Learn PLC Programming With The Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit

The Siemens S7-1200 PLC is known for being easy to use and suitable for beginners. Its Starter Kit includes SIMATIC S7 TIA Portal software to help you begin programming Siemens PLCs. You can also manage the S7-1200 PLC from your smartphone.

There are several reasons to begin learning PLC programming with the Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit. Some will be clear straight away; others might become more apparent as you learn to program PLCs.

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These are the reasons I recommend the S7-1200 Starter Kit:

• S7-1200 Starter Kit price is low
  For someone learning Siemens PLC programming, a Starter Kit is the cheapest way to get started. These kits are made for beginners who want to learn to program.
• Siemens PLC Devices
  Siemens PLCs are among the systems most often used in factories and machines, which gives you a reason to learn them. The S7-1500 devices, for example, are built on the S7-1200. Starting here gives you experience to draw on when working with other Siemens PLCs.
• SIMATIC programming software
  Versions of the SIMATIC STEP 7 programming software look and work in similar ways. Learning with SIMATIC software gives you experience you can use later in your PLC programming career.
• Train with PLC field busses
  Alongside the standard Siemens PPI/MMI communication, the S7-1200 has an interface for connecting to a PROFIBUS, PROFINET, MODBUS or CANopen network. This interface lets you expand the Starter Kit into a networked system.
• Programming Siemens HMI
  Some Starter Kits include a 2nd generation SIMATIC Basic Panel (KTP). The HMI panels come in different sizes, and you can program them with the included WinCC Basic software. WinCC is the SCADA software from Siemens.

The Starter Kit includes a PLC, an HMI and STEP 7 Basic TIA Portal programming software. The video below shows the unboxing of a Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit:

Siemens S7-1200 Manual For Download

Siemens has published PDFs to help you get started with the S7-1200 Starter Kit. The downloads below are among the most useful references for the S7-1200 PLC:

• Siemens S7-1200 Catalog (PDF)
• Siemens S7-1200 Catalog (Online)
• Siemens S7-1200 System Manual (PDF)
• Siemens S7-1200 Easy Book (PDF)
• Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit Catalog (PDF)

Read through the manuals when working with the S7-1200 PLC or any other PLC. They contain installation instructions as well as troubleshooting guidance. Spending some time with the manual can save you time and problems later.

The installation guide explains how to install the hardware correctly. It covers wiring the PLC, power supply, I/O and PLC communication so that you avoid EMC.

For more guidance alongside a starter kit, you might find a good online PLC training course or PLC programming book useful. Neither is a requirement, though. I would explore the manuals and PDFs above before turning to these resources.

What’s Included In The S7-1200 Starter Kits?

The Starter Kits differ slightly in what they contain. Some include an HMI and others do not. One includes an RF reader (SIMATIC RF200), which lets you build an RFID system with the PLC.

Every kit includes the following components:

• SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU 1212C (AC/DC supply – Relay outputs)
• Input Simulator
• 2 meter Ethernet cable
• Documentation CD
• SIMATIC STEP 7 Basic TIA Portal

The sections below show what each S7-1200 Starter Kit contains:

S7-1200 Starter Kit without HMI

S7-1200 Starter Kit without HMI (Basic Panel).

This is the kit to consider if you want a cheap Siemens PLC Starter Kit.

This kit contains exactly the basic components listed above. Those components give you what you need to begin basic PLC programming.

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP300 HMI

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP300 SIMATIC Basic Panel.

This Starter Kit includes the KTP300, the smallest HMI in the SIMATIC Basic Panel series.

Although the screen is black and white (mono), you can add graphs and trends along with other functions. Graphs and trends give you a way to study PLC analog inputs and outputs and analog PLC programming, since they require an analog value in your PLC system.

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP400 HMI

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP400 SIMATIC HMI Panel.

The KTP400 SIMATIC HMI comes with this Starter Kit. Its color screen has room for multiple graphics, including trends and graphs, as well as menus and more.

The KTP400 HMI gives you plenty to work with if you want to pursue PLC programming seriously.

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP600 HMI

S7-1200 Starter Kit with SIMATIC KTP600 and STEP 7 Basic V11.

This product image looks different because it shows an older Starter Kit with an older HMI and programming software.

The SIMATIC KTP600 has a 6″ color touch screen.

