Siemens S7-200 Driver

© 2023 PTC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Siemens S7-200 Driver 2

Table of Contents
Siemens S7-200 Driver 1

Table of Contents 2

Siemens S7-200 Driver 3

Overview 3

Setup 4
Channel Properties — General 5
Tag Counts 5
Channel Properties — Serial Communications 7
Channel Properties — Write Optimizations 9
Channel Properties — Advanced 10
Channel Properties — Communication Serialization 11
Channel Properties — Siemens Client ID 12
Device Properties — General 12
Device Properties — Scan Mode 14
Device Properties — Timing 14
Device Properties — Auto-Demotion 15
Device Properties — Redundancy 16

Data Types Description 17

Address Descriptions 18

S7-200 Addressing 18

S7-200 PPM Addressing 21

Event Log Messages 25

Block may have addresses out of range. | Block start address = '<address>', Block size = <count>
(bytes). 25
Error Mask Definitions 25

Index 26

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3 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Siemens S7-200 Driver

Help version 1.042

CONTENTS

Overview
What is the Siemens S7-200 Driver?

Setup
How do I configure a device for use with this driver?

Data Types Description

What data types does this driver support?

Address Descriptions
How do I address a data location on a Siemens S7-200 device?

Event Log Messages

What messages does the Siemens S7-200 Driver produce?

Overview
The Siemens S7-200 Driver provides a reliable way to connect Siemens S7-200 devices to OPC Client applic-
ations, including HMI, SCADA, Historian, MES, ERP, and countless custom applications. It is intended for use
with Siemens S7-200 devices, and supports a 10 or 11-bit setting for the PPI programming cable. When
using the 10-bit mode (specifically, the EM 241 Modem Module), the S7-200 PPM mode should be selected.
When using the 11-bit mode, the S7-200 model should be selected.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 4

Setup

Channel and Device Limits

The maximum number of channels supported by this driver is 256. The maximum number of devices sup-
ported by this driver is 127 per channel.

Supported Communication Parameters

Baud Rate: 9600 or 19200
Parity: Even (11-bit mode) and None (10-bit PPM mode)
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Note: Not all devices support the listed configurations.

Ethernet Encapsulation
This driver supports Ethernet Encapsulation, which allows the driver to communicate with serial devices
attached to an Ethernet network using a terminal or device server. It may be invoked through the COM ID in
Channel Properties. For more information, refer to the main server's help documentation.

Communication Protocols
Point-to-Point (PPI) S7-200 Communications Protocol (11-bit mode).
Point-to-Point Modem (PPM) S7-200 Communications Protocol (10-bit mode).

The Siemens S7-200 Driver normally operates using the standard 11-bit PPI protocol. If the EM 241 modem
module is required, the S7-200 PPM model must be selected. This model allows the driver to operate in a
10-bit mode that is compatible with many off-the-shelf modems. The 10-bit PPM mode can also be used dir-
ectly on the PLC's programming port. To enable 10-bit PPM mode, set the S7-200 programming cable to 10-
bit mode.
See Also:Device Properties

Flow Control
When using an RS232/RS485 converter, the type of flow control that is required depends on the needs of
the converter. Some converters do not require any flow control and others require RTS flow. Consult the
converter's documentation to determine its flow requirements. An RS485 converter that provides automatic
flow control is recommended.
Note: When using the manufacturer's supplied communications cable, it is sometimes necessary to
choose a flow control setting of RTS or RTS Always under the channel properties.
See Also:Channel Communication Properties

Supported Devices
Siemens S7-200 devices

Supported Cables
A special cable is required to communicate with the S7-200 PLC. The cable recommended by the man-
ufacturer should be used.

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5 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Channel Properties — General

This server supports the use of multiple simultaneous communications drivers. Each protocol or driver used
in a server project is called a channel. A server project may consist of many channels with the same com-
munications driver or with unique communications drivers. A channel acts as the basic building block of an
OPC link. This group is used to specify general channel properties, such as the identification attributes and
operating mode.

Identification

Name: Specify the user-defined identity of this channel. In each server project, each channel name must be
unique. Although names can be up to 256 characters, some client applications have a limited display win-
dow when browsing the OPC server's tag space. The channel name is part of the OPC browser information.
The property is required for creating a channel.
For information on reserved characters, refer to "How To... Properly Name a Channel, Device, Tag, and Tag
Group" in the server help.

Description: Specify user-defined information about this channel.

Many of these properties, including Description, have an associated system tag.

Driver: Specify the protocol / driver for this channel. Specify the device driver that was selected during chan-
nel creation. It is a disabled setting in the channel properties. The property is required for creating a chan-
nel.
Note: With the server's online full-time operation, these properties can be changed at any time. This
includes changing the channel name to prevent clients from registering data with the server. If a client has
already acquired an item from the server before the channel name is changed, the items are unaffected. If,
after the channel name has been changed, the client application releases the item and attempts to re-
acquire using the old channel name, the item is not accepted. Changes to the properties should not be
made once a large client application has been developed. Utilize proper user role and privilege man-
agement to prevent operators from changing properties or accessing server features.

