If your line runs on an S7-300, the clock is already running. Siemens announced the phase-out of the S7-300 and ET 200M families on October 1, 2023, and on October 1, 2025 they moved to spare-parts-only status. The spares supply is expected to run for years, but every year the shelf gets thinner, surplus prices climb, and the people who know STEP 7 Classic retire or move on.
TS Controls migrates S7-300 and S7-400 systems to S7-1500 (or S7-1200 on smaller machines) in TIA Portal. We do it on-site, planned around the outage windows your plant can give. We're based in Anderson, South Carolina, and we work across the Southeast and nationwide.
Why plan the migration now
- The failure picks the date if you don't. A failed CPU or I/O card with no spare turns a planned project into an emergency in the middle of a shift.
- The software is aging too. Many STEP 7 V5.x / SIMATIC Manager projects live on a single old laptop. TIA Portal puts the controller, HMI, and drives in one current project your team can maintain.
- Planned work costs less. A staged migration fits the outages you already have. An unplanned one creates its own outage.
What changes from S7-300 to S7-1500
| Today | After migration |
|---|---|
| S7-300 / S7-400 CPU | S7-1500 (or S7-1200 on small machines) |
| ET 200M distributed I/O | ET 200SP / ET 200MP, or keep the existing I/O where a staged plan allows |
| STEP 7 V5.x / SIMATIC Manager | TIA Portal |
| MPI and PROFIBUS DP | PROFINET, with PROFIBUS kept where it makes sense |
| OP / TP panels, WinCC flexible | Comfort Panels and WinCC in TIA Portal |
| F-CPU safety (where present) | S7-1500F safety in TIA Portal, revalidated |
The right path for your line comes out of the audit: I/O count, networks, safety, HMIs, and how much outage time you can give it.
How we migrate
1. Audit at the machine. We collect the STEP 7 project (and confirm it matches what's running), the hardware configuration, the network layout, and everything connected to the controller: panels, drives, and other PLCs on MPI or PROFIBUS. We photograph the racks and note what's undocumented.
2. Convert, then clean up. TIA Portal can migrate a STEP 7 project, but going from S7-300/400 to S7-1500 changes addressing, data handling, and some instructions. We review and rework the converted code and document it as it moves, so the next person can read it.
3. Stage the hardware. TIA Portal supports S7-300 and S7-400, so one option is to move the project into TIA Portal on the existing CPU first and swap to S7-1500 in a later outage. Another is to keep the distributed I/O and field wiring while the controller changes. We lay out each option and the outage it needs.
4. Test before cutover. Logic, I/O mapping, and HMI tags are checked before the outage, with a way back to the old controller if the line needs it.
5. Cut over and prove it. We're on-site through the outage and startup: cycle, safety, and operator acceptance before we leave, then documentation and a clean handoff to your maintenance team.
Staged or all at once
There's no single right answer. Common patterns:
- Software first. Move to TIA Portal on the existing hardware now, and swap the CPU in the next shutdown.
- Controller first, I/O later. A new S7-1500 talks to the existing distributed I/O. Field wiring stays put.
- Line by line. Migrate one cell or line per outage, keeping the rest running on the old platform.
- Whole cell in one outage. Fastest overall if you have a long enough shutdown and good preparation.
S7-400 and Step 5 too
S7-400 systems follow the same path to S7-1500. Step 5 (S5) systems are older still: Siemens' S5-to-S7 converter handles part of the code, and the output needs rework by someone who reads S5. See our S5 and S7 to TIA Portal migration page.
What to send for a migration quote
- The archived STEP 7 project (or TIA Portal project if you've started), plus any HMI projects
- The hardware list or electrical drawings, if you have them
- Photos of each rack and the network hardware
- Your outage windows for the next 6–12 months
Zip the files and upload them with the RFQ form (up to 10 MB), or email sales@ts-controls.com. See our Siemens technical reference for more on what helps.
Work we've done
Plants we've supported include BMW Plant 10, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Tesla, and Robert Bosch LLC.