Listen to this Post
The VXM (Version Cross Manager) in Siemens PCS 7 is a powerful tool for comparing different automation projects. It supports three models:
– COMOS
– PCS 7
– HW (Hardware)
Steps to Compare Two Projects in PCS 7
- Open Version Cross Manager (Located in the Siemens Automation folder).
2. Go to File → Open/Compare.
- Select the two projects (Project-A & Project-B) for comparison.
- If using the HW model, choose Component View.
- Click the red triangle at the bottom to display only differences.
For CFC/SFC Differences
- Select Plant View.
- Choose PCS 7 as the model during project selection.
You Should Know: Essential Siemens PCS 7 & Industrial Automation Commands
1. Siemens SIMATIC Manager Commands
Open SIMATIC Manager simatic.exe Compile a project STEP7 -compile "ProjectPath" Backup a project STEP7 -archive "ProjectPath" -destination "BackupPath"
2. Windows CMD & PowerShell Automation Scripts
Check Siemens services running Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "Siemens"} Force restart PCS 7 services Restart-Service -Name "S7DOSService" -Force
- Linux-Based Industrial Automation (Using OpenPLC & CODESYS)
Install CODESYS runtime on Linux sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install codesys Start CODESYS service sudo systemctl start codesys-control
Comparing Files in Linux (Alternative to VXM)
Compare two directories diff -rq /path/to/ProjectA /path/to/ProjectB Generate a detailed difference report vimdiff file1.cfc file2.cfc
5. Automating Backups with Cron (Linux)
Daily backup script 0 2 tar -czvf /backups/pcs7_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz /opt/siemens/projects
What Undercode Say
Industrial automation relies heavily on version control, backups, and comparisons. While Siemens VXM is proprietary, Linux-based tools (diff
, rsync
, git
) offer open alternatives. For cybersecurity in industrial systems, always:
– Encrypt backups (gpg -c backup.tar.gz
).
– Monitor unauthorized changes (inotifywait -m /opt/siemens
).
– Use SSH for secure transfers (scp backup.tar.gz user@remote:/backups
).
For PCS 7 administrators, mastering both Siemens tools and Linux automation ensures reliability and security.
Expected Output:
A detailed comparison report highlighting differences between two PCS 7 projects, along with actionable commands for backup, automation, and security.
🔗 Useful Links:
References:
Reported By: Nagamoorthy G – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