T-IA Connect for VS Code

Explore, edit, and compile Siemens TIA Portal projects directly from VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf.

This extension connects to a running T-IA Connect server and provides a full development workflow for PLC programming: without leaving your editor.

View all screenshots: 28 screenshots showing the complete workflow.

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Quick Start

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Click the T-IA Connect icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
3. Sign in with your T-IA Connect account (or create an account, then choose a paid plan)
4. If T-IA Connect is not installed, follow the download link in the sidebar
5. Click Launch Headless or Launch with GUI to start the server
6. Open a TIA Portal project: you're ready to code!

The API key is configured automatically when the server runs on your machine. No manual setup needed.

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Features

Project Explorer

Browse your TIA Portal project structure directly in VS Code.

• Device tree: PLCs, HMIs, and their contents: blocks, tag tables, UDTs, watch tables
• Block folders: hierarchical view matching your TIA Portal structure
• Block icons: color-coded by type: OB (blue), FB (green), FC (orange), DB (purple)
• Status indicators: block language and consistency state at a glance
• Project Dashboard: overview panel with device stats, block counts, tag summaries, and UDT counts

SCL / STL Editing

Double-click any SCL or STL block to open it with full language support. Edit, save (Ctrl+S), and it's reimported into TIA Portal automatically.

• Syntax highlighting: TextMate grammars for SCL and STL
• Autocompletion: keywords, types, variables, and built-in functions
• Signature Help: parameter hints for 30+ SCL functions
• Hover documentation: type info, function docs, system block documentation (TON, CTU, R_TRIG...)
• Go-to-Definition: Ctrl+click on local variables or block names (cross-file via API)
• Rename Symbol (F2): rename a variable across the entire file
• Diagnostics: compilation errors mapped to precise source lines (regex + symbol search)
• Document Outline: hierarchical view of blocks, sections, and variables
• 15 SCL snippets: FB, FC, OB, DB, IF, FOR, CASE, TON, R_TRIG...
• Compilation errors displayed directly in the editor (red/yellow squiggles at the correct line)
• Background preloading: blocks are cached after project load for near-instant opening

Save behavior

• Ctrl+S (manual save) triggers reimport into TIA Portal + optional auto-compile
• VS Code auto-save is ignored: no accidental reimports
• Safety timer saves to disk every 5/10/15 minutes without reimporting (configurable)

LAD / FBD / GRAPH Viewer

Non-editable blocks open in a graphical webview with SVG rendering.

• Contacts and coils: NO, NC, positive/negative edge, Set/Reset
• Function blocks: 40+ instruction types (TON, TOF, TP, CTU, CTD, CTUD, MOVE, ADD, SUB, MUL, DIV, CMP...) rendered with tinted header, EN/ENO row, and named input/output pins
• Connected values: current values (PT, PV, CV, IN1, OUT...) displayed inside each block
• Parallel branches: vertical merge connectors and wire routing
• Interface table: variable types shown alongside the network
• Read-only: no accidental modifications

Create Blocks

Right-click any device in the Project Explorer and select Create Block.

• Block types: FB, FC, OB, DB
• Languages: SCL, STL, LAD, FBD, GRAPH
• SCL/STL blocks include a ready-to-use code template
• The project tree refreshes automatically

Compile

Compile a single block or an entire device from the context menu or the Command Palette.

• Progress notification with error/warning count
• Detailed messages in the Output channel
• Compilation errors appear as diagnostics at the correct line in the editor
• T-IA Connect: Diagnostic opens a copyable, privacy-safe support report with versions, Desktop/REST/SignalR/MCP/license state, bounded latency, and normalized error codes
• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+B

Export / Import

Full bidirectional export and import for all project data.

Tags

• Export tag tables as CSV, XLSX, or XML
• Import from CSV or XLSX

UDTs (User-Defined Types)

• Export/import as XML

Watch Tables

• Export/import watch and force tables

HMI

• Export/import individual HMI screens
• Bulk export: screens + tags + connections in one command

Hardware Configuration

• Export/import hardware config (AML format)

Export All

• One-click export of tags + UDTs + watch tables for a device

Source Control (VCS)

Version your TIA Portal project with Git-based source control in VS Code's native Source Control view.

