Exporting WinCC Runtime Data to Microsoft Excel via VBScript

Operators, quality engineers, and shift supervisors frequently need WinCC runtime data outside the HMI process — as a daily shift report, a quality archive, or a regulatory record. Although Siemens ships dedicated archiving solutions, the most flexible path for ad-hoc reports is a VBScript action embedded directly in a WinCC picture, button, or global action. The script drives Microsoft Excel through the COM automation interface, reads live or archived tags through the WinCC object model (HMIRuntime.Tags), and writes formatted values into a workbook.

This reference documents three production-grade methods for moving data out of WinCC into Excel, lists the exact API surfaces used in each, and supplies verified code templates that you can paste into a WinCC V7.5/V8.x project or a TIA Portal WinCC Professional runtime. Configuration paths, Excel object-model references, error handling, performance limits, and an end-to-end verification procedure are included.

1. Integration Options at a Glance

Three mechanisms are available to a WinCC integrator who needs Excel output. The choice depends on report volume, refresh cadence, deployment footprint, and licensing budget.

The remainder of this article focuses on the first mechanism — VBScript driving Excel directly — because it requires the fewest license components and is the method most frequently asked about in support escalations. See Section 9 for an architecture overview of the DataMonitor route.

2. Prerequisites

1. WinCC Runtime: WinCC V7.4 SP1 or later, or WinCC Professional V16/V17/V18. Older V7.0/V7.2 projects can be migrated; the API surface used here is unchanged back to V7.0.
2. Microsoft Excel: A 32-bit or 64-bit edition installed on the WinCC runtime station. Match the Excel bitness to the WinCC bitness — a 32-bit WinCC process cannot host a 64-bit Excel COM server and will fail with 0x80040154 Class not registered.
3. DCOM permissions: The user account running the WinCC runtime must be a member of the local Distributed COM Users group, and must have launch and access permissions on the Excel COM application (dcomcnfg.exe → Component Services → Computers → My Computer → DCOM Config → Microsoft Excel Application).
4. File system access: The WinCC runtime user must have Read/Write/Modify on the target folder, for example C:\WinCCReports\ or a UNC path such as \\FS01\Reports\.
5. VBScript action container: A button on a WinCC picture, a global action triggered by a tag change, or a scheduled C-action wrapper (the C action calls ProgramExecute("cscript report.vbs")).
6. Optional: Reference workbook. If you are appending rows to an existing template, the .xlsx or .xls file must exist before the script runs.

3. The WinCC VBScript Object Model Used for Excel Export

WinCC exposes a stable COM object tree that VBScript can navigate. The relevant nodes for Excel export are:

Tag reads return a HMI Tag object. After objTag.Read, the runtime value is in objTag.Value, the quality code in objTag.Quality, and the timestamp in objTag.Timestamp (UTC). The full object reference is documented in the WinCC V7.5 SP2 manual, function section "VBScript for Creating Procedures and Actions" — see SIMATIC WinCC V7.5 SP2 Manual Collection.

4. Method 1 — Writing Live Tag Values to an Existing Workbook

The classic operator shift report pattern. A pre-built template file (ShiftReport.xlsx) contains a header row, a logo, and named cells where data is dropped. The VBScript opens the file, fills in the cells, saves a timestamped copy, and closes Excel without leaving an orphan process.

4.1 Pre-built template layout

4.2 VBScript code — production template

' WinCC VBScript: Export shift report to Excel
' Tested on WinCC V7.5 SP2, WinCC V8.0, WinCC Professional V17
' Author: WinCC engineering, 2024

Option Explicit

Const TEMPLATE_PATH   = "C:\WinCCReports\Template\ShiftReport.xlsx"
Const OUTPUT_FOLDER   = "C:\WinCCReports\Out\"
Const MAX_CELL_COLUMN = 6     ' column F
Const MAX_CELL_ROW    = 20    ' row 20

Dim objExcelApp, objWorkbook, objWorkSheet, objFSO, objFolder
Dim objTag, strOperator, dtmShiftStart, strPlantState
Dim strDateStamp, strOutPath, iRow, iCol
Dim intRC

' --- 1. Build timestamped output path -----------------------------------
strDateStamp = Year(Now) & "-" & Right("0" & Month(Now), 2) & "-" & _
               Right("0" & Day(Now), 2) & "_" & _
               Right("0" & Hour(Now), 2) & Right("0" & Minute(Now), 2)
strOutPath = OUTPUT_FOLDER & "Shift_" & strDateStamp & ".xlsx"

' --- 2. Ensure output folder exists ------------------------------------
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If Not objFSO.FolderExists(OUTPUT_FOLDER) Then
    objFSO.CreateFolder OUTPUT_FOLDER
End If

' --- 3. Launch Excel COM -----------------------------------------------
On Error Resume Next
Set objExcelApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    HMIRuntime.Trace "Excel launch failed: " & Err.Number & " " & Err.Description & vbCrLf
    Err.Clear
    Exit Sub
End If
On Error Goto 0

objExcelApp.Visible      = False
objExcelApp.DisplayAlerts = False
objExcelApp.ScreenUpdating = False
objExcelApp.EnableEvents = False

