STEP 7 V5.5 to TIA Portal V13 Migration: Complete Procedure

Overview

Moving a SIMATIC Manager (STEP 7 V5.5) project into the TIA Portal V13 engineering environment is a supported, repeatable procedure when the correct prerequisites are installed. The migration engine inside TIA Portal reads a STEP 7 V5.5 archive (.s7p) or project directory, converts the hardware configuration (HW Config), the S7 program (blocks, symbols, sources), and any contained WinCC flexible HMI stations into the TIA Portal object tree, and writes a new TIA project (.zap13 for SP1 / Update 5).

Two execution paths are officially supported:

1. Single-PC migration: TIA Portal V13 (with the Migration Engine selected at install time) and STEP 7 V5.5 installed on the same workstation. TIA loads the STEP 7 V5 engine in-process to open and convert the source project.
2. Two-PC migration: A STEP 7 V5.5 PC runs the standalone TIA Migration Tool, produces a self-contained migration archive, which is then transferred to a second PC hosting TIA Portal V13 for final import.

Prerequisites and Supported Source Versions

Required TIA Portal V13 Updates and Service Packs

Always migrate to the latest patch level on the V13 SP1 line. Install the service pack first, then the cumulative update. The official Siemens support entries for this release chain are:

• Update 5 for STEP 7 / WinCC V13 SP1 (Entry ID 109311724)
• Service Pack 1 for STEP 7 V13 (Entry ID 105825934)
• Service Pack 1 for SIMATIC STEP 7 Safety Advanced V13 (Entry ID 108442820)
• Updates for STEP 7 Safety V13 SP1 (Entry ID 109477092)
• Update 5 for WinCC Runtime Professional V13 SP1 (Entry ID 109439573)
• SP1 for WinCC Runtime Professional V13 (Entry ID 106567433)
• Update 5 for WinCC Runtime Advanced V13 SP1 (Entry ID 109311423)
• SINAMICS Startdrive (software, service packs and updates) (Entry ID 68034568)

Method 1 — Single-PC Migration (TIA + STEP 7 V5.5 Co-installed)

This is the simpler path and the recommended workflow when both tools are licensed on one engineering workstation. The Migration Engine is loaded as a child process by TIA Portal to read the STEP 7 V5.5 project tree.

Install Order on the Single PC

1. Install Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit or 64-bit) with all current patches.
2. Install STEP 7 V5.5 (including SPx), then authorize the license.
3. Install TIA Portal V13 from the DVD/USB; during the Product Selection dialog enable STEP 7 V5.5 Migration Tool. If TIA is already installed without the migration option, re-run the setup in modify mode and add it.
4. Install TIA V13 SP1, then Update 1 → Update 5.
5. Install any optional plugins (STEP 7 Safety, SINAMICS Startdrive, SIMOTION Scout plugin) required by the source project.

Execute the Migration

1. Launch TIA Portal V13 SP1.
2. Switch from the Portal view to the Project view: View → Project View (or click Project View in the lower-left taskbar).
3. From the menu: Project → Migrate Project…
4. In the file picker, set the type filter to STEP 7 V5.5 project (*.s7p) or browse for an unzipped Step7 S7 Project directory.
5. Select the source archive. TIA calls the STEP 7 V5.5 migration engine in-process; conversion progress is shown in the task pane.
6. After conversion, the migrated project opens in the Project view. Save immediately as Project → Save As… → TIA Portal project archive (.zap13).

Method 2 — Two-PC Migration (Standalone TIA Migration Tool)

Use this path when the TIA workstation must remain a clean TIA-only environment (typical on virtualized engineering pools) or when license seats for STEP 7 V5.5 cannot be added to the TIA PC.

PC #1 — STEP 7 V5.5 Engineering Station

1. Install STEP 7 V5.5 + SPx.
2. Run the TIA Portal V13 setup and select only the TIA Migration Tool component (no full TIA Portal required). Select all optional plugins referenced by the source project (Safety, SIMOTION, Startdrive).
3. Apply SP1 and Update 1 → Update 5.

Generate the Migration File

1. Launch the TIA Migration Tool from the Start menu.
2. Open the STEP 7 V5.5 source project (file or unzipped folder).
3. Choose Create Migration File; the tool produces a single .tnf-style migration archive containing the converted HW Config, S7 blocks, symbols, and HMI data.
4. Copy the migration archive to removable media or a shared network share.

