It is possible to connect to a simulated Siemens PLC over TCP/IP when using PLCSIM Advanced. This short guide explains how to setup and connect to a simulated PLC using the Siemens S7 protocol, however it should also be possible to connect using OPC UA or Modbus TCP/IP.
Start PLCSIM Advanced, enable TCP/IP with a single adapter and set the adapter to the local network. Enter an IP address and subnet mask for the simulated PLC.
Configure the Siemens PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter to have the same IP Address.
Click the “Start” button in PLCSIM Advanced to start the simulated PLC instance.
In Siemens TIA Portal, you need to configure the ethernet IPv4 address for the PLC to match.
You also need to permit access with PUT/GET communication from remote partner. This permits ProtoTwin Connect to read/write the PLC tags.
Right-click on the project in TIA Portal and select Properties. In the Protection tab, enable the option to support simulation during block compilation.
Download the configuration to the PLC. Select the Siemens PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter as the PG/PC interface and search for the simulated PLC. Select the simulated PLC from the list and click Load.
Select to start the modules after downloading has finished, and click Finish.
The simulated PLC should now display as running (green indicator) in PLCSIM Advanced.
You should be able to ping the simulated PLC.
In ProtoTwin Connect, add a Tag Server, select the Siemens S7 protocol and enter the IP address for the simulated PLC.
Finally, you can add the tags and bindings as usual.
