WinCC Flexible Script Wizard Missing on TP177B Scripting Limits

Problem Statement: Script Wizard Is Not Visible in WinCC Flexible

Engineers configuring SIMATIC TP177B 6" color PN/DP (Siemens order number 6AV6 642-0BA01-1AX1) often open the WinCC Flexible engineering tool, navigate to the project tree, and find that the Scripts node and the Script Wizard command are absent from the menu. The same condition is reported for several other Comfort-, Mobile-, and 177-/277-series panels when the configuration tool silently suppresses the scripting subsystem because the runtime image of the target panel does not include the VBScript interpreter.

Two distinct problems are involved:

1. Why the Script Wizard is not displayed for the TP177B project.
2. How to implement PLC STOP detection and redundant S7-H connection switching on a panel that does not support any user-defined scripts.

Root Cause: Panel Runtime Capability vs. WinCC Flexible Project Tree

WinCC Flexible conditionally renders editor nodes based on the target device selected in the project. The product database file *.hmi ships an attribute called SupportsScripting for every device record. When the device record sets this attribute to false, the engineering tool:

• Disables the Project → Scripts → Add Script command.
• Removes the Script Wizard entry from the Insert context menu of tags, events, and screens.
• Suppresses the VBScripts subfolder under the HMI device node.
• Disables the Properties → Events → On... drop-down choices that require a procedural handler (only direct tag I/O, system functions, and animations remain available).

This behavior is documented in the WinCC Flexible Compact/Standard/Advanced help system under Working with WinCC Flexible → Basics → Devices and scripts → Supported scripting devices. The list of scripting-capable devices mirrors the HMI runtime version. Panels such as the TP177B 6" mono PN/DP (no PN, no scripting), TP177B 6" color PN/DP, and the OP77B runtime do not contain the VBScript engine. In contrast, the TP277 6", TP277 10", MP277 10" key/touch, and all Comfort Panels (TP700..TP2200) include a VBScript runtime and therefore show the Script Wizard.

Functional Differences Between SIMATIC Panel Classes

Siemens groups panels into three runtime families that determine the scope of configurable logic:

1. 170/177/OP77 family – system functions only, no user scripting, no scheduler, no global actions.
2. 270/277/MP277 family – VBScript runtime, global script dictionary, scheduler with 32 tasks, 200 ms..1 h cycle.
3. Comfort / RT Unified – VBScript and C-Script, expanded tag/area pointer count, integrated ProSave, WinCC Audit, Sm@rtServer.

For an authoritative matrix, refer to the Siemens FAQ What are the functional differences between the SIMATIC Panels TP177A/B, OP177B, TP277, MP277? on the Siemens Industry Online Support portal (entry ID 22000854 in the FAQ database).

Verifying the Panel Model and Runtime Image

Before any troubleshooting step, confirm the actual panel on the shop floor matches the WinCC Flexible project target. Mismatches are a common reason the Script Wizard disappears after recompilation.

1. Open the WinCC Flexible project, double-click Device → HMI_1 in the project tree, and read the device name and order number on the General tab.
2. Cross-check the Image Version field on the same tab; for example, TP177B 6" color PN/DP ships with image version V14.00.01.00_01.01 or later. Scripting is unsupported on every released image version of this device.
3. On the physical panel, press Control Panel → OP → Properties → Device to read the article number, image version, and bootloader version.
4. Compare with the label on the rear of the panel; the article number 6AV6 642-0BA01-1AX1 is the definitive identifier for the 6" color PN/DP variant.

Solution Path 1 — Accept the Limitation and Use System Functions

If the panel must remain a TP177B, configure CPU STOP detection and connection switching with built-in WinCC Flexible elements:

1. Enable the "Coordination" area pointer. In Connections → HMI_Connection_1 → Properties → Area Pointer, activate the Coordination pointer. The panel writes byte 0 of DB nnn (default DB 703) to indicate online, , or connection fault. Bit 0 = 1 means life-sign is being sent; the PLC can use this bit in OB100 / OB82 to evaluate panel availability without any script.
2. Enable the "Life beat" area pointer. Set the polling interval to 1 s. The panel sets bit 0 every cycle; the PLC can detect a missing heartbeat within 2..3 s and respond accordingly.
3. Use the "Set Bit" / "Reset Bit" system functions on the value-change event of a tag that reflects the active CPU (H-system slot 0 vs. slot 1). On the S7-400H, configure a redundant AS pair and an HMI connection per AS using WinCC Flexible → Connections → New → S7-400H.
4. Schedule a screen change with the "ActivateScreen" system function on a tag that the PLC sets when it transitions to STOP. A simple tag HMI_SystemState of type INT can be polled via the cyclic area pointer and used to switch the panel to a banner screen titled "CPU STOP — Call Maintenance".
5. Configure redundancy on the connection rather than in the panel. In Connections → Properties → Redundancy, define the partner PLCs. WinCC Flexible uses the S7 redundancy protocol so the panel automatically fails over when the primary CPU enters STOP. This requires no scripting at all.

