Blog

Sending WinCC Alarms via Whatsapp

An alternative to send WinCC alarms via Whatsapp using Flask and Pywhatkit, without the Whatsapp Business API.

Bubble Algorithm - Generated by AI

In this post, we will demonstrate how it is possible to generate the code for the bubble algorithm in C# through an AI.

Ready-to-use C# class wrapping AVEVA ArchestrA LoggerDLL.dll to write Info, Warning, Error and Trace messages to the System Platform and InTouch Logger.

AVEVA Driver Redundancy

We will see how we can test how the concept of redundancy works for AVEVA drivers, and for this, we will use the simulation driver. But...

AVEVA SNMP Driver

After some very basic concepts about SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol, we will see the example to configure the driver in AVEVA. We start from the default configuration, leaving the parameters as they are.

AVEVA Historian Client - ActiveX Controls - .Net (Factory Talk View SE)

Today we will see one of the advantages of working with AVEVA Historian Server & AVEVA Historian Client. By default, with the installation of the Historian Clie...

AVEVA Intouch 2023R2 - News

One of the new features of the new version of System Platform 2023R2, which includes AVEVA Intouch, is the import of *.svg files. Scalable Vector Graphics...

AVEVA Intouch Client Controls

Once we have created our control, we can now use it. If you missed it, check out the following post AVEVA Intouch Control .Net. First, once the Windows Maker is open and the Windows Viewer is closed, we will import a Client Control.

AVEVA Intouch BarcodeLib

In the following post we will see how we can display a barcode in our SCADA, in this example in AVEVA Intouch. If you are using my dear W...

AVEVA Intouch Control .Net

The following example is dedicated to my colleague Raul Vizcaino ... Never lose the desire to keep learning... A promise is a promise, and here it is...

AVEVA Intouch Historical Data Access System (HistData Part 1)

What is HistData? The HistData "Intouch Historical Data Access System" is the native Intouch application for extracting data stored in files...

AVEVA Intouch Historical Data (Part 1)

The following lines aim to see how the Historicals work in Intouch, Who records the data? Where? How is that information stored? Par...

AVEVA Intouch Historical Data Access System (HistData Part 2)

After the introduction, we will move on to the practical part: We have the following graph and we will perform an automatic export

AVEVA Intouch Historical Data (Part 2)

Continuing from the first part, we will keep drawing conclusions and seeing how it works. We already know that the viewer is the one who registers, how it registers and now when does it register?

AVEVA Intouch Read Alarms

How to read alarms in AVEVA Intouch or System Platform using the System.Speech library from the .NET Framework.

AVEVA Intouch RDS - CMD

Within the RDS environment, I believe it is necessary to have knowledge of some commands, or at least know where to find them and their description Microsoft remo...

AVEVA Intouch RDS - Query Events and 21 CFR Part 11

In a previous post, we saw how to configure the RDS environment and now we need to filter the actions that have been executed from all the recorded events. From...

AVEVA Intouch - SQLite

Today we are going to see how to work with Intouch - System Platform and with SQLite databases. And if you want to know its origins, a bit of literature here. How...

AVEVA Intouch Widgets

A few years ago ... I wrote the following article related to Intouch and the incorporation of Widgets. In the following article, I will explain ...

AVEVA Intouch Widgets (Custom Widgets Package)

To conclude this topic and following the last article related to widgets, we finish with the need for software to package the widgets...

Minesweeper Programmed with Artificial Intelligence

First PLC-HMI-SCADAS experiment generating a Minesweeper game with artificial intelligence: prompt, HTML code, board debugging and proposed improvements.

Minesweeper 2: AI Strikes Back

In 2023, we presented an article exploring how the simplicity of Minesweeper could be combined with the capabilities of artificial intelligence available at that time...

OPC UA Security: Siemens S7-1500 and UA Expert Client

Secure an OPC UA communication in a Siemens S7-1500 PLC: certificates in TIA Portal, trust with UA Expert, and Wireshark verification with None, Sign and Sign & Encrypt.

PLC scan cycle: when milliseconds become distance

What the PLC scan cycle is, how the watchdog works and why a high cycle time can become physical distance in machines with motion.

Siemens S7-1500 OPC UA Client: Read and Write in TIA Portal

Configure a Siemens S7-1500 PLC as an OPC UA client in TIA Portal: PLCSIM Advanced, client interface, read and write lists, OPC_UA_ReadList_C, Cmd write operation and final test.

