WinCC

WinCC ( Windows Control Center ) is a PC-based process visualization system from Siemens. It is used as a standalone SCADA system, or as a man- machine interface for process control systems such as SIMATIC PCS 7 or Spectrum PowerCC. The software was marketed in 1996 in version 1.1 for the first time in German-speaking broadly.

Product Features

The visualization system is modular and allows monitoring and control of technological processes of plant and machinery. WinCC is designed as a client-server system that runs on various versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. With WinCC both simple and complex Einplatzanwendungen multi-user solutions with distributed clients and servers can be implemented.

Significant product features include user-configurable user interface for visualization and operation of machinery and equipment, the acquisition and long-term data storage of measured values, the collection, storage and visualization of alarms and messages as well as providing data interfaces to external systems.

The basic software is basically designed sector-neutral and is used for various industrial applications as a SCADA system. Typical applications include the production technology in mechanical engineering, automation of industrial processes and the control and visualization of processes in logistics systems. Open interfaces, software available options and project-specific implementation, the software can be adapted to industry-specific requirements. Typical areas of application in industries are:

  • Production in the chemical, pharmaceutical or food industry, both for continuous processes as well as batch processes
  • Process visualization and control in power plants, oil and gas equipment, water treatment and sewage treatment systems
  • MMS discrete units in production facilities as in mechanical engineering and the automotive and automotive supplier industry.
  • Traffic control systems as an information system for the monitoring of highways and tunnel systems
  • Material handling and visualization component of the material handling system, for example, in the monitoring and control of mail sorting or baggage handling systems in airports.

User interface

Individually configurable user interfaces are used for the intended use for process control. The software makes this a graphics editor and a selection of standard objects available (for example, graphic objects, buttons, check and radio boxes and sliders, input and output field, text lists or configurable ActiveX Controls for alarms, graphs and tables). These standard objects to user-specific objects or ActiveX controls to be extended.

Objects are linked in the graphic editor with process values ​​and commands. There are, for example, visualize measured values ​​or status messages of valves displayed. At the same time, it is possible to control user input via mouse or keyboard these objects. For the assignment of process values ​​and commands, the software provides various mechanisms. The simplest variant is the direct interconnection of process variables on an object to display a value or status information. Other alternatives include conversational interconnecting variables via so-called " Wizards " to complex scenarios that can be realized via the built-in script languages ​​C -Script and Visual Basic Scripting. Provided by the operating system or other external functions can be used here (Windows API). Context-independent functions, such as querying, triggered events to script libraries can be implemented via "global" scripts and actions.

Texts in the user interface can be multi-lingual and can be switched at runtime. It supports up to 34 different languages ​​in a visualization solution.

User Management

WinCC implemented an integrated user management can be ( in the so called runtime user interface for B) controls both at the project and at run time using the access rights. It can 128 user groups are created and managed with up to 128 individual users. It can 999 different permission levels are defined, which are in turn assign the users and / or user groups.

Reporting system

The software captures and stores process messages and local events in archives and presents them filtered if necessary and sort available. Messages can be formed directly from binary information or as a result of a limit value is exceeded for analog values ​​. The archiving, logging, and reporting structure are freely programmable.

Archiving system

Value sequences can be stored in process value archives. This filing is implemented in a Microsoft SQL Server database. The values ​​to be compressed without loss stored in the database. The presentation in the user interface can be implemented using built-in objects such as the Trend Control. Direct access to this data via optional interfaces with external applications is possible.

Reporting and logging system

The report system allows the layout-controlled expression of the acquired data. It includes various types of protocols such as alarm logs, operator logs or user reports. The reports can be saved as a file and displayed as a preview on screen.

Dissemination

WinCC has been published in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese. The main markets of the software in Europe and Asia. Siemens calls himself. Various publications and press releases using WinCC as a market leader in Europe and the world as second most employed HMI system

WinCC is used in Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 as a base. SIMATIC PCS 7 is a system with scalable architecture for medium to large systems ( up to 100,000 input and output data points), which engineering tools and mass data processing, alarm management and asset management integrated.

Versions

WinCC is continuously developed since 1995. The following table provides an overview of published versions with their respective Hautpmerkmalen. Here, patches and hotfixes are not included. In 2008, Siemens has released WinCC version 7.0.

  • Single-user system

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51

  • Multilingual project with online language switching for Graphics Designer and message texts
  • Multi-user system,
  • Integration in SIMATIC S7/STEP7/PCS 7,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 95 and Windows NT 4

  • Individually configurable user objects,
  • Direct connection of controls to variables
  • Expansion of communication to eg Profibus DP and OPC,
  • Wizard scripts to support dynamic representation of objects,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 95 /98 and Windows NT 4

  • No significant change in the functional
  • No significant change in the functional
  • No significant change in the functional
  • No significant change in the functional
  • No significant change in the functional
  • 6 server to a client,
  • Distributing the processing power,
  • Improved integration of WinCC and SIMATIC S7

Supported OS: Windows NT 4

  • WinCC " System Info" to evaluate system information
  • Siemens HMI Symbol Library,
  • The central message sequence report,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4

  • Excel configuration tool for mass data,
  • Extension of user management
  • No significant change in the functional
  • No significant change in the functional
  • Visual Basic for Applications (VBA ) for the automation of project management,
  • Visual Basic Script (VBScript ) as runtime scripting language,
  • New license for 8192 variable zooming / panning and Decluttering,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP and Windows 2000

  • No significant change in the functional
  • 80,000 archive tags

Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Server

  • New licensing software,
  • Support for 21 CFR Part 11,
  • Extended support of quality code and status variables
  • No significant change in the functional
  • Menus and toolbars in the Graphics Runtime,
  • Central process data archiving and analysis,
  • New functionalities in the graph,
  • Improved operation with firewall and virus scanners,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server and Windows 2003 Server R2

  • No significant change in the functional
  • New WinCC controls,
  • . NET controls,
  • Object Oriented Engineering,
  • Improved Text-Import/-Export,
  • New versions of the WinCC / Web Navigator
  • No significant change in the functional
  • No substantial change to the functionality,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008 32Bit (without R2)

  • No substantial change to the functionality,

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 ( 64bit ), Windows 7 SP1 (32Bit / 64Bit)

  • Expansion in the graphic designer
  • Unicode support
  • Simplified configuration of the Tag Management
  • New communication channels
  • Expansion in the archive system
  • Multi -touch support

Stuxnet worm

In July 2010, a computer worm known as Stuxnet was discovered, which is specialized for attacks on WinCC and PCS 7 systems. According to computer security firm Symantec, it involves the first worm that can not only spy on industrial systems, but also manipulate their functioning. The worm works by exploiting the in WinCC hard-coded credentials for the Microsoft SQL Server and four different unpatched vulnerabilities in Windows.

In September 2010, the Iranian Communications Minister Reza Taghipur stated that around 30,000 computers were infected by Stuxnet in Iran, including computer of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Because this worm was programmed only at great expense, it is believed by experts as Yevgeny Kasperski and others that he is not from individuals, but from government organizations.

Manufacturing engineering OLE for Process Control .NET Framework
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