Unified Comfort Panel Logging: SQLite Export to CSV and Excel

Overview: Logging Architecture Shift from Comfort to Unified

The legacy SIMATIC Comfort Panels (TP/KTP Comfort) stored tag data and alarm logs as plain .csv or .txt files on removable media. Those files opened directly in Excel without any conversion. The second-generation SIMATIC Unified Comfort Panels (MTP700 Unified, MTP1000 Unified, MTP1200 Unified, MTP1500 Unified, MTP1900 Unified, MTP2200 Unified) replaced that flat-file model with an embedded SQLite database stored under the /home/industrial/Runtime partition on the panel. The change is intentional: it permits high-speed, filtered queries from runtime and reporting, but it means the file no longer opens in Excel by double-click.

This article documents the three sanctioned paths to push that SQLite log data into a CSV or XLSX file usable by an operator or engineer:

1. Trend Control export button – operator-driven, runtime-only.
2. JavaScript FireCommand on UI.Enums.HmiFunctionTrendControlID.Export – script-driven, customizable target.
3. WinCC Unified Reporting – server-side XLSX templates generated on a schedule or on demand.

None of the three methods requires an additional "Logging" license for Unified Comfort Panels; logging is included in the base runtime image. Optional licenses only apply when the panel is upgraded to a WinCC Unified PC Station or when the Reporting add-on is loaded on a separate server.

Prerequisites

SQLite Database Layout and Storage Path

Each configured logging tag creates a single .sqdb file in the runtime partition. A standard MTP1500 with two logging tags (for example Motor_Speed and Tank_Level) yields the following structure after a few hours of runtime:

/home/industrial/Runtime/
└── Logging/
    ├── Motor_Speed.sqdb
    └── Tank_Level.sqdb

The database is written every cycle defined in the tag's Acquisition cycle (minimum 100 ms, recommended 1 s for trend data) and rotated when the file reaches the configured Maximum file size (default 4 MB, configurable up to 1 GB). The retention policy is governed by Segment count (default 10 segments per tag) – older segments are dropped automatically.

Method 1: Export Button in the Trend Control

This is the operator-facing path and is the simplest to deploy. The button is built into the Unified Trend Control and is enabled in TIA Portal under Properties > Toolbar > Export.

Configuration Steps

1. Open the project in TIA Portal and navigate to the HMI screen containing the Trend Control.
2. Select the Trend Control, open Properties > Toolbar, and enable "Export". Add it to the visible toolbar if it is not already there.
3. In Properties > General > Export settings, configure the destination:

4. Compile and download the project to the Unified Comfort Panel.
5. At runtime, zoom the trend to the time range of interest, then press the export button on the Trend Control toolbar. The operator is prompted for a destination path.

Method 2: JavaScript Export Using FireCommand

The JavaScript runtime API provides programmatic control of the export, allowing the operator to trigger a full-fidelity export without the pixel-downsample penalty. Siemens ships a ready-to-use code snippet that handles USB stick and network share targets.

Insert the Siemens Snippet

1. In TIA Portal, open the screen in which you want to add the export trigger.
2. Open the Scripts editor and create a new JavaScript file (or open an existing one).
3. Right-click in the editor and choose "Snippets > HMI Runtime > Tag Logging > Export tag log as CSV".
4. The snippet is inserted with the boilerplate shown below. Adjust the logging tag name, target path, and time range:

// Export tag log as CSV (Siemens Unified Comfort Panel)
// Snippet: HMI Runtime > Tag Logging > Export tag log as CSV
export async function ExportTagLogToCsv() {
    // 1. Configure export parameters
    const logTagName = "Motor_Speed";            // Logging tag from the project tree
    const startTime  = new Date(2024, 0, 1);      // January 1, 2024 00:00:00
    const endTime    = new Date();                // Now
    const targetPath = "/home/industrial/usb/USB0/Logs";

    // 2. Build the export job descriptor
    const exportJob = {
        LogTagName: logTagName,
        StartTime:  startTime,
        EndTime:    endTime,
        FileFormat: "CSV",
        Separator:  ";",                          // use "," for US locale
        DecimalSeparator: ",",                    // use "." for US locale
        Encoding:   "UTF-8",
        FileName:   logTagName + "_" + 
                    startTime.toISOString().slice(0,10) + ".csv"
    };

    // 3. Submit the export via the unified logging API
    try {
        const result = await HMIRuntime.Logging.ExportLog(exportJob, targetPath);
        HMIRuntime.Trace("Export OK: " + result.FilePath);
    } catch (err) {
        HMIRuntime.Trace("Export failed: " + err.message);
    }
}

Trigger the Export from a Button

Wire the function to a button's Click event:

1. Drop a Button control on the screen.
2. In Properties > Events > Click, add a new JavaScript action and call ExportTagLogToCsv();
3. Compile, download, and test on the panel.

