Example for SIMATIC PCS 7 integration of third-party controllers and package units with PCS 7/OPEN OS

Process control systems that have evolved over a number of years frequently feature heterogeneous structures combining components from different manufacturers. One of the goals of modernization is, therefore, to increase the efficiency of process control by standardizing the operations management level. In the case of plant expansions where control desks are merged or where existing plants are migrated step-by-step, the plant operator aims to integrate different types of controller in a single HMI system.

The SIMATIC PCS 7 process control system supports this with PCS 7/OPEN OS, an expansion for the SIMATIC PCS 7 operator system, that allows the following controller types to be integrated into the process control:

• Third-party controllers of control systems (DCS)
• PLCs from Siemens and other manufacturers
• Package units

Depending on the technical situation of the controller to be integrated, connection to the PCS 7/OPEN OS operator station (single station, server or redundant pair of servers) is possible via OPC (OPC DA and OPC A&E) or the existing WinCC channels (e.g. S7 channel or Modbus TCP channel). In the case of OPC communication, the OPC server can be executed on separate hardware or together with the OPC client on the PCS 7/OPEN OS operator station.

The existing engineering system of the controller can continue to be used for configuration of the automation functions.

Note:

PCS 7/OPEN OS V8.2 is operated together with SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Engineering and OS Runtime Software V8.2. The SIMATIC PCS 7 software is to be ordered separately from Catalog ST PCS 7 (SIMATIC PCS 7 system components).