Overview of STEP 7 http://www.plccenter.cn/Siemens_Step7/bas00014.

htm

Overview of STEP 7
What is STEP 7?
STEP 7 is the standard software package used for configuring and programming SIMATIC programmable logic controllers. It is
part of the SIMATIC industry software. There are the following versions of the STEP 7 Standard package:
1. STEP 7 Micro/DOS and STEP 7 Micro/Win for simpler stand-alone applications on the SIMATIC S7-200.
2. STEP 7 for applications on SIMATIC S7-300/S7-400, SIMATIC M7-300/M7-400, and SIMATIC C7 with a wider range
of functions:
Can be extended as an option by the software products in the SIMATIC Industry Software (see also
Extended Uses of the STEP 7 Standard Package)
Opportunity of assigning parameters to function modules and communications processors
Forcing and multicomputing mode
Global data communication
Event-driven data transfer using communication function blocks
Configuring connections
STEP 7 is the subject of this documentation, STEP 7 Micro is described in the "STEP 7 Micro/DOS" documentation.
Basic Tasks
When you create an automation solution with STEP 7, there are a series of basic tasks. The following figure shows the tasks
that need to be performed for most projects and assigns them to a basic procedure. It refers you to the relevant chapter thus
giving you the opportunity of moving through the manual to find task-related information.

1 of 4 07-09-2020 10:54
Overview of STEP 7 http://www.plccenter.cn/Siemens_Step7/bas00014.htm

image/FestEin_04_b_vec.gif

Alternative Procedures
As shown in the figure above, you have two alternative procedures:
1. You can configure the hardware first and then program the blocks.
2. You can, however, program the blocks first without configuring the hardware. This is recommended for service and
maintenance work, for example, to integrate programmed blocks into in an existing project.
Brief Description of the Individual Steps
1. Install STEP 7 and license keys

2 of 4 07-09-2020 10:54
Overview of STEP 7 http://www.plccenter.cn/Siemens_Step7/bas00014.htm

The first time you use STEP 7, install it and transfer the license keys from diskette to the hard disk (see also Installing
STEP 7 and Authorization).
2. Plan your controller
Before you work with STEP 7, plan your automation solution from dividing the process into individual tasks to creating
a configuration diagram (see also Basic Procedure for Planning an Automation Project).
3. � Design the program structure
Turn the tasks described in the draft of your controller design into a program structure using the blocks available in
STEP 7 (see also Blocks in the User Program).
4. Start STEP 7
You start STEP 7 from the Windows user interface (see also Starting STEP 7).
5. Create a project structure
A project is like a folder in which all data are stored in a hierarchical structure and are available to you at any time.
After you have created a project, all other tasks are executed in this project (see also Project Structure).
6. Configure a station
When you configure the station you specify the programmable controller you want to use; for example, SIMATIC 300,
SIMATIC 400, SIMATIC S5 (see also Inserting Stations).
7. Configure hardware
When you configure the hardware you specify in a configuration table which modules you want to use for your
automation solution and which addresses are to be used to access the modules from the user program. The
properties of the modules can also be assigned using parameters (see also Basic Procedure for Configuring
Hardware) .
8. Configure networks and communication connections
The basis for communication is a pre-configured network. For this, you will need to create the subnets required for
your automation networks, set the subnet properties, and set the network connection properties and any
communication connections required for the networked stations (see also Procedure for Configuring a Subnet).
9. Define symbols
You can define local or shared symbols, which have more descriptive names, in a symbol table to use instead of
absolute addresses in your user program (see also Creating a Symbol Table).
10. Create the program
Using one of the available programming languages create a program linked to a module or independent of a module
and store it as blocks, source files, or charts (see also Basic Procedure for Creating Logic Blocks and Basic
Information on Programming in STL Source Files).
11. S7 only: generate and evaluate reference data
You can make use of these reference data to make debugging and modifying your user program easier (see also
Overview of the Available Reference Data).
12. Configure messages
You create block-related messages, for example, with their texts and attributes. Using the transfer program you
transfer the message configuration data created to the operator interface system database (for example, SIMATIC
WinCC, SIMATIC ProTool), see also Configuring Messages.
13. Configure operator control and monitoring variables
You create operator control and monitoring variables once in STEP 7 and assign them the required attributes. Using
the transfer program you transfer the operator control and monitoring variables created to the database of the
operator interface system WinCC (see also Configuring Variables for Operator Control and Monitoring).
14. Download programs to the programmable controller
S7 only: after all configuration, parameter assignment, and programming tasks are completed, you can download your
entire user program or individual blocks from it to the programmable controller (programmable module for your
hardware solution). (See also Requirements for Downloading.) The CPU already contains the operating system.
M7 only: choose a suitable operating system for your automation solution from a number of different operating
systems and transfer this on its own or together with the user program to the required data medium of the M7
programmable control system.
15. Test programs
S7 only: for testing you can either display the values of variables from your user program or a CPU, assign values to

3 of 4 07-09-2020 10:54
Overview of STEP 7 http://www.plccenter.cn/Siemens_Step7/bas00014.htm

the variables, and create a variable table for the variables that you want to display or modify (see also Introduction to
Testing with the Variable Table).
M7 only: test the user program with a high-level language-debugging tool.
16. Monitor operation, diagnose hardware
You determine the cause of a module fault by displaying online information about a module. You determine the causes
for errors in user program processing with the help of the diagnostic buffer and the stack contents. You can also check
whether a user program can run on a particular CPU (see also Hardware Diagnostics and Displaying Module
Information).
17. Document the plant
After you have created a project/plant, it makes sense to produce clear documentation of the project data to make
further editing of the project and any service activities easier (see also Printing Project Documentation). DOCPRO, the
optional tool for creating and managing plant documentation, allows you to structure the project data, put it into wiring
manual form, and print it out in a common format.
Specialized Topics
When you create an automation solution there are a number of special topics that may be of interest to you:
1. Multicomputing - Synchronous Operation of Several CPUs (see also Multicomputing - Synchronous Operation of
Several CPUs)
2. More than One User Working in a Project (see also More than One User Editing Projects)
3. Working with M7 Systems (see also Procedure for M7 Systems)

See also
The STEP 7 Standard Package

4 of 4 07-09-2020 10:54