Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 Full Series Major Upgrade — New CPU Family, Firmware V4.1 and TIA Portal V21 Land Together

Published: 2026-09-17 | Category: Product & Technology | Keywords: S7-1500 Full Series · Industry News · Firmware Upgrade

Contact: [email protected] | WhatsApp: +8615272221149

Lead: Between 2025 and 2026, Siemens has carried out a high-density upgrade across the entire SIMATIC S7-1500 flagship PLC series: a new high-performance CPU family was released in February 2025, legacy CPUs were formally discontinued from October 2025, followed by the synchronized delivery of Firmware V4.1 and TIA Portal V21 — delivering a dual leap in functionality and performance across communication, redundancy and motion control.

01 New CPU Family Launched with a Full Performance Leap

On February 19, 2025, Siemens released the new S7-1516 (T/TF), S7-1517 and S7-1518 CPU series, covering four positioning variants: Standard, Failsafe (F), Technology (T) and Technology Failsafe (TF).

• Program work memory doubled (+100%), with enlarged data and retentive memory to handle larger programs and process data
• Higher communication and data-processing performance for centralized control of large machines and production lines
• Standard, safety and technology applications share one hardware platform, simplifying selection and spare-part management

02 Legacy CPUs Discontinued, Replacement Path Confirmed

As of October 1, 2025, with supply of the innovative CPUs released, the following previous versions have been formally discontinued:

• CPU 1516 (T, TF)-3 PN (previous version)
• CPU 1517 (F, T, TF)-3 PN and 1517H-3 PN (previous version)
• CPU 1518 (F, T, TF)-4 PN and 1518HF-4 PN (previous version)

For existing projects: discontinuation does not mean end of support — official replacement order numbers and upgrade paths are available. New projects should adopt the new CPU family directly, while existing lines should plan spare parts and firmware compatibility in advance.

03 Firmware V3.1 → V4.0 → V4.1: Three Capability Upgrades

• V3.1: S7-1500R/H redundant systems gain new system power supply support (PS 25W / PS 60W, 24V DC and 120/230V AC/DC versions), making redundant power supply more flexible
• V4.0: Delivers higher performance and new functions to all S7-1500 CPUs, laying the foundation for next-generation functionality
• V4.1: Delivered with TIA Portal V21 — optimized OPC UA communication performance, enhanced communication capability of large PLCs as PROFINET I-Devices, and the introduction of CiR (Configuration in Run) for redundant CPUs, significantly improving system availability

Compatibility note: Firmware V4.1 requires STEP 7 Professional V21 (or higher) for configuration; firmware V3.0 and above requires V18 or higher. Verify the engineering version matrix before upgrading.

04 Motion Control V10.0 Released in Parallel

On November 21, 2025, TIA Portal V21 and Firmware V4.1 delivered the Motion Control V10.0 function library for S7-1500(F) / S7-1500T(TF) CPUs:

• The motion control function set is adapted and expanded to cover more axis types and process scenarios
• The new “Improve System Performance” function significantly shortens program and motion control cycle times

05 Upgrade Timeline at a Glance

• 2025-02-19: New CPU family released (S7-1516(T/TF), S7-1517, S7-1518 available with doubled program memory)
• 2025-10-01: Legacy CPUs discontinued (1516(T,TF)-3 PN, 1517(F,T,TF)-3 PN, 1517H-3 PN, 1518(F,T,TF)-4 PN, 1518HF-4 PN)
• 2025-11-21: Firmware V4.1 and Motion Control V10.0 delivered
• 2026: TIA Portal V21 full rollout — OPC UA performance, redundant CiR hot configuration, enhanced PROFINET I-Device capability, benefiting the full series

06 S7-1500 Full Series CPU Positioning Reference

The S7-1500 full series covers all performance segments on one unified platform:

• CPU 1511-1 PN — Small to mid-range applications; 1.8 MB work memory; 25 ns bit operation; PROFINET interface
• CPU 1513-1 PN — Mid-range applications; 3.1 MB work memory; 25 ns bit operation; PROFINET interface
• CPU 1515-2 PN — Mid-range to large applications; 5.5 MB work memory; 6 ns bit operation; two PROFINET interfaces
• CPU 1516-3 PN/DP — High-performance and communication tasks; 9.5 MB work memory; 6 ns bit operation; PROFINET + PROFIBUS interfaces
• New 1516 / 1517 / 1518 family — Large high-performance applications; program work memory doubled over the previous generation; PN/DP or MFP options available

Note: 1511–1516 figures are official public specifications; the new 1516/17/18 family doubles program memory over the previous generation. Selection guide: choose F for safety, T/TF for motion control, R/H for redundancy.

07 What This Means for OEMs, Integrators and End Users

• OEMs / machine builders: Doubled program memory lets large machines run more complex processes on a single controller, lowering hardware cost and integration complexity
• System integrators: Firmware is tightly coupled to TIA Portal — new projects should lock in the V21 engineering environment; assess version compatibility before migrating legacy projects
• End users / spare parts procurement: Replacement order numbers and spare supply are key after legacy models are discontinued; redundant lines can evaluate the availability gains of CiR hot configuration

08 About the Company

Wuhan Hantuo Automation

Wuhan Hantuo Automation specializes in the supply of and services for industrial automation control products — genuine Siemens PLCs, drives, servo systems, HMIs and sensors — serving global OEMs, system integrators and end users. We provide fast quotation, global logistics and technically compatible support to help customers achieve plant upgrades, equipment maintenance and spare-part management at lower cost.

Contact: [email protected] | WhatsApp: +8615272221149