TIA Portal Instructions
Complete Reference Guide
Every instruction in TIA Portal explained — from basic contacts and coils to advanced PID control and motion. Your go-to reference for LAD, FBD, and SCL programming.
How Instructions Are Organized in TIA Portal
TIA Portal organizes its instructions into three main categories in the instruction tree: Basic Instructions, Extended Instructions, and Technology. Each category contains subcategories grouping related operations.
This guide series covers every instruction with explanations, keyboard shortcuts, practical tips, and LAD vs FBD comparisons. Click any category below to dive into the detailed guide.
Basic Instructions
Core programming elements for every PLC project
General
Insert Network, Empty Box, Open/Close Branch, Insert Input — the structural building blocks of LAD/FBD programs.
Bit Logic Operations
Contacts (NO/NC), coils, Set/Reset, flip-flops (SR/RS), edge detection (P_TRIG, N_TRIG, R_TRIG, F_TRIG), and RLO operations.
Timer Operations
IEC timers: TON (On-Delay), TOF (Off-Delay), TP (Pulse), TONR (Accumulating On-Delay). Timer management and reset.
Counter Operations
CTU (Count Up), CTD (Count Down), CTUD (Count Up/Down). IEC-compliant counter blocks with preset and reset.
Comparator Operations
CMP: Equal, Not Equal, Greater Than, Less Than, Greater/Equal, Less/Equal. Compare integers, reals, and time values.
Math Functions
ADD, SUB, MUL, DIV, MOD, NEG, ABS, SQR, SQRT, LN, EXP, trigonometric functions, and more.
Move Operations
MOVE, Block Move, Fill, Swap, serialize/deserialize. Transfer data between memory areas and data types.
Conversion Operations
CONVERT, ROUND, CEIL, FLOOR, TRUNC. Convert between INT, REAL, DINT, STRING, BCD, and other data types.
Shift and Rotate
SHL, SHR, ROL, ROR. Shift and rotate bits within words and double words for bit manipulation.
Word Logic Operations
AND, OR, XOR, NOT on WORD/DWORD level. Bitwise operations for masking, combining, and manipulating word data.
Extended Instructions
Advanced operations for complex automation tasks
Date and Time
Read system time, time arithmetic, format conversions between DATE_AND_TIME, DTL, TOD, and string representations.
String Operations
Concatenate, find, replace, extract substrings, convert to/from numbers. Full string manipulation toolkit.
High-Speed Counters
Hardware-accelerated counting for encoders, frequency measurement, and high-speed pulse applications.
PID Control
PID_Compact and PID_3Step for closed-loop temperature, pressure, flow, and level control with auto-tuning.
Communication
TSEND_C, TRCV_C, PUT/GET, Modbus TCP/RTU. Ethernet and serial communication between PLCs and devices.
Recipe & Data Logging
Read/write recipes from CSV files, data logging to memory cards, archive management for production data.
Technology
Specialized instructions for motion and regulation
Motion Control
MC_Power, MC_MoveAbsolute, MC_MoveRelative, MC_Home. Control servo drives and stepper motors via PROFIdrive.
Counting & Measurement
Technology object-based counting with hardware support for high-speed applications and encoder interfaces.
PID Regulation
Technology object PID controllers with integrated tuning, trend recording, and diagnostic capabilities.
Generate PLC Code with AI
Instead of manually coding every instruction, describe your automation logic in plain text and let T-IA Connect generate SCL code, Function Blocks, and Data Blocks directly in your TIA Portal project.
- Describe logic in natural language → get production-ready SCL
- Generate complete FBs with inputs, outputs, and internal logic
- Works offline with local AI models — no cloud required
Frequently Asked Questions
What programming languages are available in TIA Portal?
TIA Portal supports LAD (Ladder Diagram), FBD (Function Block Diagram), SCL (Structured Control Language / Structured Text), STL (Statement List — legacy, S7-300/400 only), and GRAPH (Sequential Function Chart). LAD and FBD are graphical, SCL is text-based. Most modern projects use a combination of LAD/FBD for simple logic and SCL for complex algorithms.
Are the instructions the same for S7-1200 and S7-1500?
Most instructions are identical. The S7-1500 supports additional instructions (like extended diagnostics, OPC UA server blocks, and some advanced motion control). The S7-1200 has a slightly reduced instruction set but covers all standard automation needs. Always check the CPU's instruction support in the TIA Portal help.
What is the difference between Basic and Extended instructions?
Basic Instructions cover everyday PLC programming: bit logic, timers, counters, math, moves, and comparisons. Extended Instructions handle specialized tasks: string processing, date/time, communication protocols, PID control, and high-speed counters. Most programs primarily use Basic Instructions.
Can AI help me write PLC instructions faster?
Yes. T-IA Connect lets you describe your logic in plain English (or any language) and generates the corresponding SCL code with proper data types, error handling, and documentation. It can create entire Function Blocks from a prompt — saving hours of manual coding.