TIA Portal V14 New Features and Improvements

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TIA Portal V14 New Features and Improvements is this articles topic, in which I plan to show you new and improved functionalities of TIA Portal V14:

Little add ones, that will just make the use of this environment a little easier.
More advanced engineering tools.
New, TIA Poartal V14 only, Hardware.

To highlight some of the differences between V13 and V14 I have created an identical project in each of the versions. The following hardware have been inserted in the project:

1516F CPU, Firmware V1.8 for TIA Portal V13 and Firmware V2.0 for TIA Portal V14
TP Comfort Panel, Firmware V13.0.1.0 for TIA Portal V13 and Firmware V14.0.0.0 for TIA Portal V14

Update [16.05.2017] - Sm@rt Server is now FREE!

When using Comfort or Mobile Panel Sm@rt Server is free of charge with TIA Portal V14. This has been confirmed by Siemens Support.

Sm@rt Server is a very useful feature that allows remote access to HMI panels either via Sm@rtClient or via web browser. More info on Siemens website: SIMATIC WinCC Sm@rtServer (TIA Portal)

TIA Portal V14 new ‘Search in Project’ function

This is a global, project – wide search for HMI and PLC objects. Easily accessible from the tollbar (1). Results can be filtered by the area of search (2) and/or type of searched object (3):

“GO TO” function is available by double clicking on the search result (or right-click -> ‘GOTO’) in the search result area:

TIA Portal V14 new Project – Wide cross-reference

This is definitely one of the most welcomed upgrades in V14!

Objects (like tags) used in both PLC and HMI will display it's reference location on both devices. To give you an idea of how this works I've created, in both V13 and V14, a tag and assigned it to a switch object on the HMI root screen:
TIA Portal V13 cross-reference

TIA Portal V14 new cross reference

As you can see, in V14, Tag_1 is highlighted in PLC's DB, but the cross-reference also displays tag's usage in the HMI as well as 'GOTO' link to where it's defined in the HMI tags list.

TIA Portal V14 new SCL Networks in LAD/FBD Block

Another good (and overdue!) improvement.

Simply right-click on a network in LAD/FBD block and choose 'Insert SCL network':

TIA Portal V14 new Regions (i.e. Networks) added to SCL

We can now create regions in our SCL Code by using 'REGION' instruction. There is also a simple Region management panel to the left of your code:

TIA Portal V14 new Improved Help/Information system

Finally! The "help" doesn't look/feel/behave like an application designed in the previous century. Some of the new features include having multiple tabs (;-)), advanced search, favourites and filtering results by device:

TIA Portal V14 Support for new hardware

S7-1500 T CPU - Dedicated to new motion control functions
1518(F)-4 PN/DP CPU - support for C/C++ functions created in Open Development Kit
1516 pro CPU - Distributed Controller based on SIMATIC ET 200pro
S7-1500 Fail-safe Software Controller
Fail-safe CPU 1212 FC

There are obviously many more new features in V14 and I will keep adding them by updating this article...

For now if you require more detailed information please visit Siemens website:

Delivery Release of TIA Portal V14

Delivery Release for SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional / Basic V14

Delivery release STEP 7 Safety Basic / Advanced V14

Delivery release SIMATIC WinCC V14

SINAMICS Startdrive V14 sales release