What is STEP 7?
STEP 7 is the standard software package used for configuring and programming SIMATIC programmable logic controllers. It is part of the SIMATIC industry software. There are the following versions of the STEP 7 Standard package:

• STEP 7 Micro/DOS and STEP 7 Micro/Win for simpler stand-alone applications on the SIMATIC S7-200.
  
• STEP 7 for applications on SIMATIC S7-300/S7-400, SIMATIC M7-300/M7-400, and SIMATIC C7 with a wider range of functions.
  
• Can be extended as an option by the software products in the SIMATIC Industry Software (see also Extended Uses of the STEP 7 Standard Package)
  
• Opportunity of assigning parameters to function modules and communications processors
  
• Forcing and multicomputing mode
  
• Global data communication
  
• Event-driven data transfer using communication function blocks
  
• Configuring connections

STEP 7 is the subject of this documentation, STEP 7 Micro is described in the "STEP 7 Micro/DOS" documentation.

Basic Tasks
When you create an automation solution with STEP 7, there are a series of basic tasks. The following figure shows the tasks that need to be performed for most projects and assigns them to a basic procedure. It refers you to the relevant chapter thus giving you the opportunity of moving through the manual to find taskrelated information.