This Starter Kit supplies STEP 7 Basic version 11, while the other kits include version 13. Although that makes it an outdated S7-1200 Starter Kit, I would still recommend it for beginners. Because the software and HMI are older, you might find this kit at a lower price than the newer kits.

S7-1200 Starter Kit + KTP700 HMI

S7-1200 Starter Kit with KTP700 SIMATIC HMI and STEP 7 Basic V13.

I recommend this Starter Kit if you want the latest version of STEP 7 Basic, often called TIA Portal.

Along with the new software, this kit includes the KTP700 SIMATIC HMI. The KTP700 belongs to the newest SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels and is an upgrade of the KTP600, with a slightly larger 7″ screen.

Input Simulator for Learning

You will work with inputs often when learning PLC programming with the Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit. Inputs are part of how you control a PLC program, and fail-safe design requires knowing where to use normally open or normally closed input actuators.

The input simulator saves you from rewiring the PLC inputs whenever you create a program or correct an error.

S7-1200 input simulator for Starter Kits

Connecting the input simulator to all the PLC inputs gives you one switch for each input.

To simulate a normally closed switch instead of a normally open one, reverse the way you flip the switch. You then “flip to turn input on” instead of “flip to turn input off“.

The video below shows how to do this:

TIA Portal: S7-1200 Programming Software

The usual software for programming the S7-1200 PLC is STEP 7 Basic TIA Portal, since the Starter Kits include the Basic version of TIA Portal.

For more advanced use and programming, STEP 7 Professional is another option, although it is rather expensive. To begin with, the Basic version gives you more than enough to work with. You can also use TIA Portal Basic for quite advanced PLC programming as your skills develop.

Learn Siemens S7-1200 programming using TIA Portal with Udemy

Learn PLC Programming with TIA Portal

Siemens has made introductory videos for TIA Portal. I suggest beginning with those videos to learn how to find your way around the programming software and use it.

Programming S7-1200 with TIA Portal 13

Although the Starter Kits include only the Basic version of TIA Portal, you can still use it for quite advanced work. Siemens has built reliable PLC programming software that makes advanced projects easier to develop. To use those capabilities, though, you first need to understand the basics of TIA Portal.

This Siemens video gives a TIA Portal overview in 120 seconds:

Getting started with STEP 7 Basic TIA Portal:

Re-usable libraries in STEP 7 Basic:

WinCC: S7-1200 SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels (KTP)

The included HMIs and the software for programming them are one reason to choose these Starter Kits.

All SIMATIC HMIs can be added to a new or existing project in TIA Portal. The HMI part is closely integrated with the rest of the software, so it is easy to start working with an HMI in your project.

Programming SIMATIC HMI with WinCC TIA Portal

Siemens also has videos to help you get started with HMIs. The video below shows how to add an HMI to your S7-1200 PLC project:

S7-1200 Ethernet Communication

You use PROFINET when connecting the S7-1200 CPU to your computer or HMI.

I have published a DIY guide on how to make an Ethernet cable, but I do not recommend making your own PROFINET cables, particularly when you are new to PLC programming.

S7-1200 Ethernet communication with PROFINET.

The PROFINET interface can connect your computer as well as an Ethernet network of HMIs, other PLCs, remote modules and more. You can make these device connections within TIA Portal.

S7-1200 Web Server And Smart Phone App

The Siemens S7-1200 PLC has a free smartphone app for monitoring and controlling your PLC system from your phone.

Using a smartphone for this might seem ordinary to you. In automation, though, it is unusual: the industry can be old-fashioned and conservative in many ways.

As smartphones and other technology become cheaper, their use for monitoring and controlling automation systems is inevitable. There is also the web server technology that you can set up in TIA Portal. After setting that up, you can monitor and control your S7-1200 PLC system through the Web.

This video shows how to set up a web page with TIA Portal and the S7-1200 PLC (watch out for the loud background music):

Siemens S7-1200 Training Videos

Finally, you can watch this playlist of official Siemens PLC training videos. It covers the basics of the S7-1200 and TIA Portal, along with most of their functionality.

I chose the official Siemens videos because I consider them one of the best ways to begin learning. After watching them, put what you have learned into practice. Work through the examples yourself, then try other ideas and experiment with the tools in TIA Portal.