// ModbusManager Pro — Siemens S7-1200

Modbus HMI for
Siemens S7-1200

Build a live operator dashboard for your Siemens S7-1200 over Modbus TCP — without WinCC, a SCADA server or an OPC-UA license. Download the free demo project, run it on real hardware, and watch ModbusManager Pro display the PLC data live. Works the same with any other Modbus device.

Download free demo project Download Pro trial

Demo: TIA Portal SCL + Pro workspace · tested on real S7-1200 · Modbus TCP

// what the demo shows

Your S7-1200, visualised live

The demo turns a Siemens S7-1200 into a Modbus TCP server running a small simulated solar inverter — AC power, DC voltage and current, grid frequency, temperature, energy yield, battery state of charge and status bits. The PLC generates a realistic day curve so the data moves on its own.

ModbusManager Pro polls the PLC over Modbus TCP and shows everything on a drag-and-drop dashboard: gauges, KPI tiles, a power trend and status lamps — updating live. No WinCC runtime, no SCADA server, no per-tag licensing.

The Siemens PLC is just a relatable starting point. The same dashboard works with inverters, energy meters, VFDs and PLCs from any vendor, all on one screen.

Data flow

S7-1200 (MB_SERVER, simulated inverter) → Modbus TCP, port 502 → ModbusManager Pro dashboard on Windows. One PC, no extra software.

Dashboard shows
  • ⏱ AC power & inverter temperature gauges
  • 📊 Voltage, current, frequency, energy KPIs
  • 🔋 Battery state-of-charge
  • 💡 Grid / derating / standby status lamps
// download the demo

Free demo project

Two ways to get it: a universal source package for any TIA version, or a ready-to-open TIA V15.1 project. Either way you import the PLC logic, open the workspace in ModbusManager Pro, connect, and you have a live dashboard.

📜
SolarInverterDemo.scl
TIA Portal SCL source — a data block plus a function block that simulates the inverter and runs the Modbus TCP server. Imports into TIA V13 or newer.
📊
Workspace .json
A ready-made ModbusManager Pro workspace: poll window, tags, scaling script and a full dashboard page mapped to the demo registers.
📖
README
Register map, TIA setup steps, wiring and test instructions, plus the common gotchas (non-optimized DB, connection settings, power-cycle after download).
Any TIA version
Source package (.zip)
SCL source + workspace + README. Imports into TIA Portal V13 or newer. Best if you are not on V15.1 or want to read the code.
Download source (.zip)
TIA Portal V15.1+
Ready-to-open project
Full TIA project archive. Retrieve it in TIA Portal V15.1 or newer, swap in your CPU if needed, compile and download. Fastest if you run V15.1.
Download project (.zap15_1)

Both need: an S7-1200 · ModbusManager Pro (14-day trial works). The workspace .json is also inside the source zip.

// how to run it

Four steps to a live dashboard

Step 1
Import the SCL
In TIA Portal: External source files → add SolarInverterDemo.scl → Generate blocks from source. This creates the holding-register DB and the simulation function block.
Step 2
Download to the PLC
Add a call to the function block in OB1, compile, and download to your S7-1200. Power-cycle the CPU once so the Modbus TCP server binds cleanly to port 502.
Step 3
Open the workspace
In ModbusManager Pro, open the included workspace. It already has the poll window, tags, scaling script and dashboard configured for the demo register map.
Step 4
Connect & watch
Connect over Modbus TCP to the PLC IP on port 502, unit 1. Switch to Runtime mode — the power gauge rises and falls, energy climbs and the status lamps react, all live.
// register map

What the PLC exposes

Holding registers, 0-based addressing, read with function code 03. 32-bit energy values use two registers (high word first).

AddrValueTypeScaleUnit
0AC active powerINT÷10kW
1DC voltageINT÷1V
2DC currentINT÷10A
3Grid frequencyINT÷100Hz
4Inverter temperatureINT÷10°C
5–6Daily energy yieldU32÷100kWh
7–8Total energy yieldU32÷1kWh
9DC string 1 currentINT÷10A
10Battery SOCINT÷1%
11Status word (bit0 run, bit2 derate, bit3 standby)WORDbits—
Full details and setup steps are in the README inside the zip.
// why modbusmanager pro

A lightweight HMI for your PLC

For a small system, a full WinCC or SCADA setup is expensive and heavy. ModbusManager Pro gives you a clean operator dashboard for a one-time 119 USD license — no runtime fees, no per-tag pricing, no server to maintain.

Because it speaks plain Modbus, it is not tied to Siemens. Put an S7-1200, a solar inverter, an energy meter and a VFD on the same dashboard, regardless of brand.

Good fit for

Commissioning and test benches, small operator panels, solar and energy monitoring, machine builders who want a quick visual without a SCADA project, and anyone with mixed-vendor Modbus devices.

// frequently asked questions

Siemens + Modbus — FAQ

Do I need WinCC or a SCADA license to visualise an S7-1200?+
No. ModbusManager Pro runs on a normal Windows PC and polls the S7-1200 directly over Modbus TCP. There is no SCADA server, OPC-UA license or WinCC runtime to buy.
Does the demo work with a real S7-1200?+
Yes. It was built and tested on real S7-1200 hardware. The PLC runs a small simulation and acts as a Modbus TCP server on port 502; ModbusManager Pro polls it and displays the data live.
Which TIA Portal version do I need?+
The demo logic is an SCL source file that imports into TIA Portal V13 or newer. It was developed on V15.1. Import it via External source files and generate the blocks.
Modbus TCP or RTU?+
The demo uses Modbus TCP over the S7-1200 onboard Ethernet port, so no extra module is needed. ModbusManager Pro also supports Modbus RTU if you add a CM 1241 serial module.
Does this only work with Siemens PLCs?+
No. ModbusManager Pro is vendor-neutral — it works with any Modbus RTU or TCP device (inverters, meters, VFDs, sensors, PLCs from any maker) and can show several on one dashboard.
Is the inverter data real?+
In the demo the S7-1200 generates a simulated inverter so the dashboard looks alive without sensors. For production you map the dashboard to your real device registers instead.
What does ModbusManager Pro cost?+
A one-time 119 USD perpetual license for one machine, with 12 months of free updates and a 14-day free trial — no credit card required.

Try it on your own S7-1200

Download the free demo project and the ModbusManager Pro trial, and have a live Siemens dashboard running in minutes.

Download free demo Download Pro trial

Windows 10/11 · 14-day trial · Pro $119 one-time