The Software Loader is designed to be compatible with a variety of SIMATIC PLCs. The following table provides a detailed overview of the supported hardware.
| SIMATIC PLC family | MLFB | FW version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIMATIC S7-1500 | 6ES7 51x | ≥ V2.9 | The S7-1500 is a family of PLCs that can control a wide variety of tasks in complex automation and control systems. |
| SIMATIC ET 200SP CPU | 6ES7 510/512/514 | ≥ V2.9 | The ET 200SP CPU is a part of the ET 200SP distributed I/O system and uses the same programming as the S7-1500 controllers. |
| SIMATIC Drive Controller | 6ES7 615 | ≥ V2.9 | The Drive Controller combines a SIMATIC S7-1500 controller with motion control, technology and safety functionality with a SINAMICS S120 drive control in one device. |
| SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller | 6ES7 672 | ≥ V30.1 | The Software Controller is fully integrated into the system environment of the S7-1500 and uses the same engineering and operating concept. It is independent of the operating system, which means that it continues to run even when the operating system is restarted. |
| SIMATIC Virtual CPU | 6ES7 587 | ≥ V3.1 | The Virtual CPU is a software controller for PC-based automation solutions. It can be used to implement automation tasks in an Industrial Edge device. |
| SIMATIC PLCSIM (Advanced) | any PLC from S7-1500 family | ≥ 2.9 | PLCSIM (Advanced) is a software for simulating the functions of the S7-1500 PLC during the engineering phase. |
Starting with ST Compiler version 7, you should use just the target "1500" in the apax.yml file for all SIMATIC PLCs. The Software Loader will automatically handle all different S7-1500 targets, including PLCSIM.
Therefore, building specifically for the plcsim target is no longer necessary and should be removed. Moreover, the --input option defaults to ./bin/1500 and can be omitted.
At present, SIMATIC PLCs can only establish connections via local PLC ports. The ability to connect through Connection Processors is under development and will be made available once validated.
Note
The following configurations are not currently supported by any Software Loader command:
- SIMATIC S7-1500 F PLCs with enabled F-activation
- Redundant and high-availability CPUs (SIMATIC S7-1500 R/H)
- SIMATIC S7-1200