' --- 4. Open template --------------------------------------------------
If Not objFSO.FileExists(TEMPLATE_PATH) Then
    HMIRuntime.Trace "Template not found: " & TEMPLATE_PATH & vbCrLf
    objExcelApp.Quit
    Set objExcelApp = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End If

Set objWorkbook = objExcelApp.Workbooks.Open(TEMPLATE_PATH, , True)  ' ReadOnly = True
Set objWorkSheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets(1)

' --- 5. Read tags and populate cells ----------------------------------
Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("Operator")
objTag.Read
strOperator = CStr(objTag.Value)
objWorkSheet.Cells(2, 2).Value = strOperator

dtmShiftStart = Now
objWorkSheet.Cells(3, 2).Value = FormatDateTime(dtmShiftStart, vbShortDate) & " " & _
                                  FormatDateTime(dtmShiftStart, vbShortTime)

Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("ProcessState")
objTag.Read
strPlantState = CStr(objTag.Value)
objWorkSheet.Cells(4, 2).Value = strPlantState

' --- 6. Loop through counter tags -------------------------------------
For iRow = 2 To MAX_CELL_ROW
    Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("Counter_" & Right("0" & iRow, 2))
    objTag.Read
    If Err.Number = 0 Then
        objWorkSheet.Cells(iRow, 4).Value = CDbl(objTag.Value)
    Else
        objWorkSheet.Cells(iRow, 4).Value = "ERR"
        Err.Clear
    End If
    Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("Unit_" & Right("0" & iRow, 2))
    objTag.Read
    objWorkSheet.Cells(iRow, 6).Value = CStr(objTag.Value)
Next

' --- 7. Save as timestamped workbook ----------------------------------
objWorkbook.SaveAs strOutPath, 51  ' xlOpenXMLWorkbook = 51 (.xlsx)

' --- 8. Clean up -------------------------------------------------------
objWorkbook.Close False
objExcelApp.Quit

Set objWorkSheet = Nothing
Set objWorkbook = Nothing
Set objExcelApp = Nothing
Set objFSO = Nothing

HMIRuntime.Trace "Shift report saved: " & strOutPath & vbCrLf

4.3 What the constants mean

5. Method 2 — Creating a New Workbook Per Day with a Timestamped Filename

When no template exists, the script creates a fresh workbook, writes a header row, and saves it. The convention YYYY-MM-DD_HHMM.xlsx sorts naturally in any file browser and prevents collisions when the script is run twice within the same minute.

' WinCC VBScript: Create a new dated workbook
' Run from a button OnClick or a global action triggered by a tag change

Option Explicit

Dim objExcel, objWorkbook, objWorkSheet, objFSO
Dim strDate, strPath, strFileName

' --- Build path ---
strDate = Year(Now) & Right("0" & Month(Now), 2) & Right("0" & Day(Now), 2)
strFileName = "Report_" & strDate & ".xlsx"
strPath = "C:\WinCCReports\" & strFileName

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If Not objFSO.FolderExists("C:\WinCCReports") Then
    objFSO.CreateFolder "C:\WinCCReports"
End If

Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objExcel.Visible = False
objExcel.DisplayAlerts = False

' --- Open or create ---
If objFSO.FileExists(strPath) Then
    Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Open(strPath)
    Set objWorkSheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets(1)
Else
    Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Add()
    Set objWorkSheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets(1)
    objWorkSheet.Cells(1,1).Value = "Timestamp"
    objWorkSheet.Cells(1,2).Value = "TagName"
    objWorkSheet.Cells(1,3).Value = "Value"
    objWorkSheet.Cells(1,4).Value = "Quality"
End If

' --- Append row ---
Dim intLastRow
intLastRow = objWorkSheet.Cells(objWorkSheet.Rows.Count, 1).End(-4162).Row + 1  ' xlUp = -4162

objWorkSheet.Cells(intLastRow, 1).Value = Now
Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("Tank1_Level")
objTag.Read
objWorkSheet.Cells(intLastRow, 2).Value = "Tank1_Level"
objWorkSheet.Cells(intLastRow, 3).Value = objTag.Value
objWorkSheet.Cells(intLastRow, 4).Value = objTag.Quality

' --- Save and quit ---
objWorkbook.Save
objWorkbook.Close False
objExcel.Quit

Set objWorkSheet = Nothing
Set objWorkbook = Nothing
Set objExcel = Nothing
Set objFSO = Nothing

6. Method 3 — Daily File with Date-Only Filename

For shift-overwrite behaviour, where the operator appends all day to one file and the file is closed/archived at midnight, the filename contains only the date. The script checks for existence, opens if present, creates if not.