Diagnostics

Diagnostics Capture: When enabled, this option makes the channel's diagnostic information available to
OPC applications. Because the server's diagnostic features require a minimal amount of overhead pro-
cessing, it is recommended that they be utilized when needed and disabled when not. The default is dis-
abled.
Note: This property is not available if the driver does not support diagnostics.
For more information, refer to "Communication Diagnostics" and "Statistics Tags" in the server help.

Tag Counts

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 6

Static Tags: Provides the total number of defined static tags at this level (device or channel). This inform-
ation can be helpful in troubleshooting and load balancing.

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7 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Channel Properties — Serial Communications

Serial communication properties are available to serial drivers and vary depending on the driver, connection
type, and options selected. Below is a superset of the possible properties.
Click to jump to one of the sections: Connection Type, Serial Port Settings or Ethernet Settings, and
Operational Behavior.

Notes:

l With the server's online full-time operation, these properties can be changed at any time. Utilize
proper user role and privilege management to prevent operators from changing properties or
accessing server features.
l Users must define the specific communication parameters to be used. Depending on the driver,
channels may or may not be able to share identical communication parameters. Only one shared
serial connection can be configured for a Virtual Network (see Channel Properties — Serial Com-
munications).

Connection Type

Physical Medium: Choose the type of hardware device for data communications. Options include Modem,
Ethernet Encapsulation, COM Port, and None. The default is COM Port.

1. None: Select None to indicate there is no physical connection, which displays the Operation with
no Communications section.

2. COM Port: Select Com Port to display and configure the Serial Port Settings section.

3. Modem: Select Modem if phone lines are used for communications, which are configured in the
Modem Settings section.

4. Ethernet Encap.: Select if Ethernet Encapsulation is used for communications, which displays the
Ethernet Settings section.

5. Shared: Verify the connection is correctly identified as sharing the current configuration with
another channel. This is a read-only property.

Serial Port Settings

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 8

COM ID: Specify the Communications ID to be used when communicating with devices assigned to the chan-
nel. The valid range is 1 to 9991 to 16. The default is 1.

Baud Rate: Specify the baud rate to be used to configure the selected communications port.

Data Bits: Specify the number of data bits per data word. Options include 5, 6, 7, or 8.

Parity: Specify the type of parity for the data. Options include Odd, Even, or None.

Stop Bits: Specify the number of stop bits per data word. Options include 1 or 2.

Flow Control: Select how the RTS and DTR control lines are utilized. Flow control is required to com-
municate with some serial devices. Options are:

l None: This option does not toggle or assert control lines.

l DTR: This option asserts the DTR line when the communications port is opened and remains on.
l RTS: This option specifies that the RTS line is high if bytes are available for transmission. After all buf-
fered bytes have been sent, the RTS line is low. This is normally used with RS232/RS485 converter
hardware.
l RTS, DTR: This option is a combination of DTR and RTS.
l RTS Always: This option asserts the RTS line when the communication port is opened and remains
on.
l RTS Manual: This option asserts the RTS line based on the timing properties entered for RTS Line
Control. It is only available when the driver supports manual RTS line control (or when the properties
are shared and at least one of the channels belongs to a driver that provides this support).
RTS Manual adds an RTS Line Control property with options as follows:
l Raise: Specify the amount of time that the RTS line is raised prior to data transmission. The
valid range is 0 to 9999 milliseconds. The default is 10 milliseconds.
l Drop: Specify the amount of time that the RTS line remains high after data transmission.
The valid range is 0 to 9999 milliseconds. The default is 10 milliseconds.
l Poll Delay: Specify the amount of time that polling for communications is delayed. The valid
range is 0 to 9999. The default is 10 milliseconds.

Tip: When using two-wire RS-485, "echoes" may occur on the communication lines. Since this com-
munication does not support echo suppression, it is recommended that echoes be disabled or a RS-485 con-
verter be used.

Operational Behavior
l Report Communication Errors: Enable or disable reporting of low-level communications errors.
When enabled, low-level errors are posted to the Event Log as they occur. When disabled, these
same errors are not posted even though normal request failures are. The default is Enable.
l Close Idle Connection: Choose to close the connection when there are no longer any tags being ref-
erenced by a client on the channel. The default is Enable.
l Idle Time to Close: Specify the amount of time that the server waits once all tags have been
removed before closing the COM port. The default is 15 seconds.

Ethernet Settings
Note: Not all serial drivers support Ethernet Encapsulation. If this group does not appear, the func-
tionality is not supported.

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9 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Ethernet Encapsulation provides communication with serial devices connected to terminal servers on the
Ethernet network. A terminal server is essentially a virtual serial port that converts TCP/IP messages on the
Ethernet network to serial data. Once the message has been converted, users can connect standard devices
that support serial communications to the terminal server. The terminal server's serial port must be prop-
erly configured to match the requirements of the serial device to which it is attached. For more information,
refer to "Using Ethernet Encapsulation" in the server help.

l Network Adapter: Indicate a network adapter to bind for Ethernet devices in this channel. Choose a
network adapter to bind to or allow the OS to select the default.
Specific drivers may display additional Ethernet Encapsulation properties. For more information, refer to
Channel Properties — Ethernet Encapsulation.

