Difference between WinCC products.

Hello guys,

Please can you explain us what is the difference between WinCC (Flexible, Basic, Comfort, Advanced, professionnal, and Unified).

For me as a new in automation it's important to make the difference between them.

Thanks a lot !

Hi NIzGood,

The description of the different WinCC systems could fill books, but I will try to explain the systems in a short way.

WinCC flexible

A system for designing both panel-based HMI and single-monitor PC systems. Designed for use with the SIMATIC Manager. The panels that can be configured with WinCC flexible are all still discontinued, so do not use them for new projects.

WinCC Basic/Comfort/Advanced

The successor of WinCC flexible for the TIA Portal software framework. Also designed for panel-based HMI and single-monitor PC systems. Further development of the software has already been stopped. The devices are gradually being phased out due to component shortages.

WinCC V7/V8

The SIMATIC SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system for high-level monitoring of machines and processes. Not just an HMI, but can be used as one. It focuses more on multi-monitor monitoring and data acquisition.

WinCC Professional

Developed with the goal of bringing the functionality of WinCC V7 to the TIA Portal, but this was never achieved. As with WinCC Basic/Comfort/Advanced, further development has been stopped, so (almost) no new functionality will be implemented.

WinCC Unified

A modern visualization system based on web techniques such as HTML, SVG, CSS and JavaScript, but without the need to know them except JavaqScript. Designed with the goal of creating a system that would allow the same development techniques to be used from a simple application built in the PLC, to panels, to PC runtime, to SCADA. However, in my opinion, they are not even halfway there. And the road is rocky and difficult. But it is the road that development is currently taking.

You can also click through the Siemens product pages for HMI topics.

Kind regards
Stefan

Stefan Arcularius

Hi NIzGood,

The description of the different WinCC systems could fill books, but I will try to explain the systems in a short way.

WinCC flexible

A system for designing both panel-based HMI and single-monitor PC systems. Designed for use with the SIMATIC Manager. The panels that can be configured with WinCC flexible are all still discontinued, so do not use them for new projects.

WinCC Basic/Comfort/Advanced

The successor of WinCC flexible for the TIA Portal software framework. Also designed for panel-based HMI and single-monitor PC systems. Further development of the software has already been stopped. The devices are gradually being phased out due to component shortages.

WinCC V7/V8

The SIMATIC SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system for high-level monitoring of machines and processes. Not just an HMI, but can be used as one. It focuses more on multi-monitor monitoring and data acquisition.

WinCC Professional

Developed with the goal of bringing the functionality of WinCC V7 to the TIA Portal, but this was never achieved. As with WinCC Basic/Comfort/Advanced, further development has been stopped, so (almost) no new functionality will be implemented.

WinCC Unified

A modern visualization system based on web techniques such as HTML, SVG, CSS and JavaScript, but without the need to know them except JavaqScript. Designed with the goal of creating a system that would allow the same development techniques to be used from a simple application built in the PLC, to panels, to PC runtime, to SCADA. However, in my opinion, they are not even halfway there. And the road is rocky and difficult. But it is the road that development is currently taking.

You can also click through the Siemens product pages for HMI topics.

Kind regards
Stefan

Small and efficient answer, thanks Stefan !