Alternative Trigger via UI Function on the Trend Control

If you prefer to use the trend area's UI rather than a separate button, the runtime exposes UI.Enums.HmiFunctionTrendControlID.Export. The pattern is:

// Trigger Trend Control export programmatically
const trendControl = Screen.FindItem("TrendControl1");   // Trend Control name
const cmd = UI.Enums.HmiFunctionTrendControlID.Export;

// FireCommand is the unified runtime equivalent of the legacy
// VBScript .FireCommand on classic panels.
trendControl.FireCommand(cmd);

This call invokes the same dialog that the toolbar button shows, but it can be initiated from any screen or scheduled task.

Method 3: WinCC Unified Reporting to XLSX

WinCC Unified Reporting is a TIA Portal add-in that runs on a separate Windows host and creates Excel templates (XLSX) bound to one or more logging tags. The template is rendered on demand or on a schedule, producing a file that opens in Excel without further conversion.

Architecture

Reporting does not run on the Unified Comfort Panel itself – it requires a connection from the Reporting server to the panel's runtime (or to the Unified PC runtime). On a panel-only installation, configure the reporting server to query the panel via the built-in OPC UA server.

1. Install the WinCC Unified Reporting plug-in on the engineering PC (TIA Portal V18 or later).
2. Open the project in TIA Portal and switch to the Reports editor.
3. Create a new report and drag the logging tags (e.g. Motor_Speed, Tank_Level) onto the worksheet. The runtime automatically generates a table with columns Timestamp, Value, Quality.
4. Configure the report schedule under Report properties > Trigger – options include Time-based (cron), Event-based (bit trigger), or Manual.
5. Set the output destination: local folder, FTP/SFTP, or email attachment.

Sample Template Layout

The Quality column reflects the OPC UA status code from the runtime; mapping is documented in the WinCC Unified manual, section "Logging diagnostics".

File System Targets and Path Mapping

All paths used by JavaScript or the Trend Control export must be allowlisted in Runtime settings > File system > Allowed paths. If a path is denied, the export fails with a runtime entry in the diagnostic viewer (Event ID 13001 for path-not-allowed).

CSV to Excel: Encoding and Locale Pitfalls

A CSV exported with the wrong encoding or separator will appear garbled or merged into a single column when opened by Excel. The two most common pitfalls:

• UTF-8 without BOM: Excel does not auto-detect encoding. If the CSV is exported as UTF-8 without a BOM and opened by double-click on a German/French locale Excel, umlauts and accents break. Always export with UTF-8 with BOM when targeting Excel.
• Semicolon vs. comma separator: EU locales default to semicolon, US locales default to comma. Configure the export to match the operator's Excel locale or use Data > Get Data > From Text/CSV in Excel 365 to set the delimiter manually.

Safe Excel-Compatible Export Settings

// Safe Excel-compatible CSV export
const exportJob = {
    FileFormat:        "CSV",
    Separator:         ";",                       // semicolon for EU Excel
    DecimalSeparator:  ",",                       // comma for EU Excel
    Encoding:          "UTF-8BOM",                // critical for Excel
    TimeStampFormat:   "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fff"
};

Verification Checklist

After configuring one of the three methods, run through the following checks on the panel:

1. Trigger the export (button, script, or schedule).
2. Confirm the file appears at the target path with the expected extension.
3. Copy the file to a PC and open it in Excel – values must land in separate columns.
4. Spot-check the first and last timestamp against the runtime clock to confirm the time range filter worked.
5. Open the WinCC Unified diagnostic viewer on the panel (Control Panel > Diagnostics) and verify there are no Event ID 1300x errors related to logging or file system.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Performance and Capacity Notes

On a mid-range MTP1500 Unified, the JavaScript export of one logging tag spanning 24 h at 1 s cycle produces a CSV in ~1.5 s and consumes ~6 MB of RAM peak. Exporting multiple tags in a single job is serial – allow ~0.8 s per additional tag. Reporting is heavier: a 24 h, 10-tag XLSX template takes ~8 s on the server and ~30 MB RAM. Schedule large reports for off-peak hours to avoid runtime impact.

References (Inline)

• Siemens WinCC Unified – Export Logs doc: Export Logs - WinCC Unified
• Siemens Support – Configuring Logging for SIMATIC WinCC Unified Systems PDF: WinCC Unified Logging V1.0

FAQ