Modem Settings
l Modem: Specify the installed modem to be used for communications.
l Connect Timeout: Specify the amount of time to wait for connections to be established before fail-
ing a read or write. The default is 60 seconds.
l Modem Properties: Configure the modem hardware. When clicked, it opens vendor-specific modem
properties.
l Auto-Dial: Enables the automatic dialing of entries in the Phonebook. The default is Disable. For
more information, refer to "Modem Auto-Dial" in the server help.
l Report Communication Errors: Enable or disable reporting of low-level communications errors.
When enabled, low-level errors are posted to the Event Log as they occur. When disabled, these
same errors are not posted even though normal request failures are. The default is Enable.
l Close Idle Connection: Choose to close the modem connection when there are no longer any tags
being referenced by a client on the channel. The default is Enable.
l Idle Time to Close: Specify the amount of time that the server waits once all tags have been
removed before closing the modem connection. The default is 15 seconds.

Operation with no Communications

l Read Processing: Select the action to be taken when an explicit device read is requested. Options
include Ignore and Fail. Ignore does nothing; Fail provides the client with an update that indicates fail-
ure. The default setting is Ignore.

Channel Properties — Write Optimizations

The server must ensure that the data written from the client application gets to the device on time. Given
this goal, the server provides optimization properties to meet specific needs or improve application respons-
iveness.

Write Optimizations

Optimization Method: Controls how write data is passed to the underlying communications driver. The
options are:

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 10

l Write All Values for All Tags: This option forces the server to attempt to write every value to the
controller. In this mode, the server continues to gather write requests and add them to the server's
internal write queue. The server processes the write queue and attempts to empty it by writing data
to the device as quickly as possible. This mode ensures that everything written from the client applic-
ations is sent to the target device. This mode should be selected if the write operation order or the
write item's content must uniquely be seen at the target device.
l Write Only Latest Value for Non-Boolean Tags: Many consecutive writes to the same value can
accumulate in the write queue due to the time required to actually send the data to the device. If the
server updates a write value that has already been placed in the write queue, far fewer writes are
needed to reach the same final output value. In this way, no extra writes accumulate in the server's
queue. When the user stops moving the slide switch, the value in the device is at the correct value at
virtually the same time. As the mode states, any value that is not a Boolean value is updated in the
server's internal write queue and sent to the device at the next possible opportunity. This can greatly
improve the application performance.
Note: This option does not attempt to optimize writes to Boolean values. It allows users to optim-
ize the operation of HMI data without causing problems with Boolean operations, such as a moment-
ary push button.
l Write Only Latest Value for All Tags: This option takes the theory behind the second optimization
mode and applies it to all tags. It is especially useful if the application only needs to send the latest
value to the device. This mode optimizes all writes by updating the tags currently in the write queue
before they are sent. This is the default mode.

Duty Cycle: is used to control the ratio of write to read operations. The ratio is always based on one read
for every one to ten writes. The duty cycle is set to ten by default, meaning that ten writes occur for each
read operation. Although the application is performing a large number of continuous writes, it must be
ensured that read data is still given time to process. A setting of one results in one read operation for every
write operation. If there are no write operations to perform, reads are processed continuously. This allows
optimization for applications with continuous writes versus a more balanced back and forth data flow.
Note: It is recommended that the application be characterized for compatibility with the write optim-
ization enhancements before being used in a production environment.

Channel Properties — Advanced

This group is used to specify advanced channel properties. Not all drivers support all properties; so the
Advanced group does not appear for those devices.

Non-Normalized Float Handling: A non-normalized value is defined as Infinity, Not-a-Number (NaN), or as

a Denormalized Number. The default is Replace with Zero. Drivers that have native float handling may
default to Unmodified. Non-normalized float handling allows users to specify how a driver handles non-nor-
malized IEEE-754 floating point data. Descriptions of the options are as follows:

l Replace with Zero: This option allows a driver to replace non-normalized IEEE-754 floating point val-
ues with zero before being transferred to clients.
l Unmodified: This option allows a driver to transfer IEEE-754 denormalized, normalized, non-num-
ber, and infinity values to clients without any conversion or changes.

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11 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Note: This property is disabled if the driver does not support floating-point values or if it only supports
the option that is displayed. According to the channel's float normalization setting, only real-time driver tags
(such as values and arrays) are subject to float normalization. For example, EFM data is not affected by this
setting.

For more information on the floating-point values, refer to "How To ... Work with Non-Normalized Floating-Point
Values" in the server help.

Inter-Device Delay: Specify the amount of time the communications channel waits to send new requests to
the next device after data is received from the current device on the same channel. Zero (0) disables the
delay.

Note: This property is not available for all drivers, models, and dependent settings.

Channel Properties — Communication Serialization

The server's multi-threading architecture allows channels to communicate with devices in parallel. Although
this is efficient, communication can be serialized in cases with physical network restrictions (such as Eth-
ernet radios). Communication serialization limits communication to one channel at a time within a virtual
network.

The term "virtual network" describes a collection of channels and associated devices that use the same
pipeline for communications. For example, the pipeline of an Ethernet radio is the client radio. All channels
using the same client radio associate with the same virtual network. Channels are allowed to communicate
each in turn, in a "round-robin" manner. By default, a channel can process one transaction before handing
communications off to another channel. A transaction can include one or more tags. If the controlling chan-
nel contains a device that is not responding to a request, the channel cannot release control until the trans-
action times out. This results in data update delays for the other channels in the virtual network.

