A full-stack industrial automation project built from scratch using Siemens TIA Portal, S7-PLCSIM, and Ignition SCADA/HMI.
BrewLine simulates a brewery process control system covering:
- PLC ladder logic for pump, valve and heater control
- SCADA/HMI with live tag bindings, alarms and trending
- Industrial communication configuration (S7 driver, OPC-UA)
Built as a self-directed learning project to achieve interview-ready knowledge for junior automation engineer roles in the UK.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BrewLine System │
├───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┤
│ PLC Layer │ SCADA/HMI Layer │
│ │ │
│ Siemens S7-1200 │ Ignition 8.3.7 │
│ CPU 1214C DC/DC/DC │ Perspective HMI │
│ TIA Portal V17 │ localhost:8088 │
│ S7-PLCSIM V17 │ │
│ │ │
│ Ladder Logic (LAD) │ Live tag bindings │
│ 4 Networks in OB1 │ Alarm management │
│ │ Time series trending │
└───────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
│ │
└──── S7 Driver ───────────┘
Port 102 / PUT-GET enabled
Hardware: Siemens S7-1200 CPU 1214C DC/DC/DC (simulated in S7-PLCSIM V17)
PLC Tags:
| Tag | Type | Address | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| pump_start | Bool | M0.0 | Momentary start signal |
| pump_stop | Bool | M0.1 | Stop signal (NC contact) |
| temp_ok | Bool | M0.2 | Temperature safe flag |
| pump_on | Bool | Q0.0 | Pump output |
| heater_on | Bool | Q0.1 | Heater output |
| inlet_valve | Bool | Q0.2 | Inlet valve output |
| outlet_valve | Bool | Q0.3 | Outlet valve output |
| temperature | Real | MD10 | Process temperature °C |
Network 1 — Pump Start/Stop with Seal-in Circuit:
|--[pump_start]--+--[/pump_stop]--( pump_on )--|
| |
+------[pump_on]-------------+
Standard industrial seal-in (latching) circuit. Pump stays ON after momentary start until stop is pressed.
Network 2 — High Temperature Interlock:
|--[temp_ok]--( heater_on )--|
Heater cuts out automatically when temperature exceeds safe limit. temp_ok goes FALSE above 90°C.
Network 3 — Inlet Valve:
|--[pump_on]--( inlet_valve )--|
Inlet valve opens automatically when pump is running.
Network 4 — Outlet Valve:
|--[pump_on]--( outlet_valve )--|
Outlet valve opens automatically when pump is running.
- Cylindrical Tank — live level display bound to tank_level tag (Float)
- Thermometer — live temperature display bound to temperature tag (Float)
- Inlet Valve — state expression:
if({[default]inlet_valve}, "open", "closed") - Outlet Valve — state expression:
if({[default]outlet_valve}, "open", "closed") - Pump — state expression:
if({[default]pump_on}, "on", "off") - Motor/Heater — state expression:
if({[default]heater_on}, "on", "off") - Alarm Status Table — live alarm display with filter tabs
- Time Series Chart — temperature trend history with tag history binding
- Title Label — BREWLINE CONTROL SYSTEM
| Alarm | Tag | Setpoint | Priority | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | temperature | > 90°C | High | Active until acknowledged and cleared |
Configured following EEMUA 191 alarm management principles:
- Alarm states: Active Unacknowledged → Active Acknowledged → Cleared
- Priority: High (operator response target < 5 minutes)
- Alarm history logged in Ignition
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Driver | Siemens S7-1200 Driver (Ignition built-in) |
| Hostname | 192.168.0.1 (PLCSIM local address) |
| Port | 102 (S7 protocol) |
| PUT/GET Communication | Enabled in TIA Portal CPU properties |
| Ignition OPC UA Server | Connected (port 62541) |
Note: The S7-1200 trial license does not include OPC-UA server functionality. In a production environment with a licensed PLC, full OPC-UA communication on port 4840 would be used.
| Tool | Version | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens TIA Portal | V17 | PLC engineering software |
| S7-PLCSIM | V17 | Virtual PLC simulation |
| Ignition by Inductive Automation | 8.3.7 | SCADA/HMI platform |
| Ignition Perspective | 8.3.7 | HMI development module |
| Perspective Workstation | 1.3.7 | HMI runtime client |
PLC Programming:
- IEC 61131-3 Ladder Diagram (LAD) programming
- PLC scan cycle understanding
- Tag addressing — I (inputs), Q (outputs), M (memory), MD (real values)
- Seal-in (latching) circuits for motor control
- Safety interlocks — high temperature cutout
- Normally Open and Normally Closed contact logic
SCADA/HMI:
- Ignition Perspective component bindings
- Expression-based symbol state control
- Tag history and time series trending
- Alarm configuration and management
- EEMUA 191 alarm principles
Industrial Communication:
- S7 protocol (port 102) with PUT/GET enabled
- OPC-UA architecture (client/server model)
- Purdue Model — Level 1 PLC to Level 2 SCADA
- Siemens S7-1200 driver configuration in Ignition
BrewLine/
│
├── screenshots/
│ ├── hmi_live.png
│ ├── ignition_designer.png
│ ├── ladder_logic.png
│ ├── watch_table.png
│ ├── device_connection.png
│ ├── opc_connection.png
│ └── tia_portal.png
│
├── README.md
│
└── notes/
└── session_notes.md
This project was built across 7 structured self-learning sessions:
| Session | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Ignition installation, tag creation, basic HMI |
| 3 | Full Perspective HMI — alarms, trending, symbol bindings |
| 4 | TIA Portal — CPU setup, PLC tags, ladder logic, PLCSIM |
| 5 | Theory — scan cycle, IEC 61131-3, OPC-UA, P&ID, SCADA vs DCS, EEMUA 191, fieldbuses |
| 6 | Communication — S7 driver, OPC-UA configuration |
| 7 | Mock interview preparation |
Aathithyan Venkatesh
Mechanical Engineering Graduate | Self-taught Python Developer
Bournemouth, UK | Unrestricted right to work in the UK