Architecture

The SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station uses hardware and software components of the engineering system (ES) and operator system (OS) for asset management. Depending on the project-specific SIMATIC PCS 7 architecture, it can be implemented on the basis of a SIMATIC PCS 7 BOX (PCS 7 BOX RTX ES/OS system or PCS 7 BOX ES/OS system), a SIMATIC PCS 7 ES single station, or a client/server combination.

As a result of the close interlacing, ES, OS, and asset management functions run on common hardware. Such a multi-functional station cannot only be used for asset management, but also for system engineering or HMI.

The following table shows possible hardware/software configurations of the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station (MS).

¹⁾ IPC stands for one of the SIMATIC IPC types from the product range in the section "Industrial Workstation/IPC, SIMATIC Rack PC", which are authorized for SIMATIC PCS 7.

²⁾ Only when using intelligent field devices or AssetMon functionality

³⁾ Allows SIMATIC PDM to be started on every MS Client

⁴⁾ SIMATIC PDM-FF required for plants with FOUNDATION Fieldbus H1

The MS Server can even be operated as a redundant pair of servers. The redundant MS servers must be configured like redundant OS servers and expanded by the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station Runtime functionality.

The SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station Runtime basic package already contains 100 asset TAGs. These can be expanded by cumulative SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station Runtime licenses for 100 or 1 000 asset TAGs (Count Relevant Licenses).

The signaling system, user interface, picture hierarchy and operator prompting are based on the HMI philosophy of the operator system. The diagnostics data of all assets are displayed on uniform faceplates whose contents depend on the intelligence of the respective component. This means that working with the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station is simple and intuitive – a time-consuming training period is not required.

The SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station uses the optional product package SIMATIC PDM PCS 7 Server for parameter assignment and diagnostics of the devices integrated via an Electronic Device Description (EDD). The optional product component SIMATIC PDM-FF is required for plants with FOUNDATION Fieldbus H1.

For editing the devices, the user receives the functional rights corresponding to their role following identification. User management and access control for the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station is handled by SIMATIC Logon integrated in SIMATIC PCS 7.

SIMATIC PDM supplies comprehensive device information for display and further processing on the maintenance station and can be called from any SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station Client (MS Client). The display of diagnostics displays structured according to the plant hierarchy with the operating states of the SIMATIC PCS 7 components is possible both on purely MS clients and combined MS/OS clients. The faceplates of these stations can also display the enhanced diagnostics information determined by SIMATIC PDM. A device-specific call of SIMATIC PDM is also possible. However, enhanced online diagnostics functions in conjunction with HW Config can only be called on stations that are both an MS client and engineering station for SIMATIC PCS 7 at the same time.

Configuration

The SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station is based on the hardware and software project of the application which is generated during the standard configuration with the SIMATIC PCS 7 engineering system. With system support, all data relevant to the plant asset management are derived from the project data of the application, and the diagnostics screens are also generated, simply by pressing a button. The procedure is simple, and requires no additional configuration work:

• Generation of the hardware and software project of the application
• Parameter settings for optional functionalities
• System-supported generation of the diagnostics screens with all components present in the project, including the picture hierarchy based on the project's hardware structure
• Compilation of the configuration data, and downloading to the operator station and Maintenance Station with subsequent test and commissioning phase

The names of imported pictures, icons, etc. can be permanently changed for further use in the maintenance project.

Conformity to international standards, specifications, and recommendations

Plant asset management with the SIMATIC PCS 7 Maintenance Station conforms to international standards, specifications, and recommendations. It is based on the NAMUR requirements (process control standards committee in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries) defined for systems for plant asset management and for status messages from field devices:

• NAMUR recommendation NE91 (requirements for systems for plant asset management)
• NAMUR recommendation NE 105 (requirements for the integration of fieldbus devices in engineering tools)
• NAMUR recommendation NE107 (status messages from field devices "Device failure", "Maintenance requirements", "Function check")

In addition, it also observes IEC 61804-2 for describing devices by means of the Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) and specifications made by the PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) organization, e.g.:

• PROFIBUS Profile Guidelines Identification & Maintenance Functions
• PROFIBUS PA Profile for Process Control Devices