WinCC: Even basic objects don't work

Current state of configuration: PC is connected through PC adapter v5.1 to S7 CPU-400. Program is made with SIMATIC Manager and is working properly.

Project: I created new single project with WinCC v7.0 SP3 and added some binary tags under MPI (which is configured to PC adapter(MPI)).
Then I opened up Graphics Designer, created circle, under Colors right clicked on Background color, Dynamic dialog, selected one of tags for expression, selected Boolean Data Type, replaced colors for ON and OFF state.

Problem: when I click on runtime mode, circle simply won't change it's color, but instead stay gray. I've tried to change several other settings, but without any luck. It simply doesn't work and I have no idea why. Did I miss something? Where's the trick?

How do you know that there is even a connection between the PC and the PLC ?
How have you setup the connection between WinCC and the S7-400 CPU ?
I think you have probably made a basic error in the conenction setup.

NB. I dont have any experience with WinCC v7.

NB: You ought to delete the duplicate thread you have made !

S7-CPU 400 is connected to external process and I can monitor everything with SIMATIC manager, so connection in that way works. I'm not sure why WinCC doesn't.

Sorry for double thread, it was unintentional.

You have to make a connection setup in WinCC. It has nothing to do with that STEP7 can connect, apart from that MAYBE they both use the S7ONLINE access point.

Here are channel diagnosis screenshots, it looks fine to me, what do you think? I'm really out of ideas.

If the circle is grey, means that the connection between wincc and S7-400 isn't working.

At the top of WinCC explorer> PLC> status of driver communications
What do you see?

Somewhere, you should see the connection details such as Connection type (S7ONLINE ?), MPI address, Rack and Slot.
Or, these details are specified automatically because the WinCC project is integrated with a STEP7 project.

Under Effects for your circle,
make sure "Global Color Scheme" = No.
If set to yes then nothing else in the settings will change the color.

I have the same problem

Hi guys
I have the same problem and my connection does not OK. (my external tags in SIMATIC S7 PROTOCOL SUITE don't communicate)
I don't know why... but only for one time I succeeded to get a good result and my program worked properly and connections were OK! but after that I couldn't!
please tell me what should I do?
thanks in advanced

Greg Fowlds said:

Under Effects for your circle,
make sure "Global Color Scheme" = No.
If set to yes then nothing else in the settings will change the color.

Click to expand...

That worked, thanks!