Improvements in TIA Portal Update 2 Step7
Behavior when exporting objects in the Version Control Interface (VCI)
As of V18 Update 2, SIMATIC ML files exported with Version Control Interface (VCI) no longer display default values. If a change was made to a default value, an entry is written to the exported XML file. This can lead to changes in the behavior when comparing the existing files with the objects in VCI. Run the export again to get the new export format.
Improvements in TIA Portal Update 2 WinCC
Faceplates
When objects are grouped into faceplates, the group gets its own interface. Any existing interfaces of the individual objects are lost.
Runtime Professional
WebUX
Stability and performance have been improved.
The display and dynamization of screens and screen objects has been improved.
The configuration dialog has been improved.
WebNavigator
Stability and performance have been improved.
The WinCC WebBrowserControl (Chromium) has been improved.
Diagnostics
The system diagnostics display has been improved.
Channel diagnostics has been improved.
Improvements in TIA Portal Update 2 WinCC
Zooming without pressing the control button
You can configure zooming in runtime in the runtime settings of the device. You have the following options:
- Zooming by turning the mouse wheel with pressing the control button.
- Zooming by turning the mouse wheel without pressing the control button.
To zoom in runtime without pressing the control button, follow these steps:
1. Under “Runtime settings > General > Screen”, activate the option “Zoom without pressing the control button”.
This option is disabled by default.
TIA Portal V18 update 1 download – what’s new in this release
Symbolic I/O field
The display of symbolic I/O fields with “Input/output” mode has been improved in engineering and Runtime.
Scripting
Arrays with tags of the WString data type can be used within user-defined functions
Reading and setting the operating state of an S7-1200/1500
The operating state of an S7-1200/1500 PLC can be read and set via system variables.
- @ConnectionName_PLC_OpState reads the state of the PLC.
- @ConnectionName_PLC_OpStateCtrl sets the state of the PLC.
The tags are available if a connection to a PLC of the type S7-1200/1500 is configured.
The tags are available as of version 18.0.0.2. If the version of a device is changed to an older version, these tags are no longer available.
If the connection is removed or the connection type is changed, the tags are removed.
This functionality replaces the system functions “SetPlcMode” and “GetPlcMode”.
System functions for the jog mode of tags
The new JavaScript object “Tags.Inching” contains the functions:
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndDecreaseTag()”
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndIncreaseTag()”
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndInvertBitInTag()”
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndSetBitInTag()”
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndResetBitInTag()”
“Tags.Inching.SysFct.ReadAndSetTagValue()”
The system functions “ReadAndDecreaseTag”, “ReadAndIncreaseTag”,
“ReadAndInvertBitInTag”, “ReadAndSetBitInTag”, “ReadAndResetBitInTag” and “ReadAndSetTagValue” are available in the function list.
The functions differ from “DecreaseTag”, “IncreaseTag”, “InvertBitInTag”, “SetBitInTag”, “ResetBitInTag”, and “SetTagValue” in the following ways:
In TIA Portal V18, The HMI device updates the value of the HMI tag with the value from the PLC before the write operation occurs.
After the write operation, the value of the HMI tag is updated immediately, e.g. in an IO field.
The new functions are slower due to the updating of the tag at the beginning and end of jog mode. It is recommended that you use the new features only when they need to perform time-critical tasks.
“ActivateCleanScreen” system function
The “UI.SysFct.ActivateCleanScreen()” function opens a screen as a pop-up in fullscreen mode and disables the touch screen of the Unified Panels. While the clean screen is open,
no screen object of the underlying screen can be used. The pop-up is closed after the configured
time interval has elapsed.
The “ActivateCleanScreen” system function is available in the function list.
System function “SetPLCDateTime”
The “HMIRuntime.Connections.SysFct.SetPLCDateTime()” function sets the date
and time of the HMI device in the connected PLC. Note that this function can only be configured
for SIMATIC S7-1200/1500.
The “SetPLCDateTime” system function is available in the function list.
“OpenPLCCodeViewByAlarm” system function
When an alarm is selected in the alarm view, the
“UI.ProDiag.SysFct.OpenPlcCodeViewFromAlarm()” function opens the
corresponding block in the PLC code view.
The “OpenPLCCodeViewByAlarm” system function is available in the function list.
“OpenScreenInPopupAsync” system function
The “UI.SysFct.OpenScreenInPopupAsync()” function opens a screen asynchronously
in a popup window. This also makes it possible to initialize the PLC code viewer in a popup
window and use it from a GRAPH overview.
The “OpenScreenInPopupAsync” system function is available in the function list.
System functions “CreateSystemMessage”, “CreateOperatorInputInformation” and “CreateSystemInformation”
The integration of parameter values in system alarm texts has been improved for the system
functions “CreateSystemMessag
[…] – What’s new VARIANT data type in TIA Portal, Example of using Reference TIA V18 Update 2 download – what’s new in this release What is Low-Code Understanding Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Principles and […]