Channel-Level Settings

Virtual Network: Specify the channel's mode of communication serialization. Options include None and
Network 1 - Network 500. The default is None. Descriptions of the options are as follows:

l None: This option disables communication serialization for the channel.

l Network 1 - Network 500: This option specifies the virtual network to which the channel is
assigned.

Transactions per Cycle: Specify the number of single blocked/non-blocked read/write transactions that
can occur on the channel. When a channel is given the opportunity to communicate, this is the number of
transactions attempted. The valid range is 1 to 99. The default is 1.

Global Settings

Network Mode: This property is used to control how channel communication is delegated. In Load Bal-
anced mode, each channel is given the opportunity to communicate in turn, one at a time. In Priority

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 12

mode, channels are given the opportunity to communicate according to the following rules (highest to low-
est priority):

1. Channels with pending writes have the highest priority.

2. Channels with pending explicit reads (through internal plug-ins or external client interfaces) are pri-
oritized based on the read's priority.

3. Scanned reads and other periodic events (driver specific).

The default is Load Balanced and affects all virtual networks and channels.
Devices that rely on unsolicited responses should not be placed in a virtual network. In situations where
communications must be serialized, it is recommended that Auto-Demotion be enabled.

Due to differences in the way that drivers read and write data (such as in single, blocked, or non-blocked
transactions); the application's Transactions per cycle property may need to be adjusted. When doing so,
consider the following factors:

l How many tags must be read from each channel?

l How often is data written to each channel?
l Is the channel using a serial or Ethernet driver?
l Does the driver read tags in separate requests, or are multiple tags read in a block?
l Have the device's Timing properties (such as Request timeout and Fail after x successive timeouts)
been optimized for the virtual network's communication medium?

Channel Properties — Siemens Client ID

Siemens Client ID: Specify the node number used by the Siemens S7-200 Driver on the network. Each chan-
nel must have a unique Siemens client ID. The valid range is 0 to 126.

Device Properties — General

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13 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Identification

Name: User-defined identity of this device.

Description: User-defined information about this device.

Channel Assignment: User-defined name of the channel to which this device currently belongs.

Driver: Selected protocol driver for this device.

Model: Select the specific version of the device.

ID Format: Select how the device identity is formatted. Options include Decimal, Octal, and Hex.

ID: the unique identity of the device for communication with the driver. The valid range is 0 to 126. Any
devices defined under this channel should not use an ID that conflicts with the Siemens client ID.

Operating Mode

Data Collection: This property controls the device's active state. Although device communications are
enabled by default, this property can be used to disable a physical device. Communications are not attemp-
ted when a device is disabled. From a client standpoint, the data is marked as invalid and write operations
are not accepted. This property can be changed at any time through this property or the device system tags.

Simulated: This option places the device into Simulation Mode. In this mode, the driver does not attempt
to communicate with the physical device, but the server continues to return valid OPC data. Simulated stops
physical communications with the device, but allows OPC data to be returned to the OPC client as valid data.
While in Simulation Mode, the server treats all device data as reflective: whatever is written to the simulated
device is read back and each OPC item is treated individually. The item's memory map is based on the
group Update Rate. The data is not saved if the server removes the item (such as when the server is rein-
itialized). The default is No.

Notes:

1. This System tag (_Simulated) is read only and cannot be written to for runtime protection. The Sys-
tem tag allows this property to be monitored from the client.

2. In Simulation mode, the item's memory map is based on client update rate(s) (Group Update Rate
for OPC clients or Scan Rate for native and DDE interfaces). This means that two clients that ref-
erence the same item with different update rates return different data.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 14

Simulation Mode is for test and simulation purposes only. It should never be used in a production envir-
onment.

Device Properties — Scan Mode

The Scan Mode specifies the subscribed-client requested scan rate for tags that require device com-
munications. Synchronous and asynchronous device reads and writes are processed as soon as possible;
unaffected by the Scan Mode properties.

Scan Mode: Specify how tags in the device are scanned for updates sent to subscribing clients. Descriptions
of the options are:

l Respect Client-Specified Scan Rate: This mode uses the scan rate requested by the client.
l Request Data No Faster than Scan Rate: This mode specifies the value set as the maximum scan
rate. The valid range is 10 to 99999990 milliseconds. The default is 1000 milliseconds.
Note: When the server has an active client and items for the device and the scan rate value is
increased, the changes take effect immediately. When the scan rate value is decreased, the changes
do not take effect until all client applications have been disconnected.
l Request All Data at Scan Rate: This mode forces tags to be scanned at the specified rate for sub-
scribed clients. The valid range is 10 to 99999990 milliseconds. The default is 1000 milliseconds.
l Do Not Scan, Demand Poll Only: This mode does not periodically poll tags that belong to the
device nor perform a read to get an item's initial value once it becomes active. It is the OPC client's
responsibility to poll for updates, either by writing to the _DemandPoll tag or by issuing explicit
device reads for individual items. For more information, refer to "Device Demand Poll" in server help.
l Respect Tag-Specified Scan Rate: This mode forces static tags to be scanned at the rate specified
in their static configuration tag properties. Dynamic tags are scanned at the client-specified scan
rate.

Initial Updates from Cache: When enabled, this option allows the server to provide the first updates for
newly activated tag references from stored (cached) data. Cache updates can only be provided when the
new item reference shares the same address, scan rate, data type, client access, and scaling properties. A
device read is used for the initial update for the first client reference only. The default is disabled; any time a
client activates a tag reference the server attempts to read the initial value from the device.

