WinCC V7.3: Configuring Engineering and Operator Stations

Overview: WinCC V7.3 ES/OS Architecture with STEP 7 V5.5

This technical reference describes how to commission a SIMATIC WinCC V7.3 (Classic) Engineering Station (ES) and Operator Station (OS) that share one STEP 7 V5.5 project targeting a fault-tolerant SIMATIC S7-400H station (CPU 412-5H). The ES is the development host: it runs SIMATIC Manager (STEP 7 V5.5), SIMATIC NET PC software, and WinCC V7.3 with the AS/OS Engineering installation option, which embeds the WinCC project as a sub-object of the STEP 7 project. The OS runs WinCC V7.3 Runtime plus the matching SIMATIC NET version; it does not host SIMATIC Manager and does not receive WinCC source files.

WinCC V7.x is the Classic SCADA line that pre-dates TIA Portal. The "AS/OS Engineering" install option is the standard mechanism for integrating WinCC projects into STEP 7's project tree (SIMATIC Station → WinCC OS). Without this option the WinCC project exists only as a standalone file and cannot share symbols, area pointers, or configuration data with STEP 7. The official guide "WinCC V7.3: Working with WinCC" is published on Siemens Industry Online Support (entry ID 102754925).

System Topology and Component Roles

The physical and logical layout consists of two PC stations plus the redundant S7-400H station, all on the same plant Ethernet LAN. The standard on-board Ethernet port of each PC handles S7 communication; no CP (communications processor) card is required.

Component Inventory

The S7-400H station contains two redundant CPU 412-5H modules in rack 0, slots 2 and 3. H-Sync modules occupy slots 4 and 5. The Ethernet interfaces of both CPUs share one logical IP address (the H-system virtual address) so the WinCC client connects transparently to whichever CPU is currently MASTER; on a failover the connection re-routes inside the H-system without re-establishing the TCP session.

License Models for WinCC V7.3

WinCC V7.3 distinguishes three license types that determine which install components and operations are enabled. Misalignment between license and usage causes silent demo-mode operation, missing graphic objects, or alarm-paging failures.

Prerequisites and Compatibility Matrix

Operating System

WinCC V7.3 supports Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise (32-bit and 64-bit) with SP1, plus Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows XP and Vista are not supported. Confirm the latest WinCC V7.3 readme for any added Windows 8 / Server 2012 support via the update package.

STEP 7 V5.5 / WinCC V7.3 Compatibility

Hardware Minimums (per Siemens readme)

• CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 or comparable. WinCC V7.3 base runs on Atom but graphic editing is sluggish.
• RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended for projects with more than 5 000 tags.
• Disk: 10 GB free for WinCC base plus approximately 5 GB per engineering project.
• Ethernet: 100 Mbit/s minimum, 1 Gbit/s recommended with auto-negotiation.
• Graphics: DirectX 9 compatible adapter, 128 MB video memory minimum.

Network Pre-Configuration

Define static IPv4 addresses for every node before installation. The S7-400H station exposes one logical IP plus one or two physical IPs per CPU for diagnostics.

All five addresses must be in the same subnet. Disable DHCP on the Engineering and Operator PCs to avoid address drift; the S7-400H does not support DHCP. Use a managed switch with port-based VLAN if you need to isolate the S7 LAN from the office network.

Engineering Station Installation Procedure

The install order is mandatory: the WinCC setup searches for STEP 7 registry keys and refuses to enable the AS/OS Engineering mode if STEP 7 is missing.

1. Insert the STEP 7 V5.5 DVD or mount the ISO. Right-click Setup.exe and choose Run as administrator. The SIMATIC Manager setup installs SIMATIC Manager, HW Config, S7-PLCSIM, and the NetPro / SFC / SFB editors.
2. Apply every released Service Pack (SP1, SP2, ... up to SP4 for V5.5) and the latest hotfix. Restart the PC between service packs.
3. Insert the SIMATIC NET PC software DVD. Required components: SIMATIC NET PC Software with the Communication Services feature. Confirm the install includes the S7DOS driver and the Station Configuration Editor.
4. Insert the WinCC V7.3 DVD. When the setup asks for installation type, choose AS/OS Engineering. The choice is greyed out if STEP 7 is not detected, confirming the install order. The installer copies the WinCC Explorer, Graphics Designer, Alarm Logging, Tag Logging, and the integration add-ins for SIMATIC Manager.
5. Apply WinCC V7.3 Update 4 (or current). Restart.
6. Open the Automation License Manager (Start → Siemens Automation → Automation License Manager). Plug in the USB license dongle or activate the software license. Verify that WinCC AS/OS Engineering is visible in the license tree.
7. Open SIMATIC Manager. Confirm the menu Options → AS/OS is present; its presence confirms the integration DLL is registered.
8. Open the WinCC Explorer from Start → SIMATIC → WinCC → WinCC Explorer. It should start without a license warning.