CODESYS SoftPLC as an OPC UA Server and Siemens S7-1500 as Client

Prepare CODESYS Control Win as a Windows SoftPLC, publish variables through OPC UA and read them from a Siemens S7-1500 PLC using the OPC UA client in TIA Portal.

Secure Siemens PLC Communication with HMI and PC/PG

Practical guide to communicate a Siemens S7-1500 PLC with WinCC Unified Runtime securely: PLC protection, project security features, encrypted loading, PLCSIM Advanced and communication with TIA Portal.

PROFINET Basics

PROFINET is an industrial protocol based on Ethernet, developed by the Profibus & Profinet International (PI) organization. It emerged as an evolution of...

Version Control with Git, GitHub and TIA Portal V21

Practical guide to version PLC blocks in TIA Portal V21 using Version Control Interface, SIMATIC SD, Git and GitHub Desktop.

Docker: OPC UA Server and Web Client

In a previous article, we showed how to set up an OPC UA server in just minutes using Co-Pilot and Visual Code. This type of application or microservice...

Minesweeper III: A Quality Leap

From OpenAI Playground to Claude Opus 4.6: how AI has evolved from generating buggy code to creating a complete 3D Minesweeper in a single prompt. A comparative evolution in 3 versions.

The knapsack problem applied to industry

Industrial application of the knapsack problem: resource optimization, constraints, OR-Tools and a practical tool developed with Streamlit.

Complete technical guide: how the browser decides if a web page can be shown inside WinCC Unified. X-Frame-Options, CSP frame-ancestors, Same Origin Policy, TLS and field validation checklist.

Set Up a Development Environment with VS Code, GitHub Copilot and AI Agents

Step-by-step tutorial to set up Visual Studio Code with GitHub Copilot and AI agents (Claude Opus, GPT-4o, Gemini). Install Git, clone your repository, enable agent mode and start coding with AI in 7 steps.

Committed to the Cause

We start 2023 with the inauguration of the new portal at www.plc-hmi-scadas.com/blog/. In this new space, we aim to further expand our ability to continue sharing content in a didactic and entertaining way!

Analyzing Modbus TCP Communications

In today’s practice, we will configure a Modbus TCP master and slave that communicate, and then proceed to "eavesdrop" on these communications using Wiresh...

Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Ethernet/IP

Within all the information available on the internet, I will leave some lines and basic concepts about the industrial communication protocol, Ethernet/IP...

Exploiting Modbus TCP Vulnerabilities

Warning: the purpose of this article is to demonstrate that communications using the Modbus TCP protocol are not secure and therefore, it is advisable to protect communications using other encrypted protocols...

Factory Talk Historian - FTLD

Factory Talk Historian, by default uses the FTLD interface to communicate with Factory Talk View SE. This interface, unlike the one we have seen before...

Factory Talk Historian - License

Some basic concepts for licensing Factory Talk Historian.

Factory Talk Historian - PIPerfMon (Performance Counters)

To extend the information a bit more, we have already seen how to configure the PIPerfMon interface that comes by default with the 140 licensed tags.

Factory Talk Historian - PIPerfMon (Interface Performance Monitor)

After the installation of Factory Talk Historian, by default it comes with 140 tags created, containing system information and information about the Historian itself. The curious thing is that by default, these variables are created but will not show values, nor are they active. <br>The following image is a sample of the tags we are talking about.

Factory Talk View SE - Factory Talk Historian Status (FTLD)

When working in a distributed architecture, we are interested in knowing the status of our Factory Talk Historian from any point in the application. We already have half the work done with the configuration of system tags of the interface used <a href="/en/blog/factory-talk-historian-ftld-interface/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Factory Talk Live Data (FTLD)</a>.

Factory Talk View SE - Global Object Runtime Optimization

Are you working with Global Objects? Do you have a distributed architecture? Are you familiar with the Global Object Runtime Optimization functionality? If not, you need to enable it to improve the performance of your application.

FactoryTalk View SE - InfluxDB

InfluxDB configuration for logging data from FactoryTalk View SE.

Factory Talk View SE - SQLite

We have already seen this same example with AVEVA Intouch-System Platform - WinCC and now, out of sympathy, it is Factory Talk View SE\'s turn. Just like before for Factory Talk View, we will need the same requirements as for WinCC, so copy and paste from the previous article.