Solution Path 2 — Migrate to a Scripting-Capable Panel

If the application genuinely requires procedural logic (animations driven by bit arrays, complex math, string parsing, time-stamped event logging), the only permanent fix is to replace the TP177B with a panel that includes the VBScript runtime.

• TP277 6" touch (6AV6 643-0BA01-1AX2) — drop-in cutout compatibility with TP177B 6", 256 colors, 6 MB project memory, full VBScript.
• MP277 10" touch/key — if more screen real estate is required, also Sm@rtServer-ready.
• Comfort Panel TP900 / TP1200 — 16 million colors, ProSave web diagnostics, runs WinCC Comfort (TIA Portal) and imported WinCC Flexible projects (up to WinCC Flexible 2008 SP5 with ES import).

When migrating, export the WinCC Flexible project to File → Migration → TIA Portal using the WinCC Flexible Migration Tool entry. Verify the script inventory, area pointer count, and tag limits against the target device because the TP277/Comfort panels permit up to 4096 tags vs. 256 tags on the TP177B 6".

Configuration: Setting Up an S7-400H Redundant Connection from WinCC Flexible

The TP177B supports S7 redundancy through the S7HMI driver; the panel polls the standby AS automatically. The configuration steps below were validated against WinCC Flexible 2008 SP5 and the TP177B 6" color PN/DP image V14.00.01.00_01.01:

1. In WinCC Flexible, open Connections and create a new S7-400H connection. The dialog box exposes two Partner slots; populate AS 1 with the IP address of the master CPU (rack 0, slot 3) and AS 2 with the standby CPU (rack 1, slot 3).
2. Set Connection type = S7HMI_Connection, port = 102 (ISO-on-TCP / RFC1006).
3. Set the Update time to 1 s for the Life beat pointer and 2 s for tag acquisition. A 1 s life-beat lets the standby be detected within approximately 3 s after a CPU STOP.
4. On the S7-400H side, use SIMATIC Manager → Options → Configure Redundant S7 Connections (or in STEP 7 V5.5 the function Configure Redundancy). The CPU pairs must be in the same redundancy domain with the same system IP address if you are using the S7-Routing feature.
5. Compile and download the project. The TP177B runtime is unable to display a "CPU STOP" banner unless you configure a tag bound to the Operating state of the S7 connection; a common approach is to read the system state word OB1_Date_Time via an area pointer and decode the life-beat bit in a CP-side FC.

Area Pointer Reference for the TP177B 6" Color PN/DP

The complete pointer list, including the compressed-screen trigger and the schedule pointer, is documented in the WinCC Flexible online help under Communication → Area Pointers. The TP177B 6" color PN/DP supports the same seven pointers as the larger TP270/TP277 panels; only the number of configurable connections and tags is reduced.

Troubleshooting Matrix: Script Wizard and Connection Issues

Why Re-installing WinCC Flexible Will Not Help

The Engineering Station component is a single-product install; the device database is shared between all versions on the same machine. Re-installing the ES rebuilds the device catalog but does not retroactively add a VBScript engine to the TP177B image. The runtime image is signed and locked in flash memory; it cannot be upgraded to enable scripting on the same hardware. This is by design: the VBScript interpreter requires a larger heap and the TP177B's CE 5.0 core image allocates only 32 MB of RAM, half of which is consumed by the graphics system and the project memory. The TP277 ships with 64 MB of RAM and a larger image, which is what makes scripting feasible.

Migration Path to TIA Portal (WinCC Comfort / Unified)

Long-term, the WinCC Flexible product line has been replaced by WinCC Comfort and WinCC Unified. The migration sequence is:

1. Install TIA Portal V17 or later. The TIA Portal V17 release notes list TP177B and TP277 in the legacy device import catalog.
2. Open TIA Portal, Project → Migrate → Migrate WinCC Flexible project. TIA Portal imports the tags, screens, alarms, and area pointers; it converts the project to a Comfort Panel target if a TP277 or TP900 is selected.
3. Replace the Script Wizard logic that you wish to retain by porting VBScript to the Comfort panel runtime. The VBScript syntax is 100 % compatible; only the system function namespace changed from HMI Runtime to SmartTags.
4. Validate the S7-400H connection; in TIA Portal the redundant partner is configured under Devices & Networks → HMI Connection → Properties → Connection Path → Partner 1 / Partner 2.

Verification Checklist After Configuration

1. Download the project to the TP177B and observe the Transfer dialog confirming image compatibility.
2. Start the runtime; verify that the Coordination byte in DB 703 toggles every cycle (monitor with STEP 7 → Monitor/Modify).
3. Force the primary CPU to STOP (MRES or stop via STEP 7). The TP177B should switch to the standby within 2..4 s and continue refreshing tags.
4. Confirm the screen-change trigger fires on a tag-driven event by forcing the "master down" bit in the standby CPU's user program.
5. Document the redundancy failover time and add it to the operator training procedure.

FAQ