Operator Station Installation Procedure

1. Disable UAC on Windows 7 (Control Panel → User Accounts → Change User Account Control settings → Never notify).
2. Install SIMATIC NET PC software with the same Communication Services feature as on the ES. Matching versions are required; mismatched SIMATIC NET between ES and OS causes the S7 connection to fail silently at runtime.
3. Install WinCC V7.3 with the install mode WinCC Runtime. Do not select Configuration unless the OS doubles as a backup engineering station.
4. Apply the same WinCC V7.3 update level as the ES.
5. Install the Runtime license (RT) via the Automation License Manager. A USB dongle plugged into the OS is the simplest deployment; a network license works only while the lending PC is reachable.
6. Confirm the WinCC service CCAgent is set to Automatic startup and that the SIMATIC HMI Windows account exists with the same SID on ES and OS if you copy the project by file share.

AS/OS Engineering Integration in SIMATIC Manager

Once both stations are installed, the WinCC project lives as a child object of the STEP 7 project. Open SIMATIC Manager on the ES and follow the procedure below.

1. Open or create the S7 project (e.g., Plant_Pumps.S7P). Insert a SIMATIC H station or use an existing SIMATIC 400 station.
2. Configure the H station in HW Config: insert the UR2-H rack, two CPU 412-5H modules in slots 2 and 3, the two H-Sync modules in slots 4 and 5, and any DI / DO / AI / AO modules. Download HW Config to the station. The H-system downloads both CPUs automatically once one CPU is in MASTER.
3. Right-click the station and choose Insert New Object → OS. SIMATIC Manager adds a child node OS(1). Right-click it and choose Rename if you want a project label such as Plant_Pumps_OS.
4. Open the OS object. WinCC Explorer launches. The left-hand tree contains Computer, Tag Management, Graphics Designer, Alarm Logging, Tag Logging, Report Designer, and User Administrator.
5. Add the S7 connection: in Tag Management, right-click and choose Add New Driver → SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite → TCP/IP. Right-click TCP/IP and select New Connection. Enter the S7-400H logical IP (192.168.0.100), Rack 0, Slot 2 (CPU1). The H-system virtual IP routes the connection automatically to whichever CPU is currently MASTER.
6. Generate tags from STEP 7 symbols: choose Options → Symbol Table Import to publish shared DBs and I/O symbols as WinCC tags without retyping addresses.
7. Configure area pointers: Tag Management → SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite → TCP/IP → Connection → Properties → Area Pointer. Activate Date/Time (clock synchronization), Coordinator (system diagnostics), PDiag if you use process tag diagnostics, and Project ID for redundancy.
8. Design the process pictures in Graphics Designer, configure alarms in Alarm Logging, and configure archives in Tag Logging.

SIMATIC NET PC Software Configuration

SIMATIC NET supplies the OPC server and the S7 protocol that WinCC uses internally. The PC station is configured through the Station Configuration Editor and indexed into the OS / WinCC project.

1. Open Station Configuration Editor (Start → SIMATIC → SIMATIC NET → Configuration → Station Configuration Editor).
2. Add a module of type OPC Server on Index 1 and a module of type IE General on Index 2. Map the IE General module to the physical Ethernet adapter by selecting Properties → Network Adapter.
3. Save the configuration. The Configuration Console service (S7IESRV) restarts to apply the change.
4. Open WinCC Explorer → Tag Management → SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite → TCP/IP → System Parameters. Confirm Unit name matches the Station Configuration Editor station name (default WinCC).
5. Right-click the connection and choose Connection Status. The state should report Established once the S7-412-5H has been reached on the plant LAN.