FactoryTalk Echo: Simulate Two Rockwell PLCs

Configure two Rockwell PLCs in FactoryTalk Echo using two IP addresses on the same network card and download the projects from Studio 5000.

FactoryTalk Echo - Update firmware v.37

If you already had your FactoryTalk Echo to work with the firmware of the latest version v.37, you need to update it. Do you want to know what has been implemented in this new...

Factory Talk View SE - DataLogPro Error

Fix the Unable to open the DataLogPro because the HMI server is not available error in FactoryTalk View SE v16 by checking IIS HTTPS bindings and the SSL certificate.

Practical analysis of secure OPC UA communication using certificates, Basic256Sha256 policies, and SignAndEncrypt mode.

Complete interactive guide to the industrial automation engineer\'s workflow: from receiving the FDS and P&ID, through PLC, HMI and SCADA programming, to commissioning and final validation. 10 phases with inputs, outputs, tips and common issues.

Learn to work with Git and GitHub in a team using Visual Studio Code. Didactic and interactive guide with branch visualizations, merge, pull requests, conflict resolution and collaborative workflows.

Optimizing Industry: Version Control and TIA Portal (Part 1)

Today we will look at a tool that is widely used in software development, but is very difficult to apply in industry as we usually work with binary files...

Complete GRAFCET guide: what it is, how to design functional diagrams, state machines, transitions, steps and practical application before programming a PLC. Step-by-step tutorial with examples.

GrafSim · GRAFCET editor and simulator

GrafSim is a free GRAFCET editor and simulator that runs in your browser. Built to IEC 60848: steps, transitions, OR and AND divergences, receptivities with edges and time delays, step-by-step simulation and PLC code generation.

How to build a virtual machine environment

Practical guide to building a virtual machine environment for OT labs, safe testing, simulated PLCs, isolated networks and snapshots.

AVEVA Intouch RDP - Alarms & Events

In this post, we will provide some tips on how to configure an Intouch in RDS. To do this, the first thing we need to clarify is that we need a Server with the RDS role installed...

AVEVA Intouch RDS - NAD

Continuing with the configuration of an Intouch RDS, we have an important detail to see when working with retentive variables. According to the documentation ...

Little SCADA: creating a control interface with Python and ChatGPT

Little SCADA project: building a control interface with Python, Django, OPC UA and artificial intelligence applied to industrial software development.

Logix Designer SDK: Automating Rockwell Projects

What Rockwell Logix Designer SDK is and how to use it to automate Studio 5000 projects from specifications, scripts and engineering review.

AVEVA Intouch 2023 - News

Presentation of the news from the SCADA Aveva Intouch 2023.

Optimizing Industry: Version Control and TIA Portal (Part 2)

After creating our repository in the previous post, we will see how we can manage it and make the most of this powerful tool. After following the previous...

Optimizing Industry: Version Control and TIA Portal (Part 3)

After explaining in the first post the installation, in the second post the creation of a remote repository and the export of data. In this post and last...

PHS Color Batch Simulator: pigment dosing with PLC and OPC UA

PHS Color Batch Simulator is a simulation model controlled through OPC UA. In this example it is controlled from TIA Portal, although any OPC UA client could be used.

PHS Thermal Process Simulator: simulate processes and control them through OPC UA

PHS Thermal Process Simulator is a plug and play tool for simulating physical processes and controlling them from an OPC UA client PLC, for example a Siemens S7-1500 with PLCSIM Advanced.

PM-Analyze (Part - 1)

A few years ago I experienced the most basic concepts of PM-Quality that you can find here. Now we will explore the latest version as of today of PM-A...

PM-Analyze (Part - 2)

If you have not read PM-Analyze (Part - 1)

What PPS is in EtherNet/IP, how to calculate it with the RPI equation, and the hardware limits of the Omron CJ1W-EIP21 to prevent network faults.

Prosoft PLX31-EIP-SIE

To start, you can download the official documentation from the following link. Some concepts are not well defined in the manual, or at least they were not clear to me when I read it...

Networks: GNS3, Broadcast Storm and STP Protocol

In today\'s article, we will learn about the GNS3 network simulation software. It is very useful for emulating scenarios that we may encounter in the industry,...

