Siemens novice trying to download

technolog

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We're a used machinery merchant and have a Siemens PLC that has lost its program due to a dead battery. We have the software to download but, at the moment, we're unable to get a connection.

My boss tells me it's actually a servo drive with PLC built in. It's a Sinumerik 840D 6FC5247-0AA00-0AA2.

I'm using a 6ES7 972-0CB20-0XA0 USB to 9-pin DSub cable and Simatic Manager V5.5. I open Simatic Manager then open the project from disk. I go to Options/Set PG/PC interface and there are several options for drivers. I've tried PC Adapter.Auto.1, PC Adapter.MPI.1, PC Adapter.PPI.1 and PC Adapter.PROFIBUS.1. The Profibus driver has <Active> beside it - I'm not sure of the significance of this.

When I use the Auto driver and try to auto-detect the network settings, it says it's set to 187.5 kbits/s but that I have to set the parameters manually (or words to that effect).

Everything I've tried (all three possible ports on the front, each of the drivers mentioned above with the local address set to between 0 and 6) doesn't work - I get nothing appearing in the Accessible Nodes window.

When I click on the Blocks folder in the navigation tree and Edit/Select All then click the Download button, after a wait it reports that the local station address is higher than the highest address on the network.

I've attached some photos that may shed some more light. Any help would be very gratefully received.

20180410_092234c.jpg 20180410_090259c.jpg 20180410_090252c.jpg
 
I think that it is not a Siemens PC Adapter USB.
It doesnt say "Siemens" on it, and the one I know looks a bit different.
If it is a 3rd party device, then maybe you need a special driver.
On the Siemens PC Adapter USB there are a number of lamps, that indicate if power is ON. The Siemens PC Adapter needs power from the 9-pin cable, so it has to be plugged in a port with power out (such as an S7 CPU). If all is OK, there will be lights in the lamps. Not sure about the 3rd party PC Adapter USB.

edit:
here is a link to Siemens PC Adapter USB.
https://mall.industry.siemens.com/mall/da/dk/Catalog/Product/6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0
as you can see it is a different design.
 
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What you're connecting to is a CNC controller. It is many things, but you boss is right, two of its functions are servo controller and PLC.

I don't know much about the older 840D controllers. I think yours is "powerline", if you talk to someone from Siemens. Solution line (or Sl) is the newer version. Not sure which of the ports to use to download, but my guess is you might be able to do it through most of them that your adapter fits into.

You will need to manually set the bus speed to 187.5, as you stated. 187.5 often means that it is MPI, but Profibus can also be at that speed. You may also need to change your station number. I think 1 is commonly reserved for a PC, but whoever built your machine may have used a different convention. You need to assign your PC a station number that isn't in use for you to be able to communicate. However, since you don't know what is out there, you may need to do a little guess and check. By default, the max Profibus address is 31, but there is a checkbox to extend this.

The fact that Profibus is marked <active> means that that is the driver Step 7 is currently trying to use for communication. You can mark a different driver as <active> to have step 7 use that instead. Only one driver can be active at a time.

edit:
here is a link to Siemens PC Adapter USB.
https://mall.industry.siemens.com/mall/da/dk/Catalog/Product/6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0
as you can see it is a different design.

I think his part number is the older version of the one you linked.
 
That is a Siemens Adapter.

>>>
6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0
*** SPARE PART*** SIMATIC S7, PC ADAPTER USB F. CONNECTION OF S7-200/300/ 400, C7; WITH USB-CABLE (5M) CAN BE USED UNDER WINXP/VISTA/ WINDOWS 7 32/64BIT

Product Lifecycle (PLM) PM500:Discontinued Product or end of PLM & Support

Successor 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0
Successor Description PC adapter USB A2 USB adapter (USB V2.0) for connection of a PG/PC or notebook to SIMATIC S7 via PROFIBUS or MPI contain USB cable 5 m, MPI cable 0.3 m can be used under Windows XP/Vista/ Windows 7 32/64-bit and higher

...
https://mall.industry.siemens.com/mall/en/ww/Catalog/Product/6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0
>>>

I have a feeling the PG/PC interface is where things are not working (assuming the USB
box is working correctly).
Poet.
 
The fact that Profibus is marked <active> means that that is the driver Step 7 is currently trying to use for communication. You can mark a different driver as <active> to have step 7 use that instead. Only one driver can be active at a time.

Thanks for the replies. It never ceases to amaze me how much time and trouble people go to trying to assist on here.

I've tried two different cable/adapters. They look different but have the same part number. The power lights were on. In fact all the lights were on, solid. Strangely, one had two LEDs and the other had three.

I've not seen any option to switch which driver is active. So I guess the Profibus driver is the only one I've used, effectively. How do I change the active driver to be the MPI driver? I'm hopeful that if I can change the MPI driver to be active that it'll spring into life.
 
The S7 system I have where I work . . . I was trying to access MicroMaster Drives via
Profibus . . From the PC which has an S7 PLC card tucked inside it then out its Profibus . .

