What are Siemens TIA Portal?
Siemens TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) Portal is a collection of tools designed to integrate into CAD and PLM applications. The last version is 18 (03.2023 update) and includes several software packages: SIMATIC STEP 7, SIMATIC WinCC, SINAMICS Startdrive, SIMOTION SCOUT TIA, SIMOCODE ES, SIRIUS Soft Starter ES, SIRIUS Safety ES, etc. Each component provides one specific function, such as automatic path planning, geometric modelling, shape search, and so on. However, certain components are logically grouped together; for example, components in the “Kineo” group perform functions useful for controlling robotic arms and similar equipment. Though all of these components are theoretically cross-platform, in practice, many of them work only on Windows. Attempts to use TIA Portal on Mac produce strange and inconsistent results – which is obviously unacceptable in any field that demands precision. However, there are several way to run Siemens TIA Portal on Mac without encountering these issues; the most straightforward one is to use a virtual machine. Read the article for a more detailed explanation.
How to run Siemens TIA Portal on Mac
The most popular solution for running Siemens TIA Portal on Mac/MacBook is virtualization software. Despite the fact that emulators usually demand quite a lot of computing power out of a Mac, some of them, for example, Parallels, VirtualBox, or VMWare, can be used to run different programs on OS X with minimal losses in performance. Moreover, some of them are compatible with DirectX 11, which can help with running graphically demanding apps and games. They also allow you to copy any files between your Windows installation and OS X freely.
Run Siemens TIA Portal on Mac using Parallels
Parallels Desktop is easily the best virtualization program available on Mac; as such, it is the best way to run Siemens TIA Portal on Mac. It allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between OS X and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows and install Siemens TIA Portal just like on a regular PC.
Run Siemens TIA Portal on Mac using other virtual machines
Another popular virtualization program is VMware Fusion. It, too, allows running virtual machines with operating systems such as Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris. It supports DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 hardware acceleration, which allows the virtual machines to run heavy, GPU-intensive applications and games with top 3D graphics.
You can also try VirtualBox, Wine, and QEMU, however, these solutions are not user-oriented and may require advanced computer skills.
Run Siemens TIA Portal on a remote server
If you have a powerful Windows-based server and a fast internet connection, you may be able to run Siemens TIA Portal on that server machine and stream its screen to your Mac.
You can use TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or other software for this purpose.
Run Siemens TIA Portal on Windows 10 using Boot Camp
Note: Mac M1/M2 chipsets are not supported by BootCamp
BootCamp allows users to choose which operating system to launch at startup, however, you won’t be able to switch between them like when using Parallels. You will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Do note that you will need no less than 64 GB of free space on your device (we recommend having 128 GB).
To set up Windows via BootCamp, please, do the following:
Important: for MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create bootable Windows USB.
- Download Windows ISO file
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities)
- Define the Windows partition size choose downloaded Windows ISO file
- Format Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps
- When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)