Logging PLC Data with InfluxDB

Logging Siemens PLC data from OPC UA Server to InfluxDB, using a Python bridge, Line Protocol and Chronograf visualization.

SQL Records with Siemens S7-1500 PLC, Intercepted with Wireshark

Using the LSQL library in a Siemens S7-1500 PLC to log data into SQL and inspect the communication with Wireshark.

SCADA Retrofits with MS Controls ActiveX VB6 (IFix 2023)

We have seen this same example with Factory Talk View SE & WinCC, now it is the turn of IFix 2023, which I have already been testing on a Windows Server...

SCADA Retrofits with MS Controls ActiveX VB6 (WinCC V8)

As the title suggests, we will explain some concepts that may help you if you are doing a migration, especially if you are using...

RSLogix 5000 - Studio 5000 - Electronic Data Sheet (EDS)

What is the EDS? It is a text file that contains detailed information about a network device, such as a sensor, a controller, or an actuator. In the con...

SCADA Retrofits with MS ActiveX Controls VB6 (Factory Talk View)

Today we will see how to migrate our application which has integrated several ActiveX controls. For this article, I have selected Factory Talk View SE, but it is applicable to any SCADA that used the ActiveX controls from Visual Basic :-) and here it is with <a href="/en/blog/retrofits-scadas-con-ms-controls-activex-vb6-wincc-v8/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WinCC</a><br><br>Nine years ago when it was still easy to install Visual Basic 6.0, a procedure that could be used was <a href="https://plc-hmi-scadas.com/WinCC_Instalacion_ActiveX.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the following</a>.<br><br>If we want to directly insert a control into our Display

Network Segmentation - S7 1500 & WinCC Unified

Proposed objective: A laboratory for practicing network segmentation, following the diagram below and approaching compliance with regulations such as IEC 62443...

Time server for Siemens S7-1500 PLC with NTP

How to synchronize a Siemens S7-1500 PLC clock with a local Windows NTP server, configure it in TIA Portal and validate it with Wireshark.

OPC UA Server and Client + Copilot Edits

On many occasions we need to test certain monitoring systems, for which we need changing variables to point to. In this ...

Siemens S7-1500 OPC UA Server: TIA Portal V20 and PLCSIM

Enable the OPC UA server on a Siemens S7-1500 with TIA Portal V20, publish variables, simulate with PLCSIM Advanced and validate in UA Expert.

Temperature Control System (I)

In this example, we will perform temperature control of a simulated tank. We will use a simulated Siemens PLC, in this case, the PLCSIM advanced, to...

Temperature Control System (II)

Practical configuration of a temperature PID control in TIA Portal: process variables, PID Compact, commissioning, auto-tuning and value verification.

Temperature Control System (III)

To conclude the temperature control series, we will see how we can use an OPC client generated in our Little SCADA application to control ...

OPC UA Sniffer with Siemens PLC, UA Expert and Capture Application

Practical video capturing unsecured OPC UA traffic between a Siemens PLC as OPC UA server and UA Expert using an application developed to intercept OPC UA communications.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)

It is a standard network protocol for managing and monitoring devices on a network, such as routers, switches, servers, printers, etc. It allows an SNMP manager (software) to communicate with SNMP agents (devices) to query information or send configurations.

How to Create WinCC Unified SQLite Reports in SSRS

Step-by-step guide to configure ODBC, build SSRS Data Sources, and visualize reports from WinCC Unified historical SQLite databases.

Syslog in Siemens PLCs: traceability and cybersecurity from the controller

How to send Siemens PLC events to a Linux server to centralize logs, detect changes and prepare a more auditable OT architecture.

TIA Portal 19 - Get / Put

If you communicate your programmed PLC with TIA Portal V.19 with an HMI/SCADA, you need to activate the checkbox that allows GET/PUT communications, otherwise you won’t...

TIA Portal (Central User Management)

Once we have the basic configuration of the UMC, we will proceed to configure our engineering station with TIA Portal.

How to configure the Configuration Time in TIA Portal to prevent the CPU from going to STOP in PROFINET networks with MRP rings containing slow-booting Cisco switches.

Trace in TIA Portal: how to find a phantom fault

Practical case to capture a stop without alarms, reconstruct the sequence and locate the signal that causes the fault.