Device Properties — Timing

The device Timing properties allow the driver's response to error conditions to be tailored to fit the applic-
ation's needs. In many cases, the environment requires changes to these properties for optimum per-
formance. Factors such as electrically generated noise, modem delays, and poor physical connections can
influence how many errors or timeouts a communications driver encounters. Timing properties are specific
to each configured device.

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Communications Timeouts

Connect Timeout: This property (which is used primarily by Ethernet based drivers) controls the amount
of time required to establish a socket connection to a remote device. The device's connection time often
takes longer than normal communications requests to that same device. The valid range is 1 to 30 seconds.
The default is typically 3 seconds, but can vary depending on the driver's specific nature. If this setting is not
supported by the driver, it is disabled.
Note: Due to the nature of UDP connections, the connection timeout setting is not applicable when com-
municating via UDP.

Request Timeout: Specify an interval used by all drivers to determine how long the driver waits for a
response from the target device to complete. The valid range is 50 to 9999 milliseconds (167 minutes). The
default is usually 1000 milliseconds, but can vary depending on the driver. The default timeout for most
serial drivers is based on a baud rate of 9600 baud or better. When using a driver at lower baud rates,
increase the timeout to compensate for the increased time required to acquire data.

Attempts Before Timeout: Specify how many times the driver issues a communications request before
considering the request to have failed and the device to be in error. The valid range is 1 to 10. The default is
typically 3, but can vary depending on the driver's specific nature. The number of attempts configured for
an application depends largely on the communications environment. This property applies to both con-
nection attempts and request attempts.

Timing

Inter-Request Delay: Specify how long the driver waits before sending the next request to the target
device. It overrides the normal polling frequency of tags associated with the device, as well as one-time
reads and writes. This delay can be useful when dealing with devices with slow turnaround times and in
cases where network load is a concern. Configuring a delay for a device affects communications with all
other devices on the channel. It is recommended that users separate any device that requires an inter-
request delay to a separate channel if possible. Other communications properties (such as communication
serialization) can extend this delay. The valid range is 0 to 300,000 milliseconds; however, some drivers may
limit the maximum value due to a function of their particular design. The default is 0, which indicates no
delay between requests with the target device.
Note: Not all drivers support Inter-Request Delay. This setting does not appear if it is not available.

Device Properties — Auto-Demotion

The Auto-Demotion properties can temporarily place a device off-scan in the event that a device is not
responding. By placing a non-responsive device offline for a specific time period, the driver can continue to
optimize its communications with other devices on the same channel. After the time period has been
reached, the driver re-attempts to communicate with the non-responsive device. If the device is responsive,
the device is placed on-scan; otherwise, it restarts its off-scan time period.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 16

Demote on Failure: When enabled, the device is automatically taken off-scan until it is responding again.
Tip: Determine when a device is off-scan by monitoring its demoted state using the _AutoDemoted sys-
tem tag.

Timeouts to Demote: Specify how many successive cycles of request timeouts and retries occur before the
device is placed off-scan. The valid range is 1 to 30 successive failures. The default is 3.

Demotion Period: Indicate how long the device should be placed off-scan when the timeouts value is
reached. During this period, no read requests are sent to the device and all data associated with the read
requests are set to bad quality. When this period expires, the driver places the device on-scan and allows for
another attempt at communications. The valid range is 100 to 3600000 milliseconds. The default is 10000
milliseconds.

Discard Requests when Demoted: Select whether or not write requests should be attempted during the
off-scan period. Disable to always send write requests regardless of the demotion period. Enable to discard
writes; the server automatically fails any write request received from a client and does not post a message
to the Event Log.

Device Properties — Redundancy

Redundancy is available with the Media-Level Redundancy Plug-In.

Consult the website, a sales representative, or the user manual for more information.

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Data Types Description

Data Type Description

Boolean Single bit of a 16-bit value*
Byte Unsigned 8-bit value

bit 0 is the low bit

bit 7 is the high bit
Word Unsigned 16-bit value

bit 0 is the low bit

bit 15 is the high bit
Short Signed 16-bit value

bit 0 is the low bit

bit 14 is the high bit
bit 15 is the sign bit
DWord Unsigned 32-bit value

bit 0 is the low bit

bit 31 is the high bit
Long Signed 32-bit value

bit 0 is the low bit

bit 30 is the high bit
bit 31 is the sign bit
Float 32-bit floating point value

The driver interprets two consecutive registers as a floating-point value by making the
second register the high word and the first register the low word.
String Null-terminated ASCII string

*For more information, refer to Address Descriptions.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 18

Address Descriptions
Address specifications vary depending on the model in use. Select a link from the list below to obtain spe-
cific address information for the model of interest.

S7-200 Addressing
S7-200 PPM Addressing

S7-200 Addressing
The S7-200 addressing format is the same as the S7-200 PPM addressing format. The model selection in this
case determines whether the driver is using PPI protocol (normal S7-200 Mode) or PPM (S7-200 in Point to
Point Modem) mode. In both cases, the addressing is the same.

The default data types for dynamically defined tags are shown in bold.

