Siemens TIA Portal lift control

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and PLC beginner.

I have a labb due soon which includes controlling a 4-level lift. I have never worked with PLC prior to this project as I was thrown into this whole programming world. We are not supposed to use the ladder-style, but Function Blocks. Is there anyone who can give me a push, some advice as where to start, or send me any helpful links? (Skype, whatsapp, message or just answer this thread). I would be very thankful.


The assignment is to:

A controlling module is required to control an elevator (lift) of a multi-storied building;in this case the building has four floors. A PLC can be used to control this elevator. Tomove between four floors, the controlling module should respond to request frompush buttons located at each floor and within the elevator car see Figure02.Note thatthe push button gives logic 1 when it is pressed, and return logic 0 when it is released.
Location sensors (as shown in Figure03) are located on each floor to indicate and alertthe presence of the elevator car. You should provide the logic required to move elevator between different floors according to the following constraints.
 Each floor has a push button that requests Elevator to come to this floor.
 In the case of no request the elevator should remain at its current floor location for 15 seconds and then move back to ground Floor.
 The current floor position should be indicated within elevator.
 Floor number should be indicated on a Seven Segment LED display if the
elevator is passing by or at any floor.

Hello Melankolich,


How much on the assignment have you done so far?

This shouldn't really be the first program you try to make. What I would do if I were in your situation:

1) Google basic PLC programs such as start stop of a motor and so on and how ladder logic works. I'm assuming by function block you mean FBD, but I think most tutorials will be in ladder but you can convert ladder programs into FBD in the program.

2) Check youtube on how to use the Tia portal software and try and make the simple start stop of a motor to work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDcI0MDEJvA&list=PL4es19V63uQbr6EuXSvOYilsVUrOfTHZ_

3) Make a list of all inputs and outputs and name them in TIA.

4) Make a flowchart on how the elevator should work. Don't write a single network of code until the flowchart is finished. While you are doing this you can name the bits you will use to keep track of things like if the elevator is going up or down.

5) Translate the flowchart into code.


Because you have more than 2 floors, you should think of the program as lots floors, what I mean is the following:

Use a word or double word with bits in it, each bit will indicate if a floor has been requested or not.

A lift will go all the way up to the highest requested floor then all the way down stopping on each floor if it was requested.
So you need bits to indicate if you are going up or down. Once you get the highest requested floor, you set the bit for going up to 0. What you do not want to do is make the program work for 2 floors, try and expand it for 3 floors then expand it again for 4 floors, the code will be a lot harder to make and a lot longer that way.

Diameter157 said:

This shouldn't really be the first program you try to make. What I would do if I were in your situation:

1) Google basic PLC programs such as start stop of a motor and so on and how ladder logic works. I'm assuming by function block you mean FBD, but I think most tutorials will be in ladder but you can convert ladder programs into FBD in the program.

2) Check youtube on how to use the Tia portal software and try and make the simple start stop of a motor to work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDcI0MDEJvA&list=PL4es19V63uQbr6EuXSvOYilsVUrOfTHZ_

3) Make a list of all inputs and outputs and name them in TIA.

4) Make a flowchart on how the elevator should work. Don't write a single network of code until the flowchart is finished. While you are doing this you can name the bits you will use to keep track of things like if the elevator is going up or down.

5) Translate the flowchart into code.


Because you have more than 2 floors, you should think of the program as lots floors, what I mean is the following:

Use a word or double word with bits in it, each bit will indicate if a floor has been requested or not.

A lift will go all the way up to the highest requested floor then all the way down stopping on each floor if it was requested.
So you need bits to indicate if you are going up or down. Once you get the highest requested floor, you set the bit for going up to 0. What you do not want to do is make the program work for 2 floors, try and expand it for 3 floors then expand it again for 4 floors, the code will be a lot harder to make and a lot longer that way.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your reply! The issue is that I do not even know what a flow chart (in PLC) is, how and why to use memory bits and how to make function blocks, timers and word logic. I know absolutley nothing and since it is due to present next monday, I feel the panick growing from within. That is also why I would like to Skype/whatsapp/fb with anyone personally. I usually never give out my info, but I am a lady in need. Haha

VictorBit said:

Hello Melankolich,


How much on the assignment have you done so far?

Click to expand...

Hi Victor!

Nothing at all. I do not even know where to start.

Melankolich said:

Thank you very much for your reply! The issue is that I do not even know what a flow chart (in PLC) is, how and why to use memory bits and how to make function blocks, timers and word logic. I know absolutley nothing and since it is due to present next monday, I feel the panick growing from within. That is also why I would like to Skype/whatsapp/fb with anyone personally. I usually never give out my info, but I am a lady in need. Haha

Click to expand...

We did get a TAG table with fixed inputs and outputs, but we must add our own timers, word and memory bits-functions.

Welcome to the forum! The people here are helpful, but won't do your assignment for you - and if you really want useful help, you'll have to show willingness to put in the effort.

