Highlights and Release Notes

Release Notes 3.19

Performance

Fastest WinCC OA ever !

Event Manager up to 4 times faster

  • Core data throughput has been increased up to 4 times: This allows operation at only 1/3 of CPU load with the same data throughput. More ressources are made available on existing and new projects.

Event load reduced for NextGen Archiver

  • Choosing between the available options is now even easier than before: Projects with NGA Archiving now reach the same Event Manager performance level as RAIMA/HDB projects.

Ready for the year 2038 with SQLite DB

  • Tests with SQLite show the same Event Manager performance as RAIMA-based projects. That means this future-proof technology is now available with the same increased performance.

Further Notes

* These values have been generated through benchmark tests under standardized conditions. Overall system performance or results with your specific project might vary. If you require detailed information, feel free to contact us for our whitepaper on performance.

Licensing

New license options in version 3.19.

Video Streaming

  • To get out customers started on working with video with fewer costs attached, a new streaming-only option has been included in the Video Basic license. No initial camera licenses are needed, yet they can easily be added later if a stream recording function is required.

New BACnet license Options

  • BACnet object handling has been made easier with the goal of decreasing costs and effort in larger projects by introducing two additional license options: 30.000 and unlimited BACnet objects. For more information, see chapter WinCC OA License options (Features).

WinCC OA IPC packages

  • Save costs with the attractive pricing of our IPC packages, now also available for ET200 SP and IOT2050 hardware (except 4096 PowerTag package). Additionally, a new 128 PowerTag package is available.

License Management - Easier license handling

Highlights

License Management has now been integrated directly into WinCC OA, which saves time and increases usability during license activation.

  • License overview and management directly in WinCC OA – no additional 3rdparty tools required.
  • Easier handling of licenses spread over multiple tickets.
  • Checking preconditions for licenses helps to avoid activation failures. For more information, see chapter Overview.

Dashboard

Extended functionality allows better integration and fulfilment of more use cases.

Highlights - Increased dashboard functionality and more widgets added

New widgets:

  • Video Widget (1)
  • Integrate existing panels via ULC UX Widget. For more information, see chapter Dashboard.
  • Custom Widgets can now be added.
  • Functional enhancements in the SVG Widget. See chapter Dashboard.
  • Performance Improvements in the Line Chart Widget.
  • Extended Alert View Widget. See chapter Dashboard.

Further Notes

(1) Video and Video Camera license options required.

(2) ULC UX license required.

Next Generation Archiver Enhancements

Highlights

  • MS SQL support (since 3.18 P006). See chapter MS SQL® Server Installation.
  • Online Backup for NGA databases. See chapter Full DB Backup and Restore.
  • Trending based on resampling in DBs possible
  • Archiving on IOT 2050 hardware supported (restrictions apply)
  • Backend API for NGA allows for own backend development. For the documentation, see WinCC OA Installation/api/TemplateNextGenArchBackend\readme.pdf.
  • Comparison charts and recommendations for all backends (DBs) available (1)

Further Notes

(1) To be released in a later patch.

OPC UA

Enhanced feature range and support of companion specs

Highlights

  • The enhanced OPC UA feature range and support of companion specs allows for use of WinCC OA in even more use cases.
  • Methods are now supported in OPC UA server and client. See chapter OPC UA Server - Methods.
  • Successful re-certification including A and C facet

OPC UA Client:

Southbound Drivers

Enhanced shopfloor connectivity allows for use of WinCCOA in even more use cases.

Highlights

  • NTCIP driver for easy control of dynamic traffic signs. See chapter NTCIP Gateway.

IEC 61850

  • SSL communication encryption supported
  • better usability and faster engineering
  • improved default values (e.g.: ReadRequestQueueLimit)

Modbus client

Extensions on existing features prove that WinCC OA Security is always up to date - Highlights

  • PROFISafe/PROFINET: Successful re-certification
  • For easier engineering, the connection state of most drivers has been harmonized
  • DNP3-SA Secure Authentication
  • BACNet Advanced Workstation (AWS) driver enhancement
  • Channel diagnostics for S7 and S7+. See chapter Information Panel - Diagnostic and S7 Channel Diagnostic.
  • S7+: Encrypted communication to S7-1200/1500 PLCs. See chapter S7 Plus Driver Advanced Settings

Northbound Drivers

New features allow better IT/OT integration capabilities

Highlights

MQTT

  • Publisher for easier northbound communication now available. See chapter MQTT Publisher.
  • MQTT 5.1 features (1)

MES: Opcenter Execution Core V8.9 REST interface allows combined SCADA/MES offerings

  • Standard REST interface (e.g.: For Power BI) available. For more information, see the documentation 3.19/help/en/opcenterrestapi-en.qch. NOTE you can add the help to your WinCC OA documentation via the Edit menu of the WinCC OA documentation Edit > Preferences > Documentation.
Note: Business logic must be implemented in the project.

Further Notes

(1) MQTT driver license necessary.

PM Add-Ons

Integrates WinCC OA more deeply into Siemens portfolio landscape.

Highlights

  • Save costs and effort in combined offerings or integration in existing project environments.
  • Easily enhance the feature range of WinCC OA with PM Add-ons (REST interface to send/receive data)
  • Supported Add-ons: PM-CONTROL, PM-ANALYZE, PM-QUALITY, PM-MAINT, PM-MES Interface.
    Note: Please also check out the PM Add-ons information website .

Core Enhancements

Protected investments with long-term availability and constantly enhanced feature sets.

  • Year 2038 readiness via new SQLite DB. See chapter SQLite®.
    • For configurations and last value storage
    • Better performance & smaller footprint
    • Currently recommended for new projects (importer for historical data will be available soon)
  • Alert delay (according to IEC 62682). See chapter Delayed Alerts.
  • Query support for plant model information (1)

Further Notes

(1) To be released in a later patch.