Address Type Range Type Access

Discrete Inputs I00000-I65535 Byte Read/Write
I00000-I65534 Word, Short
I00000-I65532 DWord, Long, Float

I00000.bb-I65535.bb Byte
I00000.bb-I65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
I00000.bb-I65532.bb DWord, Long
Discrete Outputs Q00000-Q65535 Byte Read/Write
Q00000-Q65534 Word, Short
Q00000-Q65532 DWord, Long, Float

Q00000.bb-Q65535.bb Byte
Q00000.bb-Q65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
Q00000.bb-Q65532.bb DWord, Long
Internal Memory M00000-M65535 Byte, Read/Write
M00000-M65534 Word, Short
M00000-M65532 DWord, Long, Float

M00000.bb-M65535.bb Byte
M00000.bb-M65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
M00000.bb-M65532.bb DWord, Long
Special Memory SM00000-SM65535 Byte Read/Write
SM00000-SM65534 Word, Short
SM00000-SM65532 DWord, Long, Float

SM00000.bb- Byte SM0-SM29 are Read

SM65535.bb Boolean, Word, Short Only
SM00000.bb- DWord, Long
SM65534.bb
SM00000.bb-
SM65532.bb
Variable Memory V00000-V65535 Byte, Read/Write
V00000-V65534 Word, Short

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19 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Address Type Range Type Access

V00000-V65532 DWord, Long, Float,
String
V00000.bb-V65535.bb
V00000.bb-V65534.bb Byte
V00000.bb-V65532.bb Boolean, Word, Short
DWord, Long, String
Timer Current Values T00000-T65535 DWord, Long Read/Write
Timer Status Bits T00000-T65535 Boolean* Read Only
Counter Current Val- C00000-C65535 Word, Short Read/Write
ues
Counter Status Bits C00000-C65535 Boolean* Read Only
High Speed Counters HC00000-HC65535 DWord, Long Read Only
Analog Inputs AI00000-AI65534** Word, Short Read Only
Analog Outputs AQ00000-AQ65534** Word, Short Write Only

*For Timer and Counter status bits, dot bit notation is not used. The status bit for timer 7 would be T7
declared as Boolean.

**For Analog Inputs and Outputs, the address must be even (AI0, AI2, AI4...). Analog Outputs (AQ) are Write
Only: there is no method for reading the value of Analog Outputs from the device. Write-only data types of
this driver return the last value written when read if an initial write to device has completed. If an initial
write has not completed, the driver returns a value of 0 when read. This only applies while a client is con-
nected to the server.

The actual number of addresses of each type depends on the Siemens S7-200 device in use. Each type does
not necessarily support an address of 0 to 65535. For address ranges, refer to the device's documentation.

Optional Dot Bits

For Byte, Word, Short, DWord or Long data types, an optional .bb (dot bit) can be appended to the address
to reference a bit in a particular value. The valid ranges for the optional bit is 0-7 for Byte types; 0-15 for
Word, Short, and Boolean types; 0-31 for DWord and Long types; and 1-211 for String types. Float types do
not support bit operations. Boolean and String types require a bit number. The bit number for String types
specifies the number of characters in the string.

Dynamic addresses with bit numbers in the range of 0-7 default to Byte; 8-15 default to Word; 16-31
defaults to DWord. V Memory addresses with a bit number larger than 31 defaults to String. The following
diagram illustrates how the driver maps bits within the controller.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 20

Note: V30.10@bool, V30.2@byte, and V30.26@DWord all reference the same bit in the controller.

Arrays
Certain memory types (I, Q, M, SM, V, AI, and AQ) support an array operation. Boolean arrays are not
allowed at this time. To specify an array address, append [rows][cols] to the end of an address. If only [cols]
is specified, [rows] defaults to 1. With the array type, it is possible to read and write a block of 200 bytes at
one time.

The maximum array size for Word and Short types is 100, and for DWord, Long and Float types is 50. The
array size is determined by the multiplication of rows and cols.

Note: The maximum array size also depends on the maximum block size of the device being used.

Examples
1. To read and write an array of 10 Variable Memory Float values starting with V10, declare an address as fol-
lows: V10 [1][10]. Choose Float for the data type.

Note: This array reads and writes values to registers V10, V14, V18, V22 ... V46.

2. To read and write to bit 23 of Internal Memory Long M20, declare an address as follows: M20.23. Choose
Long for the data type.

Strings
The driver allows for variable length strings to be stored in Variable Memory locations. The bit number spe-
cifies the string length (1-211) in characters. String data that is sent to the device, but is smaller in length
than the string character count (bit number), is null terminated. String data that meets or exceeds the char-
acter length is truncated to the character count and sent to the device without a null terminator.

To read and write a string starting at V5 for a length of 10 characters, declare an address as follows: V5.10.
Choose string for the data type.

Notes:

1. V Memory locations V5-V14 would be used to store this 10 character string.

2. Not all devices support up to 211 character requests in a single transaction. To determine the max-
imum number of characters that can be requested in a transaction, consult the device's doc-
umentation. This value is the largest string the driver can Read/Write to and from the device.

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21 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Caution: When modifying Word, Short, DWord, Long and Float types remember that each address starts
at a byte offset within the device. Therefore, Words V0 and V1 overlap at byte 1. Writing to V0 modifies the
value held in V1. Similarly, DWord, Long, and Float types can also overlap. It is recommended that these
memory types be used so that overlapping does not occur. As an example, when using DWords, use V0, V4,
V8, and so on to prevent overlapping bytes.

