Siemens announces controllers supporting MTP standard

Siemens has launched both a new software version and new hardware components for its Simatic PCS neo web-based process control system at the SPS 2022 exhibition in Nuremburg this month.

With version 4.0, Siemens says the Simatic PCS neo is now ready for plant capacities and large-scale projects of up to 64,000 process objects and 56 controllers — making it suitable for industrial plants of all sizes.

“Whether individual process modules or world-scale plants, Simatic PCS neo is the control system of the future for the process industry,” said Dr Hartmut Klocker, Vice President Automation and Engineering Systems at Siemens Process Automation. “As the world’s first and only completely web-based system, the process control system enables location-independent teamwork — whether from the home office or the office, on mobile devices or desktop computers. This is a real milestone.”

In version 4.0, Simatic PCS neo supports all parts of the MTP (Module Type Package) standard defined and released jointly by NAMUR and ZVEI. Plant modules can thus be integrated even more easily into the process control system and can be described, configured and automated independently of the manufacturer. In addition, version 4.0 offers workflow improvements that further reduce the engineering effort, according to the company.

“With Simatic PCS neo, plant operators are also pioneers in the MTP standard. Process plants can thus be controlled even more efficiently than before,” said Klocker.

New controller

The company also announced a new generation of Simatic S7 controllers. The first release of the Simatic S7-4100 will be available exclusively for Simatic PCS neo. Compared to the current model, which will continue to be available in the long term, the new controller is 30% smaller and thus saves space in the control cabinet. In addition, Simatic S7-4100 offers extended communication options with up to six Profinet or Profibus interfaces. The use of the latest Siemens chipsets reduces the energy consumption of these controllers by up to 50%. The company says the S7-4100 controller is also more robust and can operate at ambient temperatures of -25 to +70°C with no fan. No batteries are required to buffer the system data in the event of a power failure.

New communication gateway

In addition to Simatic PCS neo V4.0, Siemens is also introducing the fully integrated Simatic CN 4100 communication gateway, which enables simple and secure process data exchange with Simatic PCS neo both at the control level and in parallel at the visualisation level. It plays the role of a data switch, which makes it possible to configure data from the plant only once and then feed it to the controller, the process control system, or both at the same time. Supported protocols include Modbus TCP and OPC UA, and more protocols are planned.