If I were in your position, I'd start on youtube as Diameter157 suggested and follow along with some tutorials. That should give you a basic idea of how things fit together, and at that point you'll most likely be able to get started. No doubt you'll need further help - and if you post your work so far and explain where you're getting stuck, the members here will almost certainly point you in the right direction and help you troubleshoot.

Just remember, we get posts here every day from people wanting someone to teach them how to program a PLC or do their homework for them for free - they usually get either ignored or drowned in sarcastic replies. You need to set yourself out of that crowd by showing some initiative and some work ethic if you don't want to suffer the same fate

Good luck!

ASF said:

Welcome to the forum! The people here are helpful, but won't do your assignment for you - and if you really want useful help, you'll have to show willingness to put in the effort.

If I were in your position, I'd start on youtube as Diameter157 suggested and follow along with some tutorials. That should give you a basic idea of how things fit together, and at that point you'll most likely be able to get started. No doubt you'll need further help - and if you post your work so far and explain where you're getting stuck, the members here will almost certainly point you in the right direction and help you troubleshoot.

Just remember, we get posts here every day from people wanting someone to teach them how to program a PLC or do their homework for them for free - they usually get either ignored or drowned in sarcastic replies. You need to set yourself out of that crowd by showing some initiative and some work ethic if you don't want to suffer the same fate

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Hi and thank you for your reply.
Naturally I would need to know what I am doing and do it myself. Even if I wish someone would do it for mefor free, I need to present my project orally (15 mins) and I will not be able to pass if someone did the work for me. However, I do not want to "waste" any time going though tutorials that might be too general for me to relate/impliment in my project. I need a push as to where to start. I will watch the tutorials and try to apply my newly found knowledge on my project, but I am afraid Inwill getbstuck several times. Thank you for your suggestions

Trust me, if you have never worked with PLCs before and this is your first project, it will not be a waste of time to try to program a simple start/stop first.

Watch a few of the youtube tutorials I posted and try to make a button turn on output 1 and make another button turn off output 1.

You need to make sure you know how to use the software first before you can start on your project.

When I say flowchart I mean just a sketch on paper as to how the program works, something like this example

No doubt you will get stuck plenty of times! But that's OK - if you can show us what you've done so far, and what specific thing you're stuck on, we'll happily help! Generally you'll get best results with a post like:

"Here's my code so far (post screenshot) - the lift goes up to level 4 when I press the button but then goes straight back to level 1 instead of opening the doors. I think it might have something to do with rung ABC but I'm not sure. Can anyone see why it might be doing that?"

It shows that you've got started and know what you want to achieve, and are just looking to solve a specific logic issue.

Diameter157 said:

Trust me, if you have never worked with PLCs before and this is your first project, it will not be a waste of time to try to program a simple start/stop first.

Watch a few of the youtube tutorials I posted and try to make a button turn on output 1 and make another button turn off output 1.

You need to make sure you know how to use the software first before you can start on your project.

When I say flowchart I mean just a sketch on paper as to how the program works, something like this example

Click to expand...

I trust your advice I'll watch the tutorials and try to master the push-botton logic, FBD and timers/counters etc. Thank you once again.

ASF said:

No doubt you will get stuck plenty of times! But that's OK - if you can show us what you've done so far, and what specific thing you're stuck on, we'll happily help! Generally you'll get best results with a post like:

"Here's my code so far (post screenshot) - the lift goes up to level 4 when I press the button but then goes straight back to level 1 instead of opening the doors. I think it might have something to do with rung ABC but I'm not sure. Can anyone see why it might be doing that?"

It shows that you've got started and know what you want to achieve, and are just looking to solve a specific logic issue.

Click to expand...

I will watch and try to understand the tutorials but I will also trust that you will be following this thread

ASF said:

No doubt you will get stuck plenty of times! But that's OK - if you can show us what you've done so far, and what specific thing you're stuck on, we'll happily help! Generally you'll get best results with a post like:

"Here's my code so far (post screenshot) - the lift goes up to level 4 when I press the button but then goes straight back to level 1 instead of opening the doors. I think it might have something to do with rung ABC but I'm not sure. Can anyone see why it might be doing that?"

It shows that you've got started and know what you want to achieve, and are just looking to solve a specific logic issue.

Click to expand...

Hi everyone,

So I got the hang of TIA Portal except for one thing, I CAN´T OPEN ANYTHING :S
Everytime I try to open a project I have mailed to myself or from somebody else, I get a message saying the file is damaged and can not be opened. Why does this happen? How can I force it to open? I got some files from friends but non of them ever open.
Please help.

Have you tried downloading a project from the Siemens site?
Done a virus scan on your pc?
Can you create new projects and save them, then reopen them?
What version of TIA do you have and what windows version?
Do you have another pc available with windows 7 on it that you can install TIA on?

Use Project -> Archive to create a .zap13 file, and email this file to yourself. Use Project -> Retrieve to extract it back into a project.