Adding ET 200SP HA Safety Modules to TIA Portal V17 Catalog

Adding ET 200SP HA Safety Modules (6DL1136-6DA00-0PH1 / 6DL1136-6AA00-0PH1) to TIA Portal V17

1. Problem Statement

Engineers commissioning a SIMATIC ET 200SP HA head-end station under TIA Portal V17 cannot locate the fail-safe digital input module 6DL1136-6DA00-0PH1 (F-DI) or the fail-safe digital output module 6DL1136-6AA00-0PH1 (F-DQ) in the hardware catalog. The search returns no hits under Distributed I/O > ET 200SP HA > F-modules, and the modules cannot be inserted into the device configuration of the IM 155-6 PN HA interface module. This blocks Safety Integrated commissioning, blocks the safety signature assignment, and prevents project compilation.

The same issue affects every TIA Portal release that ships without the corresponding Hardware Support Package (HSP) for ET 200SP HA fail-safe modules. The catalog simply does not contain the article numbers, regardless of firmware selection on the IM 155-6 PN HA.

2. Affected Components and Software Versions

3. Root Cause Analysis

The two ET 200SP HA F-modules belong to a class of "distributed safety" I/O whose catalog entries are delivered outside the standard TIA Portal installation media. Three contributing factors explain the missing entries:

1. Catalogue delivery channel. Siemens ships the device descriptions of safety modules through three parallel channels: (a) the main installation DVD, (b) Hardware Support Packages (HSP), and (c) GSD/GSDML files. TIA Portal V17 ships only the base catalog and a partial HSP set; the F-DI/F-DQ HA entries are not among them.
2. Licensing restriction. The Siemens product note 109780933 states that safety-related configuration of ET 200SP HA F-modules is officially supported only through the PCS 7 process-control engineering environment combined with the optional S7-F-Systems library. A bare TIA Portal installation is therefore de-scoped from this subset.
3. Catalog naming. Even after the modules are added, the user must navigate the correct filter path. F-modules are not listed under "ET 200SP HA > F-modules" until the corresponding HSP or GSDML has been installed and TIA Portal restarted.

The net result is identical from the user side: the modules are missing from the catalog and cannot be dragged into the device view.

4. Solution Overview — Three Independent Paths

All three paths are sanctioned by Siemens for the ET 200SP HA F-module family; the choice depends on which other tools the plant has licensed.

5. Solution Method 1 — Install the Hardware Support Package (HSP)

The HSP is the cleanest path for engineers who do not own PCS 7. It re-introduces the missing catalog entries as native TIA Portal objects, preserving the integrated diagnostics, the parameter editor, and the safety signature workflow.

5.1 Prerequisites

• TIA Portal V17 (or later in the V17 line) installed with administrator rights.
• Local administrator account on the engineering station.
• HSP file downloaded from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal — search for the term "ET 200SP HA HSP TIA Portal V17" or navigate via support.industry.siemens.com.

5.2 Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Close every running instance of TIA Portal (including any open project files).
2. Start TIA Portal V17.
3. Open the menu Options → Support Packages.
4. In the "Support Packages" dialog, click Install support packages / HSP.
5. Browse to the folder where the HSP file (.zip or unpacked folder) is stored.
6. Select the HSP that contains the ET 200SP HA F-module descriptions and confirm with Install.
7. Wait for the "Installation completed successfully" message — this typically takes 10–60 seconds.
8. Restart TIA Portal completely. Catalog changes do not take effect until the application is relaunched.
9. Re-open the project and navigate the hardware catalog: Distributed I/O → ET 200SP HA → F-modules.
10. Confirm that both 6DL1136-6DA00-0PH1 and 6DL1136-6AA00-0PH1 are now listed.
11. Drag the required F-module into a free slot of the ET 200SP HA station. The slot must respect the ET 200SP HA slot rules (F-modules are allowed from slot 1 onwards, after the IM).

6. Solution Method 2 — Import the GSD/GSDML File

If no HSP is available — for example when working in a locked-down engineering environment or when the project requires PROFINET interoperability with third-party controllers — the F-modules can be added through their PROFINET device description (GSDML).

6.1 Prerequisites

• GSDML file for ET 200SP HA F-modules, versioned against TIA Portal V17 or compatible. Available from the Siemens product support pages; the file is named GSDML-Vx.xx-Siemens-ET200SP_HA-F-xxxxxx.xml.
• TIA Portal V17 with administrator rights.

6.2 Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Download the GSDML archive and unzip it to a known folder on the engineering station.
2. Open TIA Portal V17 and the target project.
3. Navigate to Options → Manage General Station Description Files (GSD).
4. In the "Manage GSD" dialog, set the source path to the unzipped folder.
5. Select the GSDML file and click Install.
6. Wait for the import to complete; a progress bar indicates the parsing of XML, image, and bitmap assets.
7. Close the dialog and restart TIA Portal.
8. Open the Devices & Networks editor and drag an ET 200SP HA station from the catalog as usual.
9. In the catalog tree, expand Other field devices → PROFINET IO → Sensors → Siemens AG → ET 200SP HA. The F-DI and F-DQ now appear as GSD-imported entries.
10. Insert the modules into the ET 200SP HA slot list. Note: GSD-imported modules appear with their vendor device designation rather than the full Siemens article description.