1. Export Preview (eye icon): export the project and detect changes since the last commit
2. Review: click any changed file to open a read-only side-by-side diff
3. Commit (checkmark icon): save the current state with a message

Additional features:

• Push / Pull to remote repositories
• Branch operations: create, switch, delete, merge
• Commit log with diff viewer
• Auto-export every minute (changes appear automatically)
• Auto-refresh status every 30 seconds
• Smart Comparison: normalized XML diff (strips IDs, timestamps, whitespace) to detect real changes
• Dependency Sort: topological ordering (Kahn's algorithm) for correct import order
• Orphan Cleanup: detect blocks deleted in TIA Portal but still in source control
• License-aware actions (VCS commands stay unavailable when hasVcs is not included in your edition)
• Monitoring stops immediately on disconnect, including scheduled refreshes and exports

AI Integration

Three complementary AI features for PLC development:

@tia Chat Participant (GitHub Copilot Chat)

Type @tia in GitHub Copilot Chat to interact with your TIA Portal project using natural language.

• 30 Language Model Tools: project overview, block management, compilation, tags, UDTs, cross-references, PLCSim, VCS, pipelines, hardware
• Agentic loop: the AI can chain multiple tool calls (up to 10 rounds) to complete complex tasks
• License check: verifies AI license before consuming tokens

T-IA Connect Copilot (Sidebar)

Dedicated AI assistant in the secondary sidebar, independent of GitHub Copilot.

• Connected to the T-IA Connect server's multi-provider LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Ollama)
• Chat history, clickable block links, auto-refresh after AI actions
• Connection-aware: shows sign-in or offline state when not connected
• Localized in French

MCP Server

The T-IA Connect server exposes hundreds of Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools, with the exact catalog depending on licensed features. The extension auto-generates .vscode/mcp.json so GitHub Copilot Chat can use the available MCP tools automatically.

Compatible with: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client.

PLC Tests

Run PLC tests against PLCSim Advanced from the native VS Code Test Explorer.

• Automatic Workspace Trust, license, and PLCSim availability checks
• Discover and refresh test suites directly in the Test Explorer
• Run all tests, a selected test, or a selected step; exclusions and cancellation are supported
• Native pass/fail/error results for suites and steps, with assertion messages and expected vs actual values
• Test duration in the standard VS Code results panel

Cross-References

View cross-references for any block type (SCL, STL, LAD, FBD, GRAPH).

• Source and target references with type badges
• Read/Write access indicators
• Dedicated webview panel alongside the editor

Pipelines (CI/CD)

Define and run CI/CD pipelines for your TIA Portal projects.

• List, run, and monitor pipelines
• Create from built-in templates
• Execution history with step-level details

Workspace Scaffolding

Initialize a TIA-ready workspace with one command:

• .gitignore with TIA Portal patterns (.ap, .zap, .tia-temp/)
• .github/copilot-instructions.md for GitHub Copilot context
• CLAUDE.md for Claude Code context

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Authentication

The extension uses two independent layers:

| Layer | Purpose | How it works | |-------|---------|--------------| | T-IA Connect Account | Identifies you, checks your license | Sign in via browser: token stored securely in your OS keyring | | Server API Key | Authenticates REST calls to the local server | Auto-configured from the local server (no manual copy-paste) |

On first launch:

1. Click Sign In in the sidebar → your browser opens the login page
2. After login, the extension picks up your session automatically
3. The API key is retrieved from the local server in the background

Your credentials are stored in the OS credential manager (Windows Credential Manager / macOS Keychain / Linux Secret Service). They are never stored in plain text.

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Opening Projects

Use T-IA Connect: Switch Project (Ctrl+Shift+P) to open a project.

• Recent projects: your project history, sorted by last access
• Browse...: file dialog to pick any .ap17 to .ap21 file
• Archives: .zap17 to .zap21 files are supported (prompts for extraction folder)
• Default browse location: Documents/Automation

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Server Management

The extension can launch and stop the T-IA Connect server for you.

| Action | Description | |--------|-------------| | Launch Headless | Runs silently in the background (no window) | | Launch with GUI | Opens the full desktop application | | Stop Server | Shuts down the server (from the Disconnect menu) |

The server is automatically detected if installed in the default location. You can configure a custom path in settings.

If the server starts on a non-default port (conflict in the 9000–9100 range), the extension reads the instance registry (%APPDATA%\FeelAutomCorp\T-IA-Connect\instances.json) and automatically offers to update the server URL: no manual reconfiguration needed.

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Extension Settings

| Setting | Default | Description | |---------|---------|-------------| | tiaConnect.serverUrl | http://localhost:9000 | T-IA Connect server URL | | tiaConnect.apiKey | *(auto-config