PLC and HMI Development with Siemens TIA Portal

Liam Bee

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781801814645
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Software Development
• Index: Computer Science

Become well-versed with the tools available in the Siemens TIA toolbox and write PLC and HMI code effectivelyKey Features• Find out how to use TIA Portal effectively to boost your productivity• Learn about a structured design pattern and understand why it is so powerful when implemented correctly• Discover efficient project management and design practicesBook DescriptionWith automation requirements on the rise, Siemens' TIA Portal development environment is almost a necessity for any automation engineer. The Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) environment helps seamlessly integrate all things automation, from PLC hardware and software design to HMI development. This book helps you understand the tools available in the TIA toolbox and shows you how to write code effectively.The book begins by introducing you to the TIA environment, covering the layout and tools available. Once you've got to grips with the environment, you'll find out how to create hardware to write programs against, including adding IO modules and assigning memory for input and output. Next, you'll develop logic in all of the languages that TIA Portal offers, such as Ladder, Function Block Diagram, and Structured Text (SCL) (note that Statement List is not covered as a deprecated language), as well as the newest language, Cause and Effect (CEM). You'll also discover how to store standard code in libraries, creating a version control system that is easy to manage and aids standard design. Finally, following the PLC design chapters, you'll learn how to develop HMI applications in TIA Portal's latest unified hardware.By the end of the book, you'll be well equipped to use all of the features that TIA Portal V17 offers.What you will learn• Set up a Siemens Environment with TIA Portal• Find out how to structure a project• Carry out the simulation of a project, enhancing this further with structure• Develop HMI screens that interact with PLC data• Make the best use of all available languages• Leverage TIA Portal's tools to manage the deployment and modification of projectsWho this book is forThis TIA Portal book is for anybody looking to learn PLC/HMI development using the latest Siemens development platform. Industrial software engineers, PLC engineers, automation engineers, and electricians will be able to advance their skill set with this guide. A basic understanding of PLC principles such as PLC data types and basic objects such as function blocks and functions is necessary to get started.

Section 1 – The TIA Portal – Project Environment

Learn about the TIA Portal development environment and how to get started with the basics of programming with Siemens PLCs.

This part of the book comprises the following chapters:

• Chapter 1, Starting a New Project with TIA Portal
• Chapter 2, Creating Objects and How They Fit Together
• Chapter 3, Structures and User-Defined Types

Chapter 1: Starting a New Project with TIA Portal

This chapter covers the core requirements to get started with TIA Portal. This includes the physical layout of the environment and different viewpoints, available tools, adding/configuring devices, and library management. The differences between online and offline views are also covered.

After reading this chapter, programmers should feel comfortable with the basic navigation of TIA Portal and have enough knowledge to be confident about the following:

• Adding devices to a new project
• Knowing where instructions and other tools are located
• Using the project library
• Using a global library
• Viewing online and offline views of connected devices

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

• Windows and panes – layout of the development environment
• Getting started with a new project in theProject view
• The Reference and Details views – tools to aid development
• Instructions and libraries
• Online testing environment

Windows and panes – layout of the development environment

Before jumping in and creating a project, let's get familiar with the development environment. In TIA Portal Version 17 (V17), there are two different ways to view and use the application, as outlined here:

• Portal view
  • Allows for the quick setup of hardware
  • Easy navigation of all TIA areas of development
  • Easy access to diagnostic and other online tools
• Project view
  • More familiar Block & Code view
  • Required for programmable logic controller (PLC) programming
  • Required for access to more advanced setting dialogs

Depending on the view that TIA is running in, this changes the look and feel of the development environment and also where/how objects are interacted with.

When opening TIA Portal for the first time, the Portal view will be presented, as illustrated in the following screenshot:

Figure 1.1 – Portal view

The Portal view is TIA's default setting and will be the mode that is in use every time TIA Portal V17 is opened (unless changed in the settings).

This view is best for quickly gaining access to different areas of a project.

When required, TIA will automatically switch from the Portal view to the Project view. The following screenshot shows the Project view:

Figure 1.2 – Project view

Note

The Project view is required in order to actually program information in program blocks.

Portal view – windows and panes

The Portal view is much more simplistic than the Project view. This view is for high-level tasks such as adding equipment, and the layout of the view does not change much between different areas.

The windows in the Portal view can be split up into three different key areas, as illustrated in the following screenshot:

Figure 1.3 – Portal view key areas

The three areas are described in more detail here:

1. Main menu: These are the top-level areas of TIA Portal. Nearly all aspects of development fall into one of these categories.
2. Submenu: These are the navigational items that relate to the main menu area. For example, switching between Start and PLC programming would change the options available in this menu.
3. Activity area: This is the area in which interaction with selected processes occurs, such as creating a new project or navigating PLC programming blocks.
   Note
   Be careful in the submenu area of the Portal view! In some locations (such as PLC programming), a device must also be selected. It's very easy to accidentally leave the last selected item when returning. Make sure to check which device is active when in these types of menus!

Project view – windows and panes

The Project view is a little more involved than the Portal view. It is not as simplistic, and the menus and navigation can c...