Beginning to get impatient.

Is it just me, or am I the only one that is sitting on needles, waiting for Siemens SUS packages to dump into my mailbox (the REAL one !).

I mean SP4 for STEP7 v5.4 must be on its way any minute now. Oooh man, I cannot wait to lay may hands on the new IM151-8, which can be ordered fine, but not programmed, because the current STEP7 dont want to know it. Somehow I think that SP4 should have been released together with IM151-8, but something unexpected must have come up.

And WinCC Flexible 2008 must also be in the wings, as it has been announced for a long time now, last deadline I remember was "june". I sure hope that some genuine improvements will happen this time. With these delays it has got to be big.

And what about the previous threads about a new generation on the way with someone claiming that "big things are on the way" ? Wistful thinking, or someone really in the know, eh ?

Maybe someone has heard some juicy rumours, like what new there is in 2008, or that they are shipping already, or .. ?

If the biggest improvement is going to be "Now Vista compatible, tadaa", man am I gonna be p....d.

And what about the previous threads about a new generation on the way with someone claiming that "big things are on the way" ? Wistful thinking, or someone really in the know, eh ?

Click to expand...

Maybe we can all ask Siemens and see how many different answers we get.

wasn't the SP3.1 supposed to make it Vista compatible?

JesperMP said:

Is it just me, or am I the only one that is sitting on needles, waiting for Siemens SUS packages to dump into my mailbox (the REAL one !).

I mean SP4 for STEP7 v5.4 must be on its way any minute now. Oooh man, I cannot wait to lay may hands on the new IM151-8, which can be ordered fine, but not programmed, because the current STEP7 dont want to know it. Somehow I think that SP4 should have been released together with IM151-8, but something unexpected must have come up.

And WinCC Flexible 2008 must also be in the wings, as it has been announced for a long time now, last deadline I remember was "june". I sure hope that some genuine improvements will happen this time. With these delays it has got to be big.

And what about the previous threads about a new generation on the way with someone claiming that "big things are on the way" ? Wistful thinking, or someone really in the know, eh ?

Maybe someone has heard some juicy rumours, like what new there is in 2008, or that they are shipping already, or .. ?

If the biggest improvement is going to be "Now Vista compatible, tadaa", man am I gonna be p....d.

Click to expand...

No, it's just you. I recomend more less "waiting for Siemens" .

STEP7 v5.4 SP4 just landed in my inbox.
I think they are watching us.

Hmmm, mailed the 15th......yeah, timing's about right.
I guess they are watching........

And got it installed yet? Any new bells and whistles?

I cannot see any revolutions.
For me the most important is the new IM151-8.

I have copied this from the "whats new" section:

Operating system
Important changes have been made to the MS Windows Vista safety concept in STEP 7 V5.4 SP4. This concept is used in case of a new installation (STEP 7 has never been installed on this computer. In this case, most settings, such as the STEP 7 language and mnemonic method are user-defined. This means users can make settings using a PC and their login information. An exception is the setting of the configuration language for the PG/PC interface.

In the Read-me file it says this about required OS (notice that Windows Vista Home versions are not approved but also not blocked):

STEP 7 V5.4 including SP4 is a 32-bit application whose functionality has been approved and released for the following operating systems:



· MS Windows XP Professional SP3

· MS Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Edition with or without R2 as workstation computer

· MS Windows Vista 32 Bit Ultimate and Business with / without SP1



STEP 7 has not been tested for the following operating systems; use at your own risk:

· MS Windows 2000 SP4

· MS Windows XP Professional with SP1

· MS Windows 2003, SP1, SP1 R2

· MS Windows XP Home

· MS Windows Vista Home Basic, Premium



STEP 7 V5.4 including SP4 cannot be installed or operated under:

· MS Windows 3.1

· MS Windows for Workgroups 3.11

· MS Windows 95

· MS Windows 98

· MS Windows Millennium

· MS Windows NT 4.0

· MS Windows XP Professional (without SP)

· MS Windows Vista 64 Bit versions

MS Windows 2000, SP1, SP2, SP3


SIMATIC Manager
As of V5.4 SP4, the archiving program PKZip V12.0 CLI that ships with STEP 7 is the default program for archiving and retrieving projects and libraries. In MS Windows Vista, the ARJ.exe previously included on the CD is no longer installed since it is unsuitable for this operating system. PKZip V12.0 CLI supports the ZIP format used as default by STEP 7 and can, to some extent, also open other archive formats such as ARJ. If your previous archive format(for example -jar) is not available in MS Windows Vista or is not supported by PKZip, please retrieve your projects on your previous platform and then archive them again with PKZip V4.0 CLI in zip format.
As of V5.4 SP4 access rights for projects/libraries are displayed with a new icon

