SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox: Upgrading TIA Portal Projects from V18 to V20

When you migrate a STEP 7 project that contains SINUMERIK-integrated PLC programming from TIA Portal V18 to TIA Portal V20, the portal prompts you to install the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox. Unlike the standard TIA Portal installation or the publicly available Support Packages, the Toolbox is a Siemens-distributed product that is not visible in the public Siemens Industry Online Support download catalog. This article explains what the Toolbox is, why the prompt appears, how to obtain a licensed copy, and how to complete the V18 → V20 migration without losing the SINUMERIK PLC configuration.

1. Overview: What the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox Provides

The SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox is the integration package that lets TIA Portal fully configure, program, and commission SINUMERIK 828D, SINUMERIK 840D sl, and SINUMERIK ONE PLCs. It is a separately licensed, version-locked component that must be installed on top of a TIA Portal installation of the same major version (for example, Toolbox V20 only installs on TIA Portal V20).

The Toolbox typically contains the following items:

• SINUMERIK PLC library – the SINUMERIK basic program, axis/spindle function blocks, and NC variable access blocks (FBs/FCs/DBs) for the integrated S7-PLC of the CNC.
• Hardware catalog (HSP) entries – CPU, IM, and I/O module definitions that match the SINUMERIK's integrated PLC. This includes the PLC_1 station inside the SINUMERIK 840D sl and the NX/NJ-style controllers used by SINUMERIK ONE.
• HMI templates and screens – SINUMERIK Operate integration blocks, alarm procedures, and OEM frame templates used in TIA WinCC Comfort/Advanced projects.
• Support packages and GSD/GSDML files – distributed I/O on PROFINET that the SINUMERIK PLC programs against.
• Migration aids – version-specific mapping data that allows a V18 project containing SINUMERIK sub-projects to be opened in V20 without rebuild errors.

For the full list of what is included in the current release, see the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox supplementary conditions entry on the Siemens Industry Online Support portal.

2. Why TIA Portal V20 Asks for the Toolbox During a V18 → V20 Upgrade

TIA Portal uses a strict major-version mapping rule for non-base products. When you open a project saved in TIA Portal V18 that contains a SINUMERIK PLC station, the V20 portal must resolve the SINUMERIK-specific metadata against a locally installed V20 version of the Toolbox. The detection logic compares the project's embedded product version against the installed toolbox version. If the V20 toolbox is missing, TIA Portal blocks the migration and presents a dialog asking you to install SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20.

This behavior is the same for every major version transition (V15 → V16, V16 → V17, V17 → V18, V18 → V20). The dialog you see is essentially the portal's way of ensuring that the SINUMERIK libraries, hardware catalog, and PLC support packages in the upgraded project are byte-for-byte compatible with the V20 development environment. Skipping this step will leave the SINUMERIK station in an unrecoverable "unsupported version" state.

3. Toolbox Compatibility Matrix

Siemens publishes a strict one-to-one binding between each TIA Portal release and the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox release that supports it. A V20 toolbox does not work with V18, and a V18 toolbox does not work with V20. The table below summarizes the currently known bindings used in production environments.

For the V17 baseline, see the official product documentation for the SINUMERIK 840D sl STEP 7 Toolbox V17 on the Siemens Industry Online Support portal. The V20 new-function summary is documented in the SINUMERIK – What's new in TIA Portal V20 reference.

4. How to Obtain the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox

The Toolbox is a sales-channel deliverable. Siemens does not publish the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox on the public download area of support.industry.siemens.com. The correct procedure is:

1. Identify the exact version required. For a V18 → V20 upgrade, the target version is SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20. Confirm any sub-version (e.g. V20 SP1, V20 SP2) that matches the TIA Portal V20 update level installed on the engineering station.
2. Contact your local Siemens sales representative or SINUMERIK distributor. Provide your Siemens customer number, the TIA Portal version, and the SINUMERIK controller family that the project targets (828D, 840D sl, or ONE). The sales team will verify entitlement and issue the Toolbox through the standard software delivery channel.
3. Request the matching license key. The Toolbox installer checks for a valid Automation License Manager (ALM) license. The license is normally shipped as a CoL (Certificate of License) file that you activate in ALM. Without the license, the installer will run, but TIA Portal will display the SINUMERIK PLC as a "non-functional" placeholder.
4. Receive the install media. Depending on the region and order size, Siemens delivers the Toolbox either on USB media or as a download link from a secure file-share. The file is typically a single .exe self-extracting installer named SIMATIC_SINUMERIK_S7_Toolbox_V20_xxxxx.exe.