UMC Admin Studio: guided console for UMX and UMCONF

UMC Admin Studio is a desktop application for Siemens UMC that wraps UMX and UMCONF commands in a guided UI with contextual help and credential protection.

UMC Redundancy (User Management Component)

Once we have configured our UMC Server, our engineering station, and our redundant WinCC Unified, the next step is the bonus :-). V...

UMC (User Management Control)

Once WinCC Unified Redundancy has been tested without UMC configuration, the next step is its configuration and operation. I have based this on the following ...

How to Set Up a VPN in Your Home Lab with WireGuard — Step-by-Step Tutorial

Complete tutorial to set up a VPN at home with WireGuard. Access your local network securely from anywhere. OpenVPN vs WireGuard comparison, server and client configuration, dynamic DNS and security.

Siemens S7-1500 Web Server

Create a small HMI integrated in a Siemens S7-1500 PLC with View of Things, using the Web Server, users and HTTPS configured from TIA Portal.

WinCC 8.1 Backup in Runtime

This new feature of version WinCC 8.1 deserves an article :-) Ten years ago, I wrote this post to implement this functionality... Of course, it had a lot to improve, but on more than one occasion it fulfilled its purpose ;-)

WinCC 8.1 News

We now have the new version of WinCC 8.1 and here are some of the new features ... The new WinCC now comes with SQL Server 2022 and is released for the following...

WinCC #ifdef RUN_ON_WEBNAVIGATOR

Normally, we will use this code when we want to take advantage of the same synoptic/function in WinCC and WebNavigator, but for some reason, there is ...

WinCC - SQLite

We have just seen how to work in Intouch / System Platform with an SQLite database, now we will extrapolate that functionality to WinCC.

WinCC Unified Collaboration: share Screens between Runtime stations

Practical WinCC Unified Collaboration guide for TIA Portal V20: share Screens between two Runtime stations, configure certificates and validate with PLCSIM Advanced.

WinCC Unified Collaboration in WinCC 8.1

Integrate screens from a WinCC Unified HMI into a WinCC 8.1 SCADA using Collaboration and the UnifiedPictureWindow object.

How to combine Custom Web Controls (CWC) with Open Pipe in WinCC Unified to build advanced visualizations driven by external applications.

WinCC Unified Open Pipe

WinCC Unified Open Pipe is an interface that allows connecting custom applications to the WinCC Unified Runtime. Open Pipe provides a limited set...

WinCC Unified Redundancy V20

Practical guide to configure WinCC Unified Redundancy V20 in TIA Portal: PC Station, primary server, redundant server, DB Storage, transfer, tests and licenses.

WinCC Unified RT GraphQL

GraphQL is a query language and a runtime environment for APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). It is designed to allow clients to request exactly the data they need, no more and no less, making it more efficient and flexible compared to traditional REST APIs.

WinCC Unified (User Management Component)

We have prepared our UMC server and the basic configuration on our engineering station, along with our TIA Portal project. The next step ...

WinCC V8.0 News

As the saying goes, better late than never... So first of all, thank you very much Cesar Fernandez. Among all the news and features, there is always one that stands out more, and for my taste, it has been not just the support for Web controls, but the control itself <strong><a href="https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/attachments/109816692/3DControlWinCC_es-ES.pdf?download=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WinCC 3D Control</a></strong>, which was released for WinCC Unified. Here, one of the first articles related to them was written; if you are interested, check the following <a href="https://plc-hmi-scadas.com/WinCC_Unified_Custom_Web_Controls.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">link</a> and you can expand more details with the information from Siemens in the following <a href="https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document/109779176/inclusi%C3%B3n-de-controles-definidos-por-el-usuario-en-wincc-unified-(custom-web-controls)?dti=0&amp;lc=es-PA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">example</a>

WinCC v8.1 Read Alarms

The objective is to be able to hear the message of certain alarms classified as critical from the control room

WinCC - WebNavigator "Failed to load https://Sever:4430/Main.PD_"

If after correctly configuring our WebNavigator, publishing the content, and there are no errors, you receive the following message

WinCC - WebNavigator "No Connection to server"

If after configuring our WinCC WebNavigator server, it works correctly on our own server, but when we connect from a client we get the following message...

WinCC WebNavigator/WebUx HTTPS Certificates

Once we have installed the WinCC WebNavigator / WebUX, we need to configure it to create the website in Internet Information Services (...