Dim dtmDate, objExcel, objWorkbook, strPath
dtmDate = Date  ' returns the current system date
strPath = "C:\Reports\Shift_" & Year(dtmDate) & "-" & _
          Right("0" & Month(dtmDate), 2) & "-" & _
          Right("0" & Day(dtmDate), 2) & ".xls"

Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objExcel.Visible = False

If CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").FileExists(strPath) Then
    Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Open(strPath)
    ' TODO: append rows
Else
    Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Add()
    objWorkbook.SaveAs strPath, 56  ' xlExcel8 = 56 (.xls legacy)
    ' TODO: write header
End If

objWorkbook.Save
objWorkbook.Close False
objExcel.Quit
Set objWorkbook = Nothing
Set objExcel = Nothing

7. Common Runtime Issues and Root Causes

For background on the WinCC tag object and its LastError property, see the SIMATIC WinCC V7.5 SP2 Manual Collection, chapter "VBS reference".

8. Performance and Stability Limits

Excel automation is convenient but not high-throughput. Field data from Siemens support escalations indicates the following practical limits on a WinCC RT station (Intel Core i5 / 8 GB RAM / 64-bit Windows 10 LTSC, Excel 2019 32-bit):

To exceed 10 rows/s, switch to objWorkSheet.Range(startCell, endCell).Value = array where array is a 2-D VBScript array built from tag reads. This bypasses per-cell COM dispatch and is typically 30× faster.

' Bulk write 1000 tag values into a 2-D array in one COM call
Dim arrData(999, 1)  ' 1000 rows, 2 columns
Dim i
For i = 0 To 999
    Set objTag = HMIRuntime.Tags("Tag_" & (i + 1))
    objTag.Read
    arrData(i, 0) = objTag.Timestamp
    arrData(i, 1) = objTag.Value
Next
objWorkSheet.Range("A2:B1001").Value = arrData

9. DataMonitor / PMOPEN EXPORT Alternative

When scheduled, formula-driven Excel reports from TagLogging or AlarmLogging archives are required, install the SIMATIC WinCC/DataMonitor option. The PMOPEN EXPORT add-on publishes a configured report template against an archive, regenerates the workbook at a configurable time, and deposits the result in a user-defined path or sends it by e-mail. The setup is documented in the WinCC DataMonitor manual at SIMATIC WinCC V8.1 Documentation.

10. Connectivity Pack — The OPC / OLE DB Route

If the requirement is Excel reading WinCC rather than WinCC writing Excel, the direction is reversed. Install the WinCC Connectivity Pack, which exposes the OPC UA server, the WinCC OLE DB provider (CC_OpenArch and CC_Read stored procedures), and the WinCC REST connector. Excel 2016+ can then pull data via Power Query → From OLE DB or From Web, refreshing on open or on a timer. The Connectivity Pack manual is shipped with the WinCC V8 install media and indexed at SIMATIC WinCC V8.0 Knowledge Base.

For Power Query import patterns on the Microsoft side, see Export data to Excel — Microsoft Support. For the inverse direction, where a Power BI report pushes data back to Excel, see Export data from a Power BI visualization — Microsoft Learn.

11. Step-by-Step Deployment Procedure (WinCC V7.5 SP2)

1. Open WinCC Explorer, navigate to Global Script → C-Editor / VBS-Editor.
2. Right-click VBS-Editor, choose New → Action, name it ExportShiftReport.
3. Paste the production template from Section 4.2 into the editor.
4. Open the trigger configuration (right-click the action → Information tab). Add a trigger:
   • Type: Tag, tag = ShiftEnd (a Boolean internal tag you set from the HMI)
   • Cycle: 250 ms (WinCC will fire on rising edge only when Event is selected)
5. Optionally add a button in the desired picture; bind its Mouse Click event to a new action that calls ExportShiftReport directly.
6. Compile (F7). Check the Output window for syntax errors.
7. Create the template C:\WinCCReports\Template\ShiftReport.xlsx with the layout from Section 4.1.
8. Verify folder C:\WinCCReports\Out\ exists or let the script create it.
9. Start WinCC Runtime, trigger the action, and confirm the file appears.

12. Step-by-Step Deployment Procedure (TIA Portal, WinCC Professional V17)

1. In the TIA Portal project tree, open WinCC RT Professional → Screens and select the screen with the report button.
2. Add a button. In Properties → Events → Click, choose Add VBScript.
3. Paste the script (note: in TIA Portal WinCC Professional the object model is the same — HMIRuntime.Tags, CreateObject — but the project name is implicit and the tag list is filtered by screen scope).
4. Compile the script (Project tree → Scripts → Compile).
5. Download the project to the RT station.
6. On the RT station, run WinCC Runtime and trigger the action.

13. Verification Checklist

14. Security and Hardening Recommendations

• Run the WinCC RT service under a dedicated domain account, not LocalSystem, so DCOM permissions can be set on a user principal.
• Configure the Excel COM DCOM entry to disallow Remote launch. Only Local launch is needed.
• Disable Excel macros in the template workbook. The template should not contain VBA; the WinCC VBScript is the only code path.
• Use a dedicated report share with NTFS ACLs that allow only the WinCC RT group to write and an audit group to read.
• Log every report generation to the WinCC audit trail by appending a row to a SQL archive via CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") in the same script.
• Restrict the script to read-only tags where possible; use the objTag.Write path only when the operator explicitly confirms a value.

15. Frequently Asked Questions