5. Prerequisites Before Upgrading

Before starting the V18 → V20 migration, the engineering workstation must meet the following prerequisites:

• TIA Portal V20 installed (matching the Toolbox version, including the same Service Pack / Hotfix level).
• SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V18 still installed (required as the source reference for the migration dialog).
• SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20 installed and licensed in ALM.
• Project backup – compress the entire V18 project folder, including *.ap18 (or the unpacked *.ap18 directory), System data, and any external libraries.
• Closed portal – no other TIA Portal instance running, no PLC simulation running, and no SINUMERIK HMI runtime open.
• Administrator rights for the install paths C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation and C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\License.

6. Step-by-Step V18 → V20 Upgrade Procedure

1. Open the project in TIA Portal V18 and compile it once. Resolve all compile errors. SINUMERIK blocks with unresolved references will block the migration even if they compiled in V18.
2. Close TIA Portal V18 completely. Verify that the Siemens.Automation.Portal.exe process is no longer present in Task Manager.
3. Install SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20. Run the installer issued by Siemens sales. When prompted, transfer the ALM license. The installer registers the Toolbox HSP and copies the SINUMERIK libraries into the TIA Portal V20 catalog.
4. Launch TIA Portal V20. Choose Open an existing project and navigate to the V18 project file. If the project is a compressed .ap18, use Project → Retrieve to extract it first.
5. Read the migration prompt. TIA Portal V20 displays a dialog stating that the project uses a SINUMERIK PLC station that requires SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20. Because the Toolbox is now installed, the dialog should clear immediately and the portal proceeds with the upgrade.
6. Confirm the migration log. Open Project → Properties → Cross-references → Migration log and verify that no SINUMERIK entries are listed under Errors or Warnings that require acknowledgment.
7. Re-compile the upgraded project. Compile the SINUMERIK PLC station first, then the SINUMERIK HMI station. Resolve any new warnings related to renamed FBs or DBs that changed signature between V18 and V20.
8. Check the new SINUMERIK functions that became available in V20 by opening Help → What's new in TIA Portal V20 → SINUMERIK. New function blocks, new NC variables, and new safety functions may need to be re-pinned to use them.
9. Download to the SINUMERIK PLC (test bench) and verify the NCK/PLC handshake. SINUMERIK PLCs must be downloaded with the matching Toolbox version on the target runtime or the firmware rejects the PLC program.
10. Save as V20 with Project → Save as to create a native V20 archive (.ap20). The V18 archive should be retained for rollback.

7. Installation Order and Conflict Scenarios

The Toolbox is sensitive to the order in which it is installed relative to TIA Portal and the ALM. The supported sequence is:

1. TIA Portal V20 base installation.
2. TIA Portal V20 updates (SP, Hotfixes) to bring it to the same level as the Toolbox.
3. Automation License Manager (ALM) – install first if not present, then transfer the Toolbox CoL.
4. SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox V20 installer.
5. Restart the engineering station.

Common conflict scenarios and their fixes:

8. Supplementary Conditions and Known Limitations

Siemens publishes the SINUMERIK STEP 7 Toolbox supplementary conditions lists, which document the precise interaction rules between the Toolbox, the SINUMERIK firmware, and the TIA Portal version. Key items from the supplementary conditions:

• Windows 10/11 only. Windows Server installations are not officially supported for the V20 generation.
• 32-bit and 64-bit – the V20 Toolbox is delivered as 64-bit only. 32-bit TIA Portal installations do not accept the V20 Toolbox.
• Parallel installations – V18 and V20 of the Toolbox can coexist on the same engineering station as long as they are bound to their respective TIA Portal versions. Do not attempt to install V18 toolbox on top of V20, or vice versa.
• SinuTrain / SINUMERIK Integrate – the Toolbox does not replace the SinuTrain installation; it only adds the PLC programming side.
• WinCC / HMI – the Toolbox assumes a matching TIA WinCC Comfort, Advanced, or Professional is installed. The free WinCC part of TIA Portal is not sufficient for SINUMERIK HMI configuration.

9. V18 → V20 Migration Without the Toolbox (Workaround)

If the Toolbox cannot be obtained in time, the V18 project can be partially preserved by exporting the SINUMERIK sub-project as a project library in V18, then re-importing the library into a V20 project that does not contain the original SINUMERIK station. The procedure is:

1. In TIA Portal V18, right-click the SINUMERIK PLC station → Generate library from project.
2. Choose the option Project library with master copies to retain the FB, FC, and DB instances.
3. Save the library as a .al18 file.
4. Open TIA Portal V20 without the Toolbox and create a new project with a generic S7-1500 station.
5. Open the global library, drag the master copies into the new S7-1500 program, and recompile.

10. Frequently Asked Questions