S7-200 PPM Addressing

The S7-200 PPM addressing format is the same as the S7-200 addressing format. The model selection in this
case determines whether the driver is using PPI protocol (normal S7-200 Mode) or PPM (S7-200 in Point to
Point Modem) mode. In both cases, the addressing is the same. PPM mode is used when the target PLC is
connected via the EM241 Modem module or via the programming port running in 10-bit mode.

The default data types for dynamically defined tags are shown in bold.

Address Type Range Type Access

Discrete Inputs I00000-I65535 Byte Read/Write
I00000-I65534 Word, Short
I00000-I65532 DWord, Long, Float

I00000.bb-I65535.bb Byte
I00000.bb-I65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
I00000.bb-I65532.bb DWord, Long
Discrete Outputs Q00000-Q65535 Byte Read/Write
Q00000-Q65534 Word, Short
Q00000-Q65532 DWord, Long, Float

Q00000.bb-Q65535.bb Byte
Q00000.bb-Q65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
Q00000.bb-Q65532.bb DWord, Long
Internal Memory M00000-M65535 Byte Read/Write
M00000-M65534 Word, Short
M00000-M65532 DWord, Long, Float

M00000.bb-M65535.bb Byte
M00000.bb-M65534.bb Boolean, Word, Short
M00000.bb-M65532.bb DWord, Long
Special Memory SM00000-SM65535 Byte Read/Write
SM00000-SM65534 Word, Short
SM00000-SM65532 DWord, Long, Float

SM00000.bb- Byte SM0-SM29 are Read

SM65535.bb Boolean, Word, Short Only
SM00000.bb- DWord, Long
SM65534.bb
SM00000.bb-
SM65532.bb
Variable Memory V00000-V65535 Byte Read/Write
V00000-V65534 Word, Short
V00000-V65532 DWord, Long, Float,

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 22

Address Type Range Type Access

String
V00000.bb-V65535.bb
V00000.bb-V65534.bb Byte
V00000.bb-V65532.bb Boolean, Word, Short
DWord, Long, String
Timer Current Values T00000-T65535 DWord, Long Read/Write
Timer Status Bits T00000-T65535 Boolean* Read Only
Counter Current Val- C00000-C65535 Word, Short Read/Write
ues
Counter Status Bits C00000-C65535 Boolean* Read Only
High Speed Counters HC00000-HC65535 DWord, Long Read Only
Analog Inputs AI00000-AI65534*** Word, Short Read Only
Analog Outputs AQ00000-AQ65534*** Word, Short Write Only

*For Timer and Counter status bits, dot bit notation is not used. The status bit for timer 7 would be "T7"
declared as Boolean.

**For Analog Inputs and Outputs the address must be even (AI0, AI2, AI4...). Analog Outputs (AQ) are Write
Only: there is no method for reading the value of Analog Outputs from the device. Write Only types in this
driver returns the last value written when read if an initial write to device has completed. If an initial write
has not completed, the driver returns a value of 0 when read. This only applies while a client is connected to
the server.

The actual number of addresses of each type depends on the Siemens S7-200 device in use. Each type does
not necessarily support an address of 0 to 65535. For address ranges, refer to the device documentation.

Optional Dot Bits

For Byte, Word, Short, DWord, or Long data types, an optional .bb (dot bit) can be appended to the address
to reference a bit in a particular value. The valid ranges for the optional bit is 0-7 for Byte types; 0-15 for
Word, Short, and Boolean types; 0-31 for DWord and Long types; 1-211 for String types. Float types do not
support bit operations. Boolean and String types require a bit number. The bit number for String types spe-
cifies the number of characters in the string.

Dynamic addresses with bit numbers in the range of 0-7 defaults to Byte; 8-15 defaults to Word; 16-31
defaults to DWord. V Memory addresses with a bit number larger than 31 defaults to String. The following
diagram illustrates how the driver maps bits within the controller.

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23 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Note: V30.10@bool, V30.2@byte, and V30.26@DWord all reference the same bit in the controller.

Arrays
In addition to the address formats listed above, certain memory types (I, Q, M, SM, V, AI, AQ) support an
array operation. Boolean arrays are not allowed at this time. To specify an array address, append [rows][cols]
to the end of an address. If only [cols] is specified, [rows] defaults to 1. With the array type, it is possible to
read and write a block of 200 bytes at one time.

The maximum array size for Word and Short types is 100, and for DWord, Long and Float types is 50. The
array size is determined by the multiplication of rows and cols.

Note: The maximum array size also depends on the maximum block size of the device being used.

Examples
1. To read and write an array of 10 Variable Memory Float values starting with V10, declare an address as fol-
lows:
V10 [1][10]. Choose Float for the data type. This array reads and writes values to registers V10, V14, V18, V22
... V46.

2. To read and write to bit 23 of Internal Memory Long M20, declare an address as follows: M20.23. Choose
Long for the data type.

Strings
The driver allows for variable length strings to be stored in Variable Memory locations. The bit number spe-
cifies the string length (1-211) in characters. String data that is sent to the device, but is smaller in length
than the string character count (bit number) is null terminated. String data that meets or exceeds the char-
acter length is truncated to the character count and sent to the device without a null terminator.