Configuring and Diagnosing Hardware
As of V5.4 SP4, the standard search procedure of the PROFINET topology editor for topology discovery has been expanded. This allows, among other things, PCs with installed STEP 7 software to be recognized although they are not configured as PC stations.
As of V5.4 SP4, new PROFINET functionalities are available: Prioritized startup (see Tips for Achieving the Fastest Startup Times), alternating partner port (see Configuring Docking Systems), Device Replacement without Exchangeable Medium

Standard Libraries
As of V5.4 SP4, there is a new block library "Redundant IO CGP V5.0". in addition to the previous redundancy libraries "Redundant IO (V1)" and "Redundant IO CGP". This supports redundancy for individual channel groups and can be operated with all previous signal modules that can be operated redundantly. If you want to replace one of the libraries "Redundant IO (V1)" or "Redundant IO CGP" with the "Redundant IO CGP V5.0" library, you will first need to adapt your user program. You will find more information in the Help on Blocks context help or in the STEP 7 readme. There is an up-to-date list of the supported modules as an FAQ at http://support.automation.siemens.com/.

Report System Error
As of V5.4 SP4, a data block (DB 127) is supported for the CPU Web server.
As of V5.4 SP4, you can specify how a CPU handles messages in a separate tab.
As of V5.4 SP4, you can define placeholders in error texts that are then evaluated during runtime and replaced by suitable associated values in the message.

And now WinCC Flex 2008 !

2008 has just been released with new order numbers etcetera. You can see it on the mall. This means that we shall begin to recieve the SUS packages in the next 1-2 weeks.

This is the new stuff in 2008:

• Password entry. No of failed entries before user gets blocked is adjustable. So you can crank it up from 3 to 99 to make it far less prone to blocking.
• Text labels on buttons and in lists can have a tag assigned (same as in alarm messages). For example, you can have a button display "Start motor no. 5 !" where the "5" is dynamically assigned.
• In the alarm message editing dialog you can directly see the relevant PLC address, like in Protool.
• New panels. TP177B-4, MP177-6 Touch. Complete new "basic line" KTP400 Basic Mono PN ... TP1500 Basic PN.
• VISTA support.
• New PC RT 4096 tags license.
• Import/export of tags, messages, connections via CSV files.
• Routing via ethernet. Now you can do ethernet-MPI/DP and MPI/DP-Ethernet.

Also significant:

• Absolutely NO mentioning of WinCC migration !

2008 has just been released with new order numbers etcetera. You can see it on the mall. This means that we shall begin to recieve the SUS packages in the next 1-2 weeks.

Click to expand...

Great. 2007 was so much better than 2005. If 2008 is that much better than 2007 we should be pleased.

I was also waiting to program the im151-8. we change a full project to use the nice stuff, download all the patches and gds, and... no im151-8!!!

Thanks for let me know that the sp4 is already here!!!

one moment bitte! where is it?
i can't find it to download from siemens...

SP4 and 2008 are not yet available as downloads. Siemens typically do that some time after shipping the SUS disks. I dont know how long time after that normally is. Maybe it is a way to nudge people towards bying SUS contracts.
I have my SUS for SP4, and expect 2008 to come within a week.

edit: And of course 2008 wont become available as a download. It is a full step up in revision number, not an SP or HF.
Doh !

I'll be interested to see the new WinCC flexible 2008. I really, really want this product to grow to the point where it is feasible replacement for the projects we must currently use the deeply horrible WinCC 6x for. I have to use the latter at work coming from a WinCC flexible 2007 background and I hate everything about it as a SCADA package. This sounds closer and closer to what is needed. Maybe I should do a point for point comparison sometime soon and see where it stands...

JesperMP said:

2008 has just been released with new order numbers etcetera. You can see it on the mall. This means that we shall begin to recieve the SUS packages in the next 1-2 weeks.

This is the new stuff in 2008:

• Password entry. No of failed entries before user gets blocked is adjustable. So you can crank it up from 3 to 99 to make it far less prone to blocking.
• Text labels on buttons and in lists can have a tag assigned (same as in alarm messages). For example, you can have a button display "Start motor no. 5 !" where the "5" is dynamically assigned.
• In the alarm message editing dialog you can directly see the relevant PLC address, like in Protool.
• New panels. TP177B-4, MP177-6 Touch. Complete new "basic line" KTP400 Basic Mono PN ... TP1500 Basic PN.
• VISTA support.
• New PC RT 4096 tags license.
• Import/export of tags, messages, connections via CSV files.
• Routing via ethernet. Now you can do ethernet-MPI/DP and MPI/DP-Ethernet.

Also significant:

• Absolutely NO mentioning of WinCC migration !

Click to expand...

It's about time.
The password thingy is a ncie change.
The dynamic text labels will be awesome. If they are what I think they are.
PLC-adress in alarms is 4 years over due.

Can't wait to get this one......