ES7 960-1AB04 for fiber-optic link up to 10 m, 6ES7 960-1AA04-5XA0 for up to 10 km) and configure their slot assignment in HW Config.
4. Define the PROFIBUS or PROFINET subnet on the CPU and assign a unique highest PROFIBUS address for the H station (typical default = 31; recommended to leave at 31 for diagnostics).
5. Repeat steps 2–4 for the remaining five S7-414H stations.
6. Open the WinCC project in WinCC Explorer. Add an S7-MPI/DP/ISO-On-TCP driver for each station. Use the System Parameters > Logical Device Names dialog to bind each connection to a physical CP (for example, CP 1623 or Softnet IE).
7. In the WinCC connection list, define one connection per CPU and select the matching S7 connection type. For redundant links, enable S7-H redundancy in the connection properties.
8. Compile and download the HW Config to each CPU. Wait for both CPUs of each pair to reach the RUN-Redundant state (H LED green on both, IFM LED steady).
9. Activate the WinCC project and verify each connection transitions to Connected in the Connection Status diagnostic window.

STEP 7 Connection Configuration Block (ST sample)

For each S7-414H, the WinCC driver needs a unique connection ID and remote TSAP. Configure in NetPro:

// S7 connection parameters for CPU1 of pair 1
Connection ID : 1
Local End Point : S7-Connection
Remote TSAP   : 03.01          // Rack 0, Slot 1 of CPU 1
Partner Type  : S7-400H        // Enables H-redundancy in WinCC driver
Active Partner: yes

Redundancy Behavior

When the master CPU of an H pair fails, the standby takes over within the configured monitor time (default 100 ms) and WinCC continues to read process data without operator intervention. The S7-H connection type in WinCC exchanges a keep-alive frame with both CPUs and switches the active partner automatically. Verify this behavior in HW Config under CPU Properties > H Parameters > Monitoring Time.

Programming Language Differences

Library and Project Migration

When migrating an S7-400H project from STEP 7 V5.x to TIA Portal, the following constraints apply:

• Block libraries created with older STEP 7 versions can be re-used if the source code is recompiled in the target TIA Portal version.
• Custom libraries using STL must be rewritten in LAD, FBD, or SCL before migration to TIA V14 and later.
• Hardware configuration is migrated automatically by the TIA Portal migration tool, but unsupported modules must be removed first.
• WinCC projects from WinCC V7 are migrated to TIA WinCC Professional; WinCC Flexible projects from PC-based panels are migrated to TIA WinCC Comfort / Advanced.

PCS 7 Specific Considerations

PCS 7 V8.x and earlier run on SIMATIC Manager. PCS 7 V9.0 SP1 and later run on TIA Portal with a specific PCS 7 in TIA license. For plants still on PCS 7 V8.x, the engineering host must remain on SIMATIC Manager V5.5 SP4 or V5.6. S7-400H with PCS 7 needs CPU 410 (6ES7 410-5HM08-0AB0) — the S7-414H cannot carry the full PCS 7 AP library.

Selection Guide

Verification Checklist

1. Open the project in SIMATIC Manager > PLC > Module Information on the online CPU and confirm the firmware version matches the HW Config entry.
2. In NetPro, verify each WinCC connection is bound to the correct CP and the Connection Status reports Established.
3. In WinCC, open Tools > Connection Status and confirm all six S7 connections are OK with both H partners visible.
4. Force a failover on one H pair (pull CPU 1 or the sync fiber) and verify WinCC continues to update tags within 2 seconds.
5. Check CPU Diagnostic Buffer for any H sync errors (SF LED, OB 70 / OB 72 entries).
6. Run a WinCC Redundancy Test from Tools > Drivers > S7-H > Test to confirm the driver swaps to the standby CPU without operator-visible interruption.

Troubleshooting Matrix

FAQ