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 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:

{
 "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)
• Siemens TIA Portal V17, V18, V19, V20 or V21
• A TIA Portal project file (.ap17 / .ap18 / .ap19 / .ap20)

1. Launch in Headless Mode

# 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)

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

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

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 for a complete end-to-end script.

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐
│ 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)

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: 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

Links

• Website: t-ia-connect.com
• DevPost: T-IA Copilot on DevPost
• Hackathon: GenAI Zürich 2026