Web access options in WinCC for clients

[aamirawan91]

I am working on a project where I need to create a visualization screen (HMI Panel or PC) using wincc tia portal v16. It will be connected to the LAN in my company. Any computer in my company connected to this network should be able to access the runtime to view the screens using chrome or firefox web browser by typing the ip address in the browser's address bar. I have the following hardware and software for visualization purpose:

1. TP700 Comfort Panel

2. TIA Portal v16 with WinCC basic/comfort/advanced/Unified

I've done some research and figured out the following options:

1. Create and download the project in TP700 comfort panel, enable and use its smart server to access it. But I think chrome and firefox cannot be used for this purpose

2. Do the same as above but use smartclient.exe but this way I will have to install sm@rtclient in each and every computer in the plant that needs to access the HMI. Can be done but not feasible.

3. Create a WinCC Unified PC project on a computer instead of using an HMI panel. I think with this option anyone would be able to easily access the runtime screens using chrome or firefox.

Option no. 3 seems to be the most feasible to me but I won't be able to use an HMI panel and will have to install TIA Portal v16 in one PC at least which will be used a server at the plant.

Please review my options and tell me if there is any other way or do i have any other options or am i right about all these solutions considering the hardware and software i have available.

One more question. Do the server (PC or HMI) and the clients that want to access it should be in the same subnet/network? Does this mean it cannot be accessed remotely via WAN?

 

[mk42]

1. Create and download the project in TP700 comfort panel, enable and use its smart server to access it. But I think chrome and firefox cannot be used for this purpose

2. Do the same as above but use smartclient.exe but this way I will have to install sm@rtclient in each and every computer in the plant that needs to access the HMI. Can be done but not feasible.

3. Create a WinCC Unified PC project on a computer instead of using an HMI panel. I think with this option anyone would be able to easily access the runtime screens using chrome or firefox.

One more question. Do the server (PC or HMI) and the clients that want to access it should be in the same subnet/network? Does this mean it cannot be accessed remotely via WAN?

Options 1 & 2 could be work, but would be clunky. They only mirror the screens out on the physical device; you're literally directly screen sharing. That means if multiple people are remoted in, they all see the same thing, and only one can be clicking at a time. And they fight the operator, if there HMI isn't a dedicated device for remoting.

Smartclient can be either an activeX control in IE (depreciated option) or via a dedicated app. Note that it doesn't HAVE to be Sm@rtclient app from Siemens, it can be any VNC client, as long as it supports the specific settings that the panels use.

Option 3 is probably the most feasible, I agree, BUT:

• Unified V16 is pretty rough. V16 was the first release, treat it like a V1. The current is Unified V19, and it's gotten way better. Definitely recommend upgrading, if you're going the unified route. For PLC/Comfort HMI, V16 is just fine.
• You need a runtime license for the PC based HMI, based on the tag count.
• It comes with one remote client for free, but if you want more than one person to access it at a time, you need more licenses.

For the bonus question, no, none of these options need to be on the same subnet, as long as the standard networking options are present (routers/NAT/VPN/etc).

 

[aamirawan91]

Options 1 & 2 could be work, but would be clunky. They only mirror the screens out on the physical device; you're literally directly screen sharing. That means if multiple people are remoted in, they all see the same thing, and only one can be clicking at a time. And they fight the operator, if there HMI isn't a dedicated device for remoting.

Smartclient can be either an activeX control in IE (depreciated option) or via a dedicated app. Note that it doesn't HAVE to be Sm@rtclient app from Siemens, it can be any VNC client, as long as it supports the specific settings that the panels use.

Option 3 is probably the most feasible, I agree, BUT:

• Unified V16 is pretty rough. V16 was the first release, treat it like a V1. The current is Unified V19, and it's gotten way better. Definitely recommend upgrading, if you're going the unified route. For PLC/Comfort HMI, V16 is just fine.
• You need a runtime license for the PC based HMI, based on the tag count.
• It comes with one remote client for free, but if you want more than one person to access it at a time, you need more licenses.

For the bonus question, no, none of these options need to be on the same subnet, as long as the standard networking options are present (routers/NAT/VPN/etc).

Thanks MK42

I love siemens but I find that tasks like remote access can be quite complex with their systems.

 

[mk42]

Thanks MK42

I love siemens but I find that tasks like remote access can be quite complex with their systems.

For the older stuff, yeah. It's old tech, when remote access wasn't really a thing, and Sm@rtaccess was actually pretty forward thinking.



For the new Unified system is really easy to do remotely, everything is an HTML page. It's just that it costs money for either a Unified panel or a PC based runtime.