Downloading the WinCC Project to the Operator Station

There are three deployment paths. Pick the one that matches project size and operational policy.

Path 1 - File Share (Small Projects)

1. On the ES, compile the OS in WinCC Explorer (menu File → Compile → OS). The compiler produces a binary project under <project>\<OS>\<computer>\.
2. Share the project folder with read/write access for the SIMATIC HMI Windows account.
3. On the OS, open WinCC Explorer and choose File → Open. Browse to the shared path and open the project.
4. Activate the project (File → Activate). Runtime starts automatically the next time the service reboots.

Path 2 - WinCC Project Duplicator (Recommended)

1. On the ES, use SIMATIC Manager → Options → OS → Project Duplicator to package the OS as a stand-alone project.
2. Copy the resulting folder to the OS via USB stick or network share.
3. On the OS, open the duplicated project in WinCC Explorer and assign the OS computer name with Computer → Properties → Computer Name. The license binds to the computer name; changing the name invalidates the RT license check.

Path 3 - SIMATIC Manager Remote Download

1. On the ES, in SIMATIC Manager, right-click the OS and choose OS → Download to Target System. The downloader transmits the compiled project over the LAN using the S7DOS service on the OS.
2. The OS service CCAgent must be running and listening on TCP 102 (or the configured S7 download port).

After download, restart the WinCC Runtime on the OS (Start → Programs → SIMATIC → WinCC → Runtime) and observe the status window. Successful startup prints Runtime started; a license failure prints License missing; a connection failure prints S7 connection not established.

Verification and Acceptance Test

Before sign-off, run a structured acceptance test that exercises every WinCC subsystem.

1. Tag connection test. In WinCC Explorer → Tag Management, right-click a tag and choose Update. The status icon shows green (OK), yellow (substituted), or red (bad quality). For a deeper check use the WinCC Channel Diagnosis tool (Start → SIMATIC → WinCC → Tools → Channel Diagnosis).
2. Picture test. Open each process picture in Runtime. Confirm inputs (faceplates, sliders, buttons) write to the PLC and outputs (motor status, valve position, level) read back correctly.
3. Alarm test. Force a known alarm in the PLC (set the trigger bit). Confirm it appears in Alarm Logging with the correct timestamp, priority, and acknowledgement state. Clear the bit and confirm the alarm returns to gone.
4. Archive test. Tag Logging writes to \ArchiveManager database files under the project path. Verify the .ldf files grow during a forced data change and that the WinCC Trend Control displays the curve.
5. Time synchronization. Force a time change on the ES clock and observe whether the S7-400H CPU time follows. The Date/Time area pointer must be enabled on the S7 connection for this to work.
6. H-system failover. Pull the MASTER CPU or its H-Sync fiber. Within approximately 1 s the backup CPU takes over. The WinCC connection should remain Established and no operator action is required.
7. OS license failover. Disconnect the ES if it lends the license over the network. Within the ALM probe period (default 30 s) the OS Runtime prints a warning but continues; after the probe period it may exit to demo mode.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Operating Mode and Lifecycle Notes

The ES / OS split shown here is one of several WinCC topologies. Other options in the WinCC V7.3 setup include:

• Single-User Project. One PC with both RT and RC license. Used in small machines or test rigs.
• Multi-User Project (Server / Client). One or more WinCC Servers host the project and the archive database; clients run Runtime only and connect to a server via TCP. Useful for plants with multiple operator desks.
• Distributed Server. Several servers each own a subset of tags and pictures; a higher-level server aggregates them.

For new deployments, Siemens recommends TIA Portal WinCC Professional as the strategic successor to WinCC V7.3. TIA Portal provides WinCC Professional equivalent to WinCC V7.3 RC; the SIMATIC Migration Tool converts a STEP 7 V5.5 + WinCC V7.3 ES project into a TIA Portal project. The S7-412-5H remains compatible because TIA Portal supports S7-300/400 stations through the "Migrate S7-300/400 station" option. For guidance on the broader WinCC options landscape see the TIA Portal system overview for WinCC Engineering and Runtime options.

FAQ