CI/CD and Git Version Control
for TIA Portal PLC Projects
Bring software engineering best practices to PLC programming. Version control your TIA Portal projects with Git, automate compilation, run code reviews, and deploy with confidence.
PLC Development Is Stuck in the Past
While software engineering evolved, PLC programming stayed manual
No Real Version Control
TIA Portal projects are binary blobs. Engineers share files via network drives, USB sticks, or email. "Project_v3_final_FINAL_v2.zip" is the norm. Merging changes from two engineers is a nightmare.
No Code Review Process
Code goes from engineer to PLC with no review. No pull requests, no peer review, no automated checks. Bugs are found on the factory floor, not in review.
No Automated Testing
Manual testing on real hardware or PLCSim. No automated regression tests, no CI pipeline to catch errors before deployment. Every change is a risk.
No Deployment Pipeline
Downloads to PLC are manual, one-at-a-time operations. No staged rollouts, no rollback capability, no audit trail of what was deployed when and by whom.
How T-IA Connect Enables PLC DevOps
The MCP server + REST API make TIA Portal automatable
Export Blocks as SCL Source
T-IA Connect reads all program blocks (OB, FB, FC, DB) and exports them as SCL source files. These text files can be tracked in Git with proper diffs, branches, and merge history.
Automated Compilation
Trigger TIA Portal compilation from scripts or CI pipelines. T-IA Connect's compile tool returns errors and warnings — fail the build if compilation errors exist.
AI-Powered Code Review
Use Claude or GPT to review SCL code changes before deployment. The AI understands PLC conventions and can flag potential issues: unhandled states, missing interlocks, timing problems.
PLCSim Virtual Testing
Start PLCSim instances, download the compiled program, read/write process values, and validate behavior — all through T-IA Connect's MCP tools. Automatable in CI.
Deployment Tracking
Track what was compiled, when, and the compilation result. Combine with Git commits for a full audit trail from code change to PLC deployment.
Block Import/Restore
Re-import SCL source files into TIA Portal to restore previous versions. Rollback to a known-good state by checking out a Git tag and importing.
A Modern PLC Development Workflow
From code change to PLC deployment with full traceability
1. Branch & Code
Engineer creates a Git branch, makes changes to SCL blocks using AI assistance via T-IA Connect. Changes are tracked as text diffs.
2. Compile & Test
CI pipeline triggers TIA Portal compilation via T-IA Connect API. If compilation succeeds, run automated tests on PLCSim.
3. Code Review
Pull request created with SCL diffs. AI reviewer and/or human engineer reviews the changes. Comments, suggestions, approval workflow.
4. Merge & Deploy
After approval, merge to main branch. Deployment to PLC is triggered manually or automatically with full audit trail.
Git for TIA Portal: How It Works
T-IA Connect bridges the gap between binary TIA Portal projects and text-based version control
TIA Portal projects are stored in a proprietary binary format that Git can't diff or merge. T-IA Connect solves this by extracting block source code as SCL text files that Git handles natively.
Each block becomes a .scl file in your repository. Changes show up as readable diffs: "Line 45: changed timer preset from T#5s to T#3s". You see exactly what changed, when, and who changed it.
To restore a version, check out the Git commit and use T-IA Connect to import the SCL files back into TIA Portal. It's not a full project backup (you still need TIA Portal archive for that), but it gives you source-level version control for your program logic.
CI/CD Tools That Work with T-IA Connect
Integrate PLC development into your existing DevOps stack
Git / GitHub / GitLab
Version control SCL source files. Pull requests for code review. Branch protection rules. Commit history as audit trail.
GitHub Actions / GitLab CI
Trigger TIA Portal compilation on push. Run PLCSim tests. Post compilation results as PR comments. Block merge on errors.
Jenkins / Azure DevOps
Enterprise CI/CD pipelines with T-IA Connect REST API integration. Scheduled builds, test suites, and deployment gates.
Claude Code / AI Review
AI-powered code review for SCL. Automated checks for coding standards, safety patterns, and best practices on every pull request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Git really handle TIA Portal projects?
Not the binary TIA Portal project files directly — those don't diff or merge well. T-IA Connect extracts the block source code as SCL text files, which Git handles perfectly. You get readable diffs, branches, and merge capability for your program logic, while keeping TIA Portal archives for full project backup.
Do I need a dedicated build server with TIA Portal installed?
For full CI/CD with automated compilation, yes — you need a machine with TIA Portal and T-IA Connect that your CI system can reach. This can be a dedicated build server, a virtual machine, or even an engineer's workstation running as a build agent during off-hours.
How does this work with multiple engineers on the same project?
Each engineer works on their own branch. T-IA Connect exports blocks as individual .scl files, so changes to different blocks don't conflict. When two engineers modify the same block, Git shows the conflict in readable SCL text that can be resolved like any code merge.
Is this compatible with Siemens' own versioning (Project versioning)?
Yes, they complement each other. TIA Portal's built-in versioning works at the project level. Git via T-IA Connect works at the source code level with much better tooling (diffs, branches, PRs, CI). Use both: TIA Portal versioning for full project snapshots, Git for day-to-day source control.