Use Claude, ChatGPT or Any AI
Directly with TIA Portal
Connect your favorite AI assistant to Siemens TIA Portal. Generate SCL code, create function blocks, manage PLC tags, and automate your workflow — all through natural language.
Why Use AI with TIA Portal?
PLC programming is repetitive. Writing boilerplate SCL code, creating data blocks, documenting function blocks, managing hundreds of tags — these tasks consume hours that engineers could spend on actual problem-solving.
With T-IA Connect, your AI assistant — Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or any LLM — connects directly to TIA Portal through the MCP protocol. Instead of copy-pasting code between a chat window and TIA Portal, the AI reads your project, understands your existing code, and writes directly into your blocks.
How It Works
Three steps to connect any AI to TIA Portal
1. Install T-IA Connect
Download and install T-IA Connect on your engineering workstation. It runs as a local MCP server alongside TIA Portal — no cloud, no complex setup.
2. Connect Your AI
Open your preferred AI client — Claude in Cursor, ChatGPT in VS Code, or any MCP-compatible tool. T-IA Connect automatically exposes 60+ TIA Portal operations to your AI.
3. Start Building
Ask your AI to create function blocks, generate SCL code, manage tags, compile, or download to PLC. The AI reads your project context and generates code that fits your existing structure.
Works with Every AI Model
T-IA Connect uses the open MCP protocol — not locked to any vendor
Claude (Anthropic)
Best for complex SCL code generation. Claude Sonnet and Opus excel at understanding PLC logic, safety constraints, and generating production-ready structured text.
ChatGPT / GPT-4o (OpenAI)
Strong at general PLC tasks — tag management, block documentation, code conversion. Works through Cursor, VS Code, or any OpenAI-compatible client.
Local Models (Ollama)
Run Llama 3.1, Qwen 2.5 Coder, or Mistral locally for air-gapped environments. Zero cloud dependency, full data sovereignty.
GitHub Copilot
Use GitHub Copilot's AI capabilities with TIA Portal context. T-IA Connect provides the PLC project awareness that Copilot lacks on its own.
Google Gemini
Connect Google's Gemini models via compatible MCP clients. Good for multilingual documentation and code explanation tasks.
Any MCP Client
Any tool supporting the Model Context Protocol works — Windsurf, Continue, Zed, custom integrations. The protocol is open and standardized.
What Can AI Do with TIA Portal?
Real-world tasks that engineers automate every day
Generate SCL Function Blocks
Describe what you need in plain English: "Create an FB for PID motor control with auto/manual modes, alarm handling, and runtime counter." The AI writes the SCL code and creates the block in TIA Portal.
Convert IO Lists to PLC Tags
Import a CSV or Excel IO list and let the AI create all PLC tags, data blocks, and mapping tables automatically. Hours of manual work done in seconds.
Document Existing Code
Point the AI at undocumented function blocks. It reads the SCL code, understands the logic, and generates comprehensive block comments, interface descriptions, and user documentation.
Refactor Legacy Code
Migrate old LAD/FBD blocks to clean SCL. The AI reads the existing logic, understands the intent, and rewrites it in modern structured text with proper error handling.
Create UDTs and Data Structures
Describe your data model: "I need a UDT for a valve with position feedback, interlocks, manual override, and diagnostics." The AI creates the UDT and associated DBs.
Compile and Test
After generating code, ask the AI to compile and check for errors. It reads compiler output, fixes issues, and can even manage PLCSim instances for virtual testing.
Why Not Just Copy-Paste from ChatGPT?
The difference between generic AI chat and integrated AI tooling
| Capability | AI Chat (Copy-Paste) | AI + T-IA Connect (MCP) |
|---|---|---|
| Context Awareness | ChatGPT alone doesn't know your project structure, existing UDTs, or naming conventions | T-IA Connect feeds your full project context to the AI — it reads your blocks, tags, and code before generating |
| Direct Integration | Copy code from browser → paste into TIA Portal → fix formatting → debug → repeat | AI writes directly into TIA Portal blocks. No copy-paste, no formatting issues, no manual transfer |
| Validation | No way to verify generated code works until you manually paste and compile | AI compiles after writing, reads errors, fixes them — iterative development loop built-in |
| Multi-Step Workflows | Each task is isolated — no memory of previous steps or project state | AI chains operations: create UDT → create DB → write FB → compile → test. Full workflow automation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code to use AI with TIA Portal?
No. You describe what you want in natural language — English, French, German, any language. The AI handles the SCL syntax, TIA Portal conventions, and code structure. However, you should understand PLC concepts (function blocks, tags, data types) to review and validate the generated code.
Which AI model is best for PLC code generation?
Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4 produce the best SCL code — they understand industrial conventions, safety patterns, and IEC 61131-3 standards. GPT-4o is also strong. For local/offline use, Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B gives excellent results. Even 8B models handle routine tasks like tag creation.
Is my PLC code sent to the cloud?
T-IA Connect runs locally on your machine. Your project data goes to the AI API you choose — if you use Claude or GPT, it goes to their servers for processing. For zero cloud exposure, use local models via Ollama. T-IA Connect never stores or transmits your data itself.
Can I use Claude Code (CLI) with TIA Portal?
Yes! Claude Code supports MCP servers natively. Add T-IA Connect as an MCP server in your Claude Code configuration and Claude can directly interact with your TIA Portal projects from the terminal. This is one of the most powerful setups for experienced engineers.