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Compatability of Step 7 and TIA Portal V13

Created by: Gavin Murray at: 4/4/2014 4:35 PM (4 Replies)

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4/4/2014 4:35 PM	Rate (0)
Gavin Murray Posts: 2 Rating: (0)	Sorry - but you'll have to forgive the rant - but I think it's justified ... Well what a very very awful experience I'm having with Siemens. We are upgrading a machine that already has a S7-300 PLC with just a series of LEDs to make an annunciator display for the operator - the upgrade is to add a HMI.Under advise from our distributor we are adding a KTP 600 DP Colour Basic HMI. The PLC was programmed with Step 7 (V5.4) using an RS 232 serial to MPI adapter to connect to the PLCs profibus programming port. Hence we have a DP version of the HMI to connect to the PLC. The problem is with the programming software and lack of compatibility of connection to the PLC and HMI for downloading to both. We program the PLC using Step 7 V5.4 on a Win Xp laptop using an RS 232 MPI adapter to Profibus. After buying the HMI we discover that it need new software TIA Portal Basic, instead of our existing WinCC, to program it. After buying TIA Portal Basic (other companies would have this as a free download), I then find that you can't install the latest version (V13) on Win XP (Crazy - WIn XP will be used for year in industrial applications - whether Microsoft support it or not). So I install on another laptop using WIn 7 64 bit only to find that : 1. I still can't communicate with the HMI as : a) TIA Portal won't work with USB to RS 232 converters (my converter works well with Festo, Mitsubishi, PC to PC etc) b) The KTP 600 Basics need a PPI adapter anyway, you can't download projects with an MPI adapter. 2. I can't install our Step 7 V5.4 on WIn7 64 bit. So I have a system (recommended by a nameless Siemens distributor) that : - needs two different computers to program the HMI and PLC - needs two different cables to connect to the PLC and HMI to download projects - I can't (obviously) be connected to both at the same time to monitor and download updates during development I realise now that this is really a "pig in a poke" system and solution - and really the KTP600 Basics should be used with Profinet - probably to a S7 1200 PLC and the whole job done using TIA Portal Basic. But the legacy support both for the S7 - 300 and the compatibility of programming software is very disappointing.
Gavin Murray Posts: 2 Rating: (0)
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4/4/2014 8:25 PM	Rate (0)
billwest Posts: 510 Rating: (120)	I know you are frustrated, especially when you have received guidance that may not be correct. I am using WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 UPD3. I can add a KTP600 Basic Color DP panel to the project. The product announcement said you could program Basic panels starting withWinCC Flexible 2008 SP1. What version of WinCC Flexible are you using? Regards, billwest
billwest Posts: 510 Rating: (120)
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4/7/2014 4:54 PM	Rate (0)
Gavin Murray Posts: 2 Rating: (0)	Hi Bill, Thanks for the sympathetic reply! I think the WinCC that we have is Win CC Flexible 2005 SP1 Standard. We're not "regular" Siemens users - only when certain customers require it, and at the present we're supporting some older machines that have S7-300 PLCs with ladder written in Step 7 V5.4. The cabling saga for programming a mix of S7-300 Profibus and KTP600 Basic Colour DP seems a crazy mess as well! Assuming that I could program the KTP600 Basic with WinCC - what I assume I'd still need a different cable to connect to it to download the project would I? (A USB to Profibus PPI adapter - instead of the RS232 to Profibus MPI adapter that we already have?) Thanks again Gavin
Gavin Murray Posts: 2 Rating: (0)	Last edited by: Gavin Murray at: 4/7/2014 5:00 PM
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4/7/2014 10:51 PM	Rate (0)
billwest Posts: 510 Rating: (120)	Gavin, I generally I work with the Profinet versions of the panels. The first genration Basic panels come in the Profinet version and the DP version you purchased. The manual, http://support.automation.siemens.com/WW/view/en/31032678 Chapter 5, section 5.1.10describes setting up the the Transfer function on the panel to download theprogram. If you choose serial, it does call out the PPI cable. However, if youselect the DP, you can select the Advanced button to connfigure either DP or MPI. It is a matter of setting theaddress and baud rate. Then you can use the Profibus cable. When Comm ports started disappearing on Laptops I found the docking stations had serial ports that work well with serial communications.(The docking station parallel port also worked well for dongles that used the parallel port.) I use a PG so I can't test it for you. If you have a docking station with a serial portfor the Windows 7 laptop, use the "Setting the PG/PC Interface"and install the PC adapter. Then try to download by selecting the MPI or DP interface and and the PC Adapter. If you don't have a docking station (port replicator), purchasing one may be an economical solution. Let me know if you have success or more questions Regards, billwest
billwest Posts: 510 Rating: (120)
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4/8/2014 8:51 AM	Rate (0)
Wizard Diamond Expert Joined: 4/24/2006 Last visit: 2/7/2025 Posts: 8839 Rating: (1181)	Hello, Perhaps the following links might help: Which connector cables are available for connecting to SIMATIC Panels? Why can you not transfer the HMI configuration to the panel? Best regards, Wizard

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