March 11, 2026 · siemenssimatic-axtia-portalplc-programmingindustrial-automation
SIMATIC AX gives you two completely different project types.
The one you pick shapes your entire workflow.
In my previous post, I showed AX runs from any VS Code workspace — no AX Code IDE required.
But! Once you run apax create, you face a real choice.
Full AX Engineering — apax create hwc-app
Everything happens in AX.
Writing code, hardware configuration, compiling, downloading to PLC, online debugging.
TIA Portal is not involved at all.
This is fully code-first approach to S7-1500 engineering.
AX + TIA Portal Hybrid — apax create app
You develop function blocks in AX — with version control, unit testing, and CI/CD.
Then export them as locked FBs into TIA Portal.
TIA Portal still handles hardware configuration, compilation, downloading, and online work.
Where the Engineering Boundary Sits
So the difference is where the engineering boundary sits.
Full AX moves everything into code-first world.
The hybrid keeps AX focused on code development while TIA Portal handles the rest.
Which One to Start With
If you are already working in TIA Portal, I should say the hybrid approach is the practical starting point.
You get proper version control and automated testing for your code — without leaving TIA Portal behind for everything else.
Full AX is for when you are ready to go all-in on code-first workflow from day one.
Either way, it starts with apax create.
Originally published on LinkedIn.
