New version of TIA Portal boosts performance and extends support for PLCs
7 November 2024 
Siemens has announced a new version of its Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal, focusing on performance and efficiency enhancements, and supporting the company’s latest PLCs. Version 20 of the engineering framework is said to enable faster project development by simplifying workflows and improving efficiency.
“Fully integrated automation as offered in the TIA portfolio is the foundation for expanding toward software-defined automation,” says Rainer Brehm, CEO of Siemens’ Factory Automation business. “With TIA Portal Version 20, users can boost the performance across the board and leverage the most modern functionalities of PLCs – including AI, integrated testing and enhanced security.”
TIA Portal V20 extends support for new PLCs with motion control and safety functions, such as the latest S7-1200 G2 controller, the S7-1511/S7-1513 PLC, new S7-1500 modular CPUs, a new high-performance CPU, and a new software controller. The Portal provides a human-readable text-based representation of graphical code, simplifying the use of external tools such as GIT or Beyond Compare, as well as code generation to make programming more convenient.
Security functions have also been enhanced, with the ability to connect Simatic PLCs to central user management systems. User management access control (UMAC) allows technicians to access shopfloor devices easily using standard credentials – without compromising security. UMAC is, in turn, connected to a standard identity provider service, such as Microsoft Active Directory or Azure ID, allowing administrators to manage permissions for automation devices in a standard way, as is done in IT infrastructures.
In addition to the new PLC compatibility, program optimisation options have been improved, and a faster program runtime analysis has been implemented for service and maintenance. The new version also offers opportunities to improve efficiency when engineering across different locations: data exchange between TIA Portal, TIA Portal Cloud and Project Server Cloud has been enhanced. This includes a user-friendly edge app, as well as automated cloud backup that ensures the availability of all the latest changes.