7. Solution Method 3 — PCS 7 with S7-F-Systems Library

For process-control plants whose engineering toolchain is PCS 7 rather than TIA Portal, Siemens officially routes the configuration of ET 200SP HA F-modules through the PCS 7 environment plus the S7-F-Systems safety library. This is the configuration path sanctioned by the Siemens product note 109780933.

7.1 Prerequisites

• PCS 7 V9.0 SP2 or later (also valid on V9.1 and the corresponding SP levels).
• STEP 7 / S7-PCT inside the PCS 7 installation.
• S7-F-Systems library licensed and installed (delivery form: SIMATIC S7 F-Systems DVD or download package).
• F-modules physically wired with PROFIsafe addresses set on the IM 155-6 PN HA.

7.2 Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Open the PCS 7 project and the relevant plant view.
2. Add or select the ET 200SP HA head-end station in the HW Config equivalent (PCS 7 → Component View).
3. Open the S7-F-Systems library and instantiate the F-Shutdown / F-Block building blocks corresponding to the application.
4. Bind the F-block inputs/outputs to the F-DI / F-DQ slots added under the IM 155-6 PN HA.
5. Assign the PROFIsafe addresses, the safety signature (CRC), and the F-monitoring time.
6. Compile and download — the safety signature is enforced on the CPU side and the F-CPU will only accept modules whose PROFIsafe address matches.

This is the recommended configuration path for plants already running PCS 7 because the lifecycle of safety modules, including periodic proof tests, is tracked in the PCS 7 asset management.

8. Configuration Walkthrough — Sample Slot Map for ET 200SP HA

Once the F-modules are available in the catalog (any of the three methods), the slot structure of the ET 200SP HA station should resemble the table below. Slot 0 is always the IM 155-6 PN HA.

9. Verification Procedure

1. Module presence check. In the hardware catalog, expand ET 200SP HA > F-modules and confirm that both article numbers are listed.
2. Slot consistency check. Compile the project. TIA Portal must report "No errors" and the slot list must be consistent with the physical module arrangement.
3. PROFIsafe address assignment. Open the properties of each F-module, navigate to the PROFIsafe tab, and verify that a unique F-destination address (1–1023) has been assigned per module.
4. Safety signature check. For TIA Portal/STEP 7 Safety Advanced: generate the safety program, then verify that the safety signature is calculated and stored in the project.
5. Online diagnostic check. Download the configuration to the CPU and the IM 155-6 PN HA. In Online & Diagnostics, confirm that both F-modules report OK status, no channel faults, and the PROFIsafe communication is established.
6. Forcing / passivation test. Briefly disconnect one F-DI channel and verify that the module reports the channel as passivated, the F-CPU raises the appropriate safety message, and the F-DQ executes the configured fail-safe reaction.

10. Troubleshooting Matrix

11. Compatibility, Migration, and Lifecycle Notes

• TIA Portal version pairing. An HSP built for TIA Portal V18 cannot be installed on a V17 engineering station. Always match the HSP major version to the TIA Portal major version.
• Project portability. A project containing the F-modules (added through HSP or GSDML) on TIA Portal V17 can be upgraded to V18/V19 as long as the matching HSP is installed on the target version. The slots, parameters, and safety signatures are preserved through the project upgrade.
• IM firmware dependency. The IM 155-6 PN HA must run a firmware version that recognises the F-modules. Older IM firmware (prior to V6.x) may not enumerate F-modules even when the catalog lists them.
• Safety lifecycle. Both F-module article numbers are subject to the standard Siemens Safety Integrated lifecycle. Proof-test intervals and firmware updates must be tracked in the plant's safety management system.
• Mixing standard and F-modules. F-modules can coexist with standard DI/DO/AI/AO on the same ET 200SP HA station as long as the IM 155-6 PN HA supports the total module count and the slot width budget.

12. Field-Commissioning Tips

• Document the PROFIsafe address plan. Maintain a sheet per station listing F-destination address, slot, module serial number, and the assigned safe function.
• Lock the HSP version. Once a project is signed off, freeze the HSP version. A later HSP update can subtly change module parameter defaults and trigger unintended safety re-validation.
• Validate after every firmware update. After an IM firmware update, perform a full passivation test on every F-channel before returning the line to production.
• Backup the safety program separately. The safety signature depends on the compiled F-library version. Keep the exact STEP 7 Safety / S7-F-Systems library version alongside the safety program backup.
• Verify on a real rack. The GSDML path may compile in the offline project but fail on the physical rack if the IM firmware does not recognise the F-module variant. Always verify against real hardware or the SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced instance with Safety licence.

13. References to Official Documentation

For deeper reading, consult the following Siemens Industry Online Support entries:

• Product Note 109780933 — Configuration of ET 200SP HA F-modules via PCS 7 + S7-F-Systems library
• Siemens Industry Online Support — entry page for HSP, GSDML, and firmware downloads
• TIA Portal Documentation Portal — ET 200SP HA manual collection (HSP installation procedure)

14. Frequently Asked Questions