SIMIT KUKA Coupling: Install the KUKA Connector in SIMIT 11.3

The SIMIT KUKA Coupling is an optional, licensable add-on to Siemens SIMIT 11.3 that enables co-simulation between a SIMIT virtual commissioning project and a KUKA robot controller. The KUKA connector is not bundled with the base SIMIT 11.3 license; it must be acquired, licensed in the Automation License Manager, and installed as a separate component before it appears in the SIMIT Connectors menu. This guide walks through the licensing, installation, and shared-memory (SHM) workflow that bridges SIMIT to KUKA OfficeLite (recommended for development: OfficeLite Y200 or the KR C5 cabinet variant equivalent).

1. Overview of the SIMIT KUKA Coupling Architecture

SIMIT (Siemens Mechatronics Integration Tool) is the digital-twin and virtual-commissioning platform from Siemens used to simulate SIMATIC S7-1500, ET 200SP, SINAMICS drives, and—via add-on couplings—third-party subsystems. The KUKA Coupling extends the SIMIT runtime so that a SIMIT simulation graph can exchange process data with a KUKA robot controller (KR C4, KR C5, or OfficeLite) in real time.

The coupling is implemented as a Shared Memory (SHM) interface. Both processes (SIMIT and the KUKA controller / OfficeLite) write to and read from a common memory block, which avoids Ethernet protocol overhead and yields deterministic sub-millisecond cycle exchange. This is documented in the Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) document 109795246 — SIMIT Couplings, applicative expansions of the interface, where Chapter 4 — KUKA covers the SHM-based handshake and signal mapping rules.

2. Prerequisites

1. SIMIT 11.3 base license installed and functional. Verify by launching SIMIT VC and confirming the project tree loads.
2. Automation License Manager (ALM) present. The KUKA Coupling license is bound to the same ALM dongle (USB or software) that hosts SIMIT.
3. SIMIT KUKA Coupling add-on license purchased from your Siemens sales channel. The license is delivered as a License Key file (e.g. ....zip containing ....lic ticket).
4. KUKA OfficeLite (or licensed KR C4 / KR C5 controller). Recommended: OfficeLite Y200 or newer. KSS version must match the SHM option package installed on the controller.
5. Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) with both SIMIT and OfficeLite installed on the same machine (for development) or on machines connected by a defined network path (for production cells).
6. Administrator rights for installing the add-on DLLs and registering the SHM coupling service.

3. Verify the Existing SIMIT 11.3 License

Before installing anything, confirm what your current SIMIT 11.3 license actually grants. Many users assume the KUKA connector is included because it is documented in the same SIOS manual as the SIMIT base — it is not.

1. Open Automation License Manager from the Windows Start menu.
2. Select the local host (or network dongle) hosting the SIMIT ticket.
3. Look for entries in the form:
   SIMATIC SIMIT V11.0
SIMATIC SIMIT KUKA Coupling V11.0
4. If only the first line is present, the KUKA add-on is missing. The connector will not appear in the SIMIT Connectors menu regardless of DLLs being on disk.

Status colors in ALM:

4. Acquire the KUKA Coupling Add-On

4.1 License Purchase

Order the SIMATIC SIMIT KUKA Coupling add-on through your Siemens regional sales contact or via the Siemens Industry Mall. Provide the host ID of the ALM machine; Siemens issues a license key bound to that ID. Lead time is typically 5–10 business days.

4.2 Software Package Download

The KUKA Coupling add-on is distributed through Siemens Industry Online Support:

1. Navigate to the SIOS entry 109795246 — SIMIT Couplings, applicative expansions of the interface.
2. Open the entry and read Chapter 4 — KUKA to understand SHM mapping and to confirm signal limits.
3. Open a SIOS support ticket requesting the KUKA Coupling application example package. The application example contains:

• The connector installer (MSI / setup.exe)
• A sample SIMIT project with a pre-configured KUKA coupling block
• A reference KRL program for OfficeLite (or .NET mxAutomation demo)
• Release notes for the matching SIMIT 11.3 build

Keep the downloaded package on a local path that does not contain spaces or Unicode characters (e.g. C:\SIMIT\AddOns\Kuka) to avoid installer issues.

5. Install the KUKA Coupling

5.1 Pre-Install Checklist

• SIMIT 11.3 closed (no SIMIT VC or SIMIT CTE running).
• ALM stopped to avoid file lock during SIMITKukaCoupling.dll registration.
• ALM dongle or network license server reachable.

5.2 Installer Run

1. Right-click setup.exe → Run as administrator.
2. Accept the license agreement.
3. Installer detects the SIMIT 11.3 install path (default C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\SIMIT\11.3).
4. Select KUKA Coupling feature. Optionally include the sample project.
5. Click Install. Files placed:\li>

5.3 Register the License

1. Start Automation License Manager.
2. Locate the new SIMATIC SIMIT KUKA Coupling V11.0 license line.
3. If shown red, click License Key → Install and select the .lic file from Siemens.
4. Restart the ALM service: net stop "ALM" && net start "ALM" (admin command prompt).

5.4 Verify in SIMIT

1. Launch SIMIT VC.
2. Open or create a project.
3. In the project tree expand Connectors.
4. Confirm KUKA is listed. If it still is not, see Section 9.

