Siemens brings Git and YAML to HMI engineering with SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements
The new US-exclusive tool bridges the gap between industrial automation and IT by enabling code-based HMI development.
Siemens has launched SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements, an IT-style engineering application designed to modernize how Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) are developed. The tool introduces code-based development to the SIMATIC WinCC Unified system, allowing industrial engineers to utilize standard IT workflows for the first time.
Currently available exclusively in the United States, the application supports WinCC Unified PC Runtime applications. The tool enables full project generation from human-readable YAML files, which can combine configurations, scripts, and AI-generated code. To support modern software lifecycles, Siemens has integrated native Git functionality, allowing teams to manage project history through branching and merge-request workflows. Additionally, the IDE is extension-based and built on the Open VSX marketplace, supporting CI/CD pipelines to streamline deployment.
The shift to Software Defined Automation
This launch marks a strategic expansion of the SIMATIC AX family, which previously focused on Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming. By moving into visualization, Siemens is advancing its "Software Defined Automation" initiative. This shift is intended to bridge the long-standing divide between traditional Operational Technology (OT) and modern Information Technology (IT) practices. According to the company, this transition is partly a response to the ongoing shortage of skilled automation talent, as it allows the industry to leverage a broader pool of software-literate engineers.
Reducing friction between OT and IT
The integration of IT-standard tools like YAML and Git into industrial engineering reduces the friction typically found when scaling automation projects. By enabling hybrid workflows, the system allows graphical development environments and direct code editing to respond to one another in real time. This flexibility allows for faster iteration cycles and improved collaboration among distributed teams.
"For decades, we've helped manufacturers automate their production lines; now we're automating the automation itself," said Adrien Amar, Global Business Development Manager for Software Defined Automation and SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements at Siemens. Cory Rinaldi, Portfolio Sales Enablement Manager for SCADA & Edge in North America, added that the combination of visual and text-based engineering helps customers adopt IT-driven practices without compromising the reliability required for industrial automation.
What to watch
As Siemens pushes toward a more software-centric automation model, the industry will be watching to see if this US-exclusive launch expands to global markets. The ability to leverage AI-driven code generation within a production-ready HMI environment suggests a future where industrial interfaces are generated and updated with the same agility as web applications. Whether this approach can be scaled across diverse industrial sectors remains the primary point of interest for the market.