User Interface Enhancements

Save valuable engineering time through increased usability and enhanced feature range.

Highlights - Trend Enhancements

  • Extended functionality for the curveLegendFormat
  • Support for infinite, NaN and QNB values
  • Trend ruler improvements
  • Improvements on curve auto scale and linked curves
  • Inverted logic for trend with event curve
  • For more information, see the Trend documentation.

Script editor Enhancements

  • Extended behavior of auto-completion
  • Support of the multi-tab view
  • Multi-line editing
  • Scrolling via keyboard
  • Show tabs and spaces
  • Support of code refactoring
  • For more information, see the The Script Editor documentation.

Maps Widget - Version Upgrade

The Maps Widget (EWO) is now based on Marble project version 21.12.2.

Video AddOn

Save costs directly and expand your areas of application.

Highlights

  • Save license cost in "streaming only projects" (RTSP).
  • Streaming only now included in Video Basic option, no camera licenses needed.
  • Available now also for SIMATIC Industrial OS
  • Several new CTRL functions and methods
  • Web integration with Motion JPEG stream
  • Support now in Mobile UI (1)
  • Display Server DIST connects to remote OA systems (1)
  • Workstation option can act as an emergency client with limited feature range.
  • For more information on the Video AddOn - see chapter Video Widget.

Further Notes

Video and video camera license options required.

Control Enhancements

Save engineering time with even better usability and extended feature range.

Highlights

  • Classes can now define operator methods (operator overloading) e.g.: “==”, “!=”, “>” … See chapter Operator Methods.
  • Class events can be used inside a class (similar to the object-oriented panel #event functions - ) See chapter Class Event Functions.
  • Expressions can now be chained via the “dot” notation. See chapter Dot Notation.
  • New childPanel (dyn_shape) function returns the module/panel names currently running in a UI manager. See chapter "childPanels".

Further Control Enhancements

Forward Declaration

Forward Declaration can now be used for CTRL++ classes. See Object Oriented Scripting (CTRL++)

The keyword synchronized

An error message is shown in case of a wrong use of the keyword synchronized. For more information, see the description of synchronized.

CTRLPPCheck

Save time and money with increased code quality in your projects

  • Easy static CTRL code analysis to ensure higher code quality and therefore faster engineering
  • Usable during runtime or automated pipelines
  • Results can be integrated into automated test environments
  • Available as Open Source on Github, see https://github.com/siemens/CtrlppCheck
  • Can be easily enhanced for own CTRL extensions or libraries

Evolution of WinCC OA .Net API

Easier integration of C# based business logic

Multithreaded, platform-independent .Net API allows you to easier integrate your existing C# business logic into WinCC OA.

WinCC OA 3.19 API closer to .Net language standards

  • Uses dedicated namespaces and "NuGet" packages
  • Interface abstraction is available
  • Dependency injection support
  • Asynchronous by design

Switch .Net Runtime to .Net 6

  • Net 6 Runtime is Open Source
  • Net Framework end of development reached
  • Performance and productivity improvements due to new language features
  • Platform-independent

Migration of existing C# managers required

  • Migration documentation available
  • Namespace changes
  • Interfaces are used instead of classes
  • Usage of asynchronous patterns

Further Notes

You can find the documentation of the new API in the version directory: C:\Siemens\Automation\WinCC_OA\3.19\api.net\docu\index.md. The new .NET-API based on .NET 6.0. replaces the old C# API.

Miscellaneous Enhancements

Miscellaneous Enhancements Enhanced feature set

Highlights

  • Support latest security functionalities. See WinCC OA Portal/ Safety/Security. 
    • TLS 1.3 support. See the config entry cipherSuiteList.
    • IEC 62443 4-2 re-certification
  • Support for safety relevant projects. See WinCC OA Portal/ Safety/Security. 
    • IEC 61508 re-certification
  • Improved user handling during project creation.
  • Maps Widget: Support of KML/OSM data. See chapter Maps Widget (EWO).
  • Support of branding under Linux (Debian)
  • Branding: More flexibility with individual YAML configurations. See chapter WinCC OA Product Packaging.

Further Enhancements

  • XML Cobertura File Format: You can covert a WinCC OA XML coverage file to an XML in Cobertura file format. See chapter: XML Cobertura File Format.
  • New options to adapt the alert and event screen - see chapters Customization - Permission Checks for the AEScreen and Customization - Context Menu for the AEScreen.
  • PMON "crash actions" Script : PMON searches for a "crash actions" CTRL script called "pmonActions" and will start it on PMON startup. For more information, see chapter PMON Crash Actions Script.
  • Config Entry cipherSuiteList: By default TLSv1.3 is now enabled using a new list of default ciphers. See the config entry cipherSuiteList.
  • Year 2038 Readiness - CTRL & C++: Avoid int <-> time conversions and vice versa. These must be changed to long <-> time conversions. CTRL outputs a warning as of the version 3.19. E.g. WCCOAui (1), 2022.10.07 13:22:53.289, PARAM,WARNING, 51, Parameter incorrect, IntegerVar::operator=, assignment of TimeVar to IntegerVar will overflow after 2038.01.19; use a LongVar instead

Discontinuations & Deprecations

Following features are discontinued with WinCC OA version Version 3.19:

  • Cerberus Driver has been discontinued
  • Driver Plugin has been removed (already deprecated in 3.18)
Note: All current and planned discontinuations can be found on our WinCC OA Portal.

Supported Mobile Systems and Browsers

Overview

Supported operating systems for mobile devices

  • iOS 13 or higher
  • Android 6 or higher

Supported browsers

  • Firefox 91 ESR 64bit
  • Chrome Version 103 64bit
  • Edge (Chromium) 106 64bit