PC #2 — TIA Portal Engineering Station

1. Install TIA Portal V13 SP1 with the Migration Tool component selected. STEP 7 V5.5 is not required on this PC.
2. Apply SP1 + Update 1 → Update 5.
3. Launch TIA Portal, switch to Project view, choose Project → Migrate Project….
4. In the file picker, change the filter to Migration File (*.tnf / *.mig) and select the archive produced by PC #1.
5. Confirm. TIA imports and converts the archive into a native TIA project and opens it in the Project view.
6. Save the resulting project as .zap13.

Project File Types and Directory Requirements

Migration Procedure — Step-by-Step (Single-PC Reference)

The following sequence is the verified, repeatable procedure for a typical S7-300 / S7-400 program with an optional WinCC flexible HMI station.

1. Confirm source integrity. Open the STEP 7 V5.5 project in SIMATIC Manager on the migration PC. Verify that PLC → Save and Compile All (with consistency check) completes without errors. Fix any unresolved symbol or block reference before attempting migration.
2. Create a fresh archive. In SIMATIC Manager: File → Archive → ZIP-compress. Save as SourceProject.s7p.
3. Launch TIA Portal V13 SP1 Update 5.
4. Start the migration wizard. Project → Migrate Project…
5. Select the source. Browse to SourceProject.s7p.
6. Inspect the migration log. TIA writes a conversion log (Project → Migration Log) listing every converted object and every warning. Common warning classes include: SFB/SFC re-numbering, GSD file version mismatches on PROFIBUS slaves, and WinCC flexible tag type downgrades.
7. Resolve conversion warnings. Open each warning, double-click the affected object, and accept the proposed replacement (or revert it manually for safety-related blocks).
8. Re-compile the migrated program. In the Project view, right-click the PLC station → Compile → Software (rebuild all blocks). Resolve any compiler errors — most are caused by renamed system blocks.
9. Save as TIA archive. Project → Save As… → TIA Portal project archive (*.zap13). Store the archive under version control.
10. Document the delta. Attach the migration log and a screen-capture of the converted device tree to the change record.

Post-Migration: Downloading the Converted Program to the PLC

After a successful conversion the migrated project is functionally equivalent to the original STEP 7 V5.5 program, but the on-line firmware identifiers and the project checksum differ. The PLC will accept a TIA-generated download over the top of the existing STEP 7 V5.5 program without requiring a memory reset, provided the CPU is in STOP.

1. Connect the engineering PC to the CPU (PROFINET or MPI/DP). For S7-300/400 use the same PG interface that was used with STEP 7 V5.5.
2. In TIA Portal Project view, expand the PLC station → right-click PLC_1 → Download to Device → Hardware and Software (only STOP).
3. If the CPU is in RUN, TIA prompts to switch to STOP. Confirm.
4. Choose the PG/PC interface (e.g. Intel(R) Ethernet Connection — TCPIP[Auto]) and the target subnet.
5. Click Search → select the detected CPU → Download.
6. After download, TIA offers Start module (cold restart) or Continue with RUN (warm restart). For S7-300/400 use Start module; for S7-1500 use Continue with RUN if the OB startup configuration allows.
7. Compare the on-line/off-line blocks via Online → Compare Off-line/On-line to verify that every block downloaded cleanly.

Verification and Commissioning Checks

Troubleshooting Matrix

Field-Proven Caveats

• Always run on the latest patch. Several V13 Update 5 fixes address migration of large S7-400 projects with CFB (Communication Function Block) sources. If migration halts at Compiling source, apply Update 5 first.
• Block comments and symbol comments are migrated, but network titles inside FBs/FCs are sometimes truncated to the first 64 characters. Verify against the original.
• Password-protected blocks (know-how protection) retain their protection in TIA Portal, but the password hash algorithm changes from MD5 (V5.5) to SHA-256 (V13). Re-enter the password after migration to verify and to avoid lockout if the source archive is later unavailable.
• External source files (STL/SCL sources) may be opened in read-only mode after migration. Re-save to clear the flag.
• CPU article numbers in the device catalog evolve. If you are migrating an old S7-315-2 PN/DP (6ES7 315-2EH14-0AB0), the V13 SP1 device catalog includes the firmware version V3.3 entry. Choose the entry matching the installed firmware, not the latest catalog entry.