T-IA Connect (Siemens TIA Portal)

# T-IA Copilot : GenAI Bridge for Siemens PLCs **Submission for the GenAI Zürich Hackathon 2026 — Siemens Challenge** > **Tagline:** Bridging LLMs and Siemens TIA Portal safely. Generates deterministic PLC logic (SCL/ISA-88) from natural language using Sovereign GenAI models. 🚀 **Get started in 5 minutes!** Download the core engine at [t-ia-connect.com](https://t-ia-connect.com/) and enjoy a **14-day full-featured free trial**. ## About This Repository This repository contains the **Generative AI bridging components** built specifically during the hackathon. > **Note:** The core proprietary engine (the deterministic SimaticML XML builder and the TIA Portal Openness API connector) remains private. This open-source repository demonstrates how we successfully connected Sovereign LLMs to our deterministic industrial backend. --- ## MCP Integration (Claude Desktop & Cursor) You can easily connect T-IA Connect to your favorite AI Assistant using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Add the following configuration to your `claude_desktop_config.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "tia-connect": { "command": "C:\\Program Files\\T-IA Connect\\TiaPortalApi.App.exe", "args": ["--mcp"] } } } ``` ### Key MCP Tools Available Once connected, the AI gains access to 120+ TIA Portal capabilities, including: - `get_project_overview`: Understand the entire PLC program structure instantly. - `list_blocks` / `get_block_details`: Explore specific folders, OBs, FBs, and FCs. - `create_scl_block` / `import_scl_source`: Inject AI-generated logic directly into your project. - `compile_device`: Trigger TIA compilation directly from the chat. - `plcsim_start_simulation` / `plcsim_write_tag`: Automate testing using PLCSim Advanced. --- ## Quick Start — Headless API Blueprint ### Prerequisites - **T-IA Connect** installed ([t-ia-connect.com](https://t-ia-connect.com)) - **Siemens TIA Portal** V17, V18, V19, V20 or V21 - A TIA Portal project file (`.ap17` / `.ap18` / `.ap19` / `.ap20`) ### 1. Launch in Headless Mode ```powershell # No GUI, no WPF window — just a REST API ready to receive commands TiaPortalApi.App.exe --headless # Output: # T-IA Connect — Headless Mode # API: http://localhost:9000/ # Swagger: http://localhost:9000/swagger # Press Ctrl+C to stop. ``` ### 2. Open a TIA Portal Project (silently) ```powershell curl -X POST http://localhost:9000/api/projects/open ` -H "X-API-Key: your-key" ` -H "Content-Type: application/json" ` -d '{ "projectPath": "C:\\Projects\\WaterPlant.ap20" }' ``` ### 3. Generate a PLC Block from Natural Language ```powershell curl -X POST http://localhost:9000/api/blocks/generate ` -H "X-API-Key: your-key" ` -H "Content-Type: application/json" ` -d '{ "deviceName": "PLC_1", "blockType": "FB", "blockName": "FB_WaterPump", "description": "Water pump with Start/Stop, thermal fault (TON 5s), Manual/Auto mode", "language": "SCL" }' ``` ### 4. Compile — Done ```powershell curl -X POST http://localhost:9000/api/blocks/compile ` -H "X-API-Key: your-key" ` -H "Content-Type: application/json" ` -d '{ "deviceName": "PLC_1", "blockName": "FB_WaterPump" }' ``` > No TIA Portal window ever opened. The block is compiled and ready. ### Full Automated Script See [`examples/Run-Headless-Demo.ps1`](examples/Run-Headless-Demo.ps1) for a complete end-to-end script. --- ## Architecture ```text ┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ │ AI Agent │ │ T-IA Connect │ │ TIA Portal │ │ (Claude, etc.) │────▶│ REST API │────▶│ Openness API │ │ │ MCP │ + Deterministic │ │ (headless) │ │ "Create a pump │ or │ XML Engine │ │ │ │ sequence..." │ HTTP│ │ │ ┌─────────┐ │ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │ │ FB_Pump │ │ │ │ compiled│ │ │ └─────────┘ │ └───────────────┘ ``` --- ## Key Hackathon Components ### 1. Sovereign AI Integration (`src/OpenAiProvider.cs`) - Custom C# provider connecting to European-hosted AI models (OVHcloud AI Endpoints) - Ensures sensitive PLC logic never leaves the EU - Tested with `Qwen3-Coder-30B-Instruct` for precise SCL generation ### 2. MCP Bridge E2E Tests (`tests/`) - Demonstrates headless WPF boot → TIA Portal silent open → MCP `tools/call` execution - Full lifecycle orchestration without any user interaction --- ## How It Works (The T-IA Copilot Workflow) | Step | What happens | Who does it | |------|-------------|-------------| | 1. **Prompt** | "Generate a pump sequence with a thermal fault" | Engineer or AI Agent | | 2. **AI Reasoning** | LLM designs the state machine logic (SCL/JSON) | Sovereign LLM (Qwen) | | 3. **Deterministic Compile** | C# engine builds strict SimaticML XML (no AI hallucination) | T-IA Connect | | 4. **Deploy** | Block imported + compiled headlessly in TIA Portal | Openness API | **Result:** Chat prompt → Compiled PLC block in under 30 seconds. --- --- ## Skills, Prompts, and Resources To maximize your efficiency with T-IA Connect, we have included the following: - **Skills (MCP Tools):** 120+ specialized tools to interact with TIA Portal (Blocks, Tags, HMI, PLC Simulation, etc.). - **[Prompts](./PROMPTS.md):** A guide to the best natural language prompts to generate industrial-grade PLC code. - **Resources:** T-IA Connect provides read-only access to your project structure via specialized resources, allowing the AI to "browse" your project tree without manual intervention. --- ## Tech Stack | Component | Technology | |-----------|-----------| | Backend | C# / .NET Framework 4.8 | | Target | Siemens TIA Portal V17-V21 (Openness API) | | AI Models | Qwen3-Coder-30B via OVHcloud AI Endpoints | | Protocol | MCP (Model Context Protocol) by Anthropic | | API | REST + SignalR (real-time job notifications) | | Tools | 126 MCP tools for full TIA Portal orchestration | --- ## Links - **Website:** [t-ia-connect.com](https://t-ia-connect.com) - **DevPost:** [T-IA Copilot on DevPost](https://devpost.com/software/t-ia-copilot-genai-for-industrial-plcs) - **Hackathon:** [GenAI Zürich 2026](https://genaizurich2026.devpost.com/)