Siemens WinCC questions

[stephenrichardson 0]

I am new to WinCC and have been playing around on a blank project in WinCC 6.0 SP 2. I have connected the project to an S7. I have a few fundamental questions: Is there a method to close a picture (screen) with a button or do you need to use a script? (examples...) I have connected to the S7 PLC via MPI (serial) but can't connect via TCP/IP. I can connect via TCP/IP in Step 7 software though. Is there anything special i should know that requires doing? Do i need to setup a named connection? Is there anywhere i can view project/application errors. Is there anywhere i can find out how the project is connecting to a database. Do i need to configure this? Where do i configure this? I have used many other SCADA applications before including Cimplicity and Intouch but not WinCC. Any answers would be very helpful.

[Rod_Hackney 2]

I just added a WinCC tutorial to the available downloads on this site. Check under Siemens manual downloads and you will see the zipped up tutorial. It covers most of the questions you stated.

[JesperMP 2]

Hi Stephen. I dont know WinCC (I do know WinCC Flexible, but that is something else), but I think I know why you cannot connect via TCP/IP. WinCC contains native drivers for MPI and DP which are set via the S7ONLINE access point. STEP7 contains in addition a driver for TCP/IP, but WinCC do not, and WinCC cannot use the same driver as STEP7 does in case they both reside on the same PC. What you need is a version of Simatic Net with ethernet capability for your communication hardware. If you use a regular ethernet NIC, then Simatic Softnet IE Lean will do the trick.

[stephenrichardson 0]

Where can i get this software? Can i download it or do i have to buy it?

[JesperMP 2]

You have to buy it from Siemens. Sorry for the late reply.