AI toolkit for OT engineering: WinCC V7, TIA Portal, Ignition, PLCSIM

Updated: 24 October 2026 · SIM Solutions

Short answer

SIM Solutions has built its own Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectors for four engineering tools: a read-only reader for Siemens WinCC V7 projects, a connector for TIA Portal V16 to V20, a connector for S7-PLCSIM Advanced and a connector for Ignition gateways and exported Ignition projects. Together they let an AI model scan a legacy SCADA, explain and generate PLC code, test it in simulation and draft Ignition screens. Production systems stay read-only and an engineer reviews and approves every change.

The four connectors

Connector	What the AI can do with it	Typical use
WinCC V7 project reader	Open a WinCC V7 project read-only; list tags, tag groups, structure types and connections; read alarm configuration, Tag Logging archives, users and the text library; list pictures and render their layout; read scripts; find where a tag is used; check broken references; export a migration bundle	Scan before a migration; documentation of an undocumented system
TIA Portal connector (V16 to V20)	Open projects; read blocks, interfaces, data types, tag tables, hardware, networks and topology; export and import blocks as sources; generate blocks from SCL sources; compile hardware and software; show cross-references; compare offline and online; read drive and safety information	Explain old code; generate code to your standard; S7-300 to S7-1500 preparation
S7-PLCSIM Advanced connector	Create and start simulated controllers; read and write tags; sample signals over time; run step-by-step test cases against a simple process model	Test AI-generated or changed logic before it reaches a real controller
Ignition connector	Read gateway status, logs and modules; browse and read tags; create UDT definitions and tags; create, update and validate Perspective views and styles; named queries; alarm status and journal; history queries; project export and backup; analyse exported projects offline	Draft Ignition screens and UDTs in a migration; review an existing Ignition project

How a WinCC V7 to Ignition migration runs with these tools

Scan. The WinCC V7 reader inventories tags, pictures, alarms, archives and scripts, and lists where each tag is used. Nothing in the WinCC system changes.
Map. The AI drafts the mapping from WinCC structure types and tags to Ignition UDTs. An engineer corrects and approves it.
Build. The Ignition connector creates the UDTs and drafts Perspective views on a development gateway, bound to those UDTs.
Test. Logic changes in the PLC are tested in S7-PLCSIM Advanced; screens are tested against simulation or the real controllers in read-only mode.
Cut over. A planned switch with WinCC kept as a fallback. See the full WinCC to Ignition guide.

Safety rules built into the toolkit

Read-only on production systems. Write actions run only on development gateways, offline projects and simulated controllers.
No downloads to real controllers by the AI. That stays a manual step for your engineer.
Every tool call is logged, so you can see what the AI read and what it changed.
An engineer reviews every block, binding and script, and code is compiled and tested in simulation before use.
Safety programs (F-blocks) are out of scope for AI generation.

These rules follow the joint guidance on AI in OT published on 3 December 2025 by CISA, NSA, FBI, BSI, NCSC-NL and partners. See Secure AI in OT.

Which AI models

The connectors use the Model Context Protocol, an open standard introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 and now supported by many AI clients. We run them with enterprise models, for example from Anthropic and OpenAI, and with local models where data may not leave the site. For other systems we build new connectors the same way when a project needs them. See how to connect AI to PLC and SCADA data.

Want to see it? Watch the one-minute demos of the Operator, Maintenance and Engineering Assistants.

Questions we get

Is this a product we can buy?

We use the toolkit in our own engineering and migration projects. Contact us at info@simsolutions.be to discuss what it can do for your project.

Does the AI connect to our live PLCs?

Not for writing. On production systems the connectors are read-only. Changes are made in offline projects, on development gateways or in S7-PLCSIM Advanced, and downloads to real controllers stay a manual step.

Which versions are supported?

TIA Portal V16 to V20, S7-PLCSIM Advanced, WinCC V7 project files and Ignition gateways. Ask us about other versions.

Can it convert WinCC screens to Ignition automatically?

It drafts Ignition views from the WinCC pictures and the tag mapping. An engineer checks and finishes every screen; a migration is re-engineering, not a file conversion.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to tools and data. Each connector exposes a short list of defined, logged actions instead of broad access.

Sources

Anthropic: Introducing the Model Context Protocol (25 Nov 2024)
NSA: NSA, CISA, and others release guidance on integrating AI in operational technology (3 Dec 2025)

Our AI toolkit for PLC and SCADA engineering