Simatic Step 7 Safety Advanced v11 is now part of Siemens TIA Portal software.
Released in late 2010, Siemens TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) Portal is designed for the development and commissioning of automation systems with one piece of software rather than the several typically needed to accommodate the various devices in a given automated production system. In its initial roll-out phase, TIA Portal was capable of enabling all of Siemens programmable controllers, HMI operator panels and drives to be configured in the same development environment.
As part of the announcement surrounding TIA Portal's release, Siemens pointed out that regular additions would be made to TIA Portal to increase its viability as a wide-ranging tool for automation system development. (You can read Automation World's coverage of the announcement at http://www.automationworld.com/news-7958.) The company has followed through on this promise with the addition of Simatic Step 7 Safety Advanced v11 to the TIA Portal. This addition provides access to configuration and programming tools required for generating a fail-safe program within TIA Portal. Behind this capability is TIA Portal's library of TUV-certified function blocks for the implantation of safety functions into automation system procedures.
Fail-safe systems developed in the Safety Advanced feature have the same configuration as those developed in Siemens' standard automation system. The "Ready-to-Start" function of the Safety Advanced feature means that the fail-safe runtime group is set-up automatically on insertion of the fail-safe controller.
The program's Safety Administration Editor provides central support for the administration, display and modification of safety-related parameters, while also standardizing the identification of safety-related resources. Error detection functions and safety checks when generating the safety program are also supported, as is the comparison of safety programs.