6. Configure the Shared-Memory (SHM) Channel

The KUKA Coupling communicates through a named shared-memory block. Both SIMIT and the KUKA controller / OfficeLite must agree on the block name, byte size, and signal layout. The defaults in SIMIT 11.3 are:

6.1 SIMIT-Side Coupling Editor

1. Project tree → Connectors → KUKA → right-click → Open.
2. Set Block name, Cycle time, Trigger source.
3. Map SIMIT signals to SHM indices. Example for a digital output (SIMIT → KUKA):
   Index: 0   Type: BOOL   Direction: SIMIT → KUKA   SIMIT tag: HMI_StartButton
4. Compile the coupling (F7 or right-click → Compile).

6.2 OfficeLite-Side Configuration

1. Start KUKA OfficeLite Y200 and load a project containing the SHM option package.
2. Open the KRL program (or mxAutomation config) that writes to the SHM block. Example KRL snippet (KSS 8.6) using a submit interpreter:

  ; KUKA SHM handshake — submit program
  DECL GLOBAL CHAR SHM_NAME[20]
  SHM_NAME[] = "SIMIT_KUKA_SHM"
  ; Open shared memory block
  $FLAG[1] = shm_open(SHM_NAME[], 256)
  ; Write digital outputs from controller to SIMIT
  shm_write_word(0, $IN[1] + $IN[2]*2 + $IN[3]*4 + $IN[4]*8)
  ; Read digital inputs from SIMIT
  DECL INT SIM_IN
  SIM_IN = shm_read_word(0)
  $OUT[10] = B_AND(SIM_IN, 1)      ; Bit 0 → DO10
  $OUT[11] = B_AND(SIM_IN, 2) / 2  ; Bit 1 → DO11

3. Save, select, and run the submit program in OfficeLite.
4. Switch to T1 or Aut mode as required for signal exchange.

7. KUKA Side Requirements: mxAutomation or KUKA.CR

For SIMIT to drive a KUKA robot in co-simulation, the controller must expose its I/O and motion interface to a PLC or external process. Two product lines support SHM access:

• KUKA.PLC mxAutomation — soft-PLC integration using PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, or shared memory. The mxAutomation SHM bridge component is the actual gateway SIMIT talks to. Available in versions for KR C4 and KR C5.
• KUKA.CR (Conveyor Ready / Controller ready) — for conveyor tracking and discrete I/O; supports a subset of the SHM signals.

The component identifier Coupler in the my.KUKA catalog (Component 130304) is the add-on part that physically or logically enables the SHM bridge in the controller. See the official entry: my.KUKA — Coupler (Component 130304). Ordering channels, customer-specific prices, and the KSS-version compatibility matrix are managed in the same portal.

8. Run a First Co-Simulation

1. Start KUKA OfficeLite. Load the SHM-enabled project. Confirm the submit interpreter is running and $FLAG[1] = TRUE (SHM open).
2. Start SIMIT VC. Open the sample project from the install (e.g. ...\SIMIT\11.3\Examples\Kuka_Demo.simit).
3. In SIMIT, click Start Simulation (F5). The coupling indicator should turn green within one cycle.
4. In OfficeLite, force a digital input: $IN[1] = TRUE. Observe that the mapped SIMIT signal changes value within 1–2 SHM cycles.
5. From SIMIT, drive a digital output: Set tag HMI_StartButton = TRUE. Observe $OUT[10] on the OfficeLite side go high.
6. Trigger a stop condition (E-Stop, $ALARM_STOP, or SIMIT Halt). Verify both sides honor the stop.

8.1 Verification Checklist

9. Troubleshooting Matrix

10. Field-Commissioning Notes

10.1 Performance Sizing

Shared memory bandwidth on a Windows 10/11 host typically sustains up to 10 kHz update rates for blocks of 256 words. For dense multi-axis cells with several hundred signals, consider splitting the exchange across two SHM blocks (e.g. SIMIT_KUKA_SHM_A, SIMIT_KUKA_SHM_B) rather than enlarging one block.

10.2 Determinism

SIMIT is a Windows user-mode process and is therefore subject to OS scheduling jitter. For deterministic motion HIL, run SIMIT on a dedicated engineering machine with Windows high-performance power profile, real-time priorities disabled for non-SIMIT processes, and the SIMIT trigger set to follow the KUKA interpolation cycle (4 ms or 12 ms depending on KSS).

10.3 License Mobility

The KUKA Coupling license follows the SIMIT license: if you move SIMIT to a new ALM host, you must also rehost the KUKA ticket. The Siemens License Web-Portal allows this once per license period for free; additional moves incur an administrative fee.

10.4 Version Compatibility

Always match the KUKA Coupling add-on build to the SIMIT 11.3 minor build (e.g. SIMIT 11.3.0 + KUKA add-on 11.3.0). Cross-build operation is not supported and may produce undefined SHM behavior. SIOS document 109795246 lists validated combinations.

11. Diagnostic Tools and Log Locations

When escalating to Siemens support, attach all four log sets plus the output of ALMdiag.exe from the SIMIT install directory.

12. Frequently Asked Questions