Poorly worded. There is a computer. Inside the computer there is an S7 PLC card. From
the PLC card there are Profibus cables which run to the drives.

I had to set the PG/PC Interface to an ASUS NX1101 NIC card - A TCP/IP type
interface card. (Which is also inside the computer beside the PLC card.)
The PLC card I use also has an IP address . . . (But it has no NIC port of its own.)

The ASUS card and another NIC port on the CPU card of the PC are cabled into a switch,
which connects to other computers. I can ping the PLC, the ASUS card, and the other
NIC from other computers plugged into this 'mini network'.

After setting the PG/PC Interface to the ASUS NIC I had no problems accessing the drives.
Poet.
 
That is a Siemens Adapter.

>>>
6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0
*** SPARE PART*** SIMATIC S7, PC ADAPTER USB F. CONNECTION OF S7-200/300/ 400, C7; WITH USB-CABLE (5M) CAN BE USED UNDER WINXP/VISTA/ WINDOWS 7 32/64BIT

Product Lifecycle (PLM) PM500:Discontinued Product or end of PLM & Support

Successor 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0
Successor Description PC adapter USB A2 USB adapter (USB V2.0) for connection of a PG/PC or notebook to SIMATIC S7 via PROFIBUS or MPI contain USB cable 5 m, MPI cable 0.3 m can be used under Windows XP/Vista/ Windows 7 32/64-bit and higher

...
https://mall.industry.siemens.com/mall/en/ww/Catalog/Product/6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0
>>>
No I dont think so. The 3rd party manufacturer has cheekily used the same part no as the Siemens PC Adapter USB.

Check the link in post #3.
edit: Look at this photo: https://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-nr1m.../DSCN0408__86628.1414152871.1280.1280.JPG?c=2
it is exactly the same device as in the picture that the OP posted.
From the website: "This is a direct replacement (made by us) PC/MPI optically isolated programming cable necessary for programming Siemens S7 300 and 400 PLC’s".

I am guessing that you need a special driver (with its own entry in the set PG/PC Interface dialog), or you need to select PC Adapter - serial, and then specify the virtual com port that the adapter is assigned to.
 
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Check the link in post #3.
edit: Look at this photo: https://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-nr1m.../DSCN0408__86628.1414152871.1280.1280.JPG?c=2
it is exactly the same device as in the picture that the OP posted.

It's not exactly the same. The case style is the same but the part # is different and it has a DB9 connector where mine has a USB B connector. Actually, we do also have an adapter sold by plccable.com which has a paper label stuck on it with the same Siemens part # 6ES7 972-0CB20-0XA0. I've tried both.

Anyway, I've been trying again to make headway on this, with no success so far. I've attached a screenshot of an error message that I get when trying to display Accessible Nodes. I've also attached a screenshot of the Set PG/PC interface and the properties of the MPI.1 adapter. Note that the Profibus adapter still has <Active> next to it, despite the MPI adapter being the one selected. I can't see any way to change this. Is it of any importance? What does it mean?

Error.png Dialog.png
 
Also, I'm currently using connector -X122 on the Sinumerik module. I've also tried the top port on the front -X102. I've also tried what appears to be a Profibus piggy-back connector plugged into -X111.
 
By delving around in Options/Configure Network, I've established that the PLC section is assigned address 2 and the NC section is assigned address 3 on the MPI network. The transmission rate is indeed set to 187.5kbps and the highest address is set to 31.
 
it appears to me that you are trying to get online on the ProfiBus DP side. The speed on this bus is usually 1.5MB the mentioned 187.5KB are usually for the MPI bus which is the link between HMI and PLC
 
Some software package or background service is using the PC Adapter for Profibus (hence it is <active>). And I believe this <active> is blocking you from the "Local Connection" tab which allows you to set the PC Adapter to "USB" or "COMx".

Do you have Simatic NET software installed? If so, there is a "Station Configuration Editor" icon on the bottom right near the clock. You can open it and disable the station, as long as you are sure this computer isn't being used as an HMI, data logger, etc. You can always re-enable it afterward if you need it for some reason.
 
It's not exactly the same. The case style is the same but the part # is different and it has a DB9 connector where mine has a USB B connector.
My bad, I didnt spot that the one I posted was with a DB9 port. But anyway, I still suspect it from not being from Siemens
Here is an older Siemens PC Adapter (same order no though):
https://sc01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1i9.l...SIEMENS-PC-ADAPTER-USB-6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0.jpg
Notice that it looks very similar to your adapter, but your adapter is missing the words "Siemens" and "Simatic" and the text color and font is different.
So I think your adapter is a clone.

Actually, we do also have an adapter sold by plccable.com which has a paper label stuck on it with the same Siemens part # 6ES7 972-0CB20-0XA0. I've tried both.

I suspect that both your adapters needs a special driver. I doubt that they use the same driver as Siemens USB adapter.
 
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