To read and write a string starting at V5 for a length of 10 characters, declare an address as follows: V5.10.
Choose string for the data type.

Notes:

1. V Memory locations V5-V14 would be used to store this 10 -character string.

2. Not all devices support up to 211-character requests in a single transaction. To determine the max-
imum number of characters that can be requested in a transaction, refer to the device doc-
umentation. This value is the largest string the driver can Read / Write to and from the device.

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 24

When modifying Word, Short, DWord, Long and Float types remember that each address starts at a byte
offset within the device. Therefore, Words V0 and V1 overlap at byte 1. Writing to V0 modifies the value held
in V1. Similarly, DWord, Long, and Float types can also overlap. It is recommended that these memory types
be used so that overlapping does not occur. For example, when using DWords, use V0, V4, V8 ... and so on,
to prevent overlapping bytes.

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25 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Event Log Messages

The following information concerns messages posted to the Event Log pane in the main user interface. Con-
sult the OPC server help on filtering and sorting the Event Log detail view. Server help contains many com-
mon messages, so should also be searched. Generally, the type of message (informational, warning) and
troubleshooting information is provided whenever possible.

Block may have addresses out of range. | Block start address =

'<address>', Block size = <count> (bytes).
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
An attempt has been made to reference a block of memory that contains at least one non-existent location
in the specified device.

Possible Solution:
Verify that the tags assigned to addresses are within the specified range on the device and eliminate any
that reference invalid locations.

Error Mask Definitions

B = Hardware break detected

F = Framing error
E= I/O error
O = Character buffer overrun
R = RX buffer overrun
P = Received byte parity error
T = TX buffer full

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 26

Index

Address Descriptions 18
Analog Inputs 19, 22
Analog Outputs 19, 22
Arrays 20, 23
Attempts Before Timeout 15
Auto-Demotion 15
Auto-Dial 9

Baud Rate 8
Block may have addresses out of range. | Block start address = '<address>', Block size = <count>
(bytes). 25
Boolean 17
Byte 17

Channel-Level Settings 11
Channel Assignment 13
Channel Properties — Advanced 10
Channel Properties — Communication Serialization 11
Channel Properties — General 5
Channel Properties — Serial Communications 7
Channel Properties — Write Optimizations 9
Close Idle Connection 8-9
COM ID 8
COM Port 7
Communication Protocols 4
Communications Timeouts 14
Connect Timeout 9, 15
Connection Type 7
Counter Current Values 19, 22
Counter Status Bits 19, 22

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27 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Data Bits 8
Data Collection 13
Data Types Description 17
Demote on Failure 16
Demotion Period 16
Device Properties — Auto-Demotion 15
Device Properties — Redundancy 16
Device Properties — Timing 14
Diagnostics 5
Discard Requests when Demoted 16
Discrete Inputs 18, 21
Discrete Outputs 18, 21
Do Not Scan, Demand Poll Only 14
Dot Bits 19, 22
Driver 13
Drop 8
DTR 8
Duty Cycle 10
DWord 17

Error Mask Definitions 25

Ethernet Encap. 7
Ethernet Settings 8
Event Log Messages 25

Float 17
Flow Control 4, 8
Framing 25

Global Settings 11

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 28

Hardware 25
High Speed Counters 19, 22

I/O 25
ID 13
ID Format 13
Identification 5, 12
Idle Time to Close 8-9
Initial Updates from Cache 14
Inter-Device Delay 11
Internal Memory 18, 21

Load Balanced 12
Long 17

Model 13
Modem 7, 9
Modem Settings 9

Network 4
Network 1 - Network 500 11
Network Adapter 9
Network Mode 12
Non-Normalized Float Handling 10
None 7

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29 Siemens S7-200 Driver

OPC Client 3
Operation with no Communications 9
Operational Behavior 8
Optimization Method 9
Overrun 25
Overview 3

Parity 8, 25
Physical Medium 7
Point-to-Point (PPI) 4
Point-to-Point Modem (PPM) 4
Poll Delay 8
PPI programming cable 3
Priority 12

Raise 8
Read Processing 9
Redundancy 16
Replace with Zero 10
Report Communication Errors 8-9
Request Timeout 15
Respect Tag-Specified Scan Rate 14
RS-485 8
RS232 4
RS485 4
RTS 8
RX buffer overrun 25

S7-200 Addressing 18
S7-200 PPM Addressing 21

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Siemens S7-200 Driver 30

Scan Mode 14
Serial Communications 7
Serial Port Settings 7
Setup 4
Shared 7
Short 17
Siemens Client ID 12
Siemens S7-200 device 3
Signed 17
Simulated 13
Special Memory 18, 21
Stop Bits 8
String 17
Strings 20, 23
Supported Cables 4
Supported Communication Parameters 4
Supported Devices 4

Tag Counts 5
Timeouts to Demote 16
Timer Current Values 19, 22
Timer Status Bits 19, 22
Timing 14
Transactions per Cycle 11
TX buffer 25

Unmodified 10
Unsigned 17

Variable Memory 18, 21

Virtual Network 11

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31 Siemens S7-200 Driver

Word 17
Write All Values for All Tags 10
Write Only Latest Value for All Tags 10
Write Only Latest Value for Non-Boolean Tags 10

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