Adding SINAMICS CU320-2 with CBE20 to TIA Portal V16 via GSD

Overview

The SINAMICS S120 CU320-2 DP control unit (firmware V2.6.2) equipped with a CBE20 PROFINET communication board is a common drive controller in machine-builder and retrofit applications. When commissioning or expanding a system controlled by a SIMATIC S7-1500/S7-1200 in TIA Portal V16, engineers frequently discover that the CU320-2 is missing from the native hardware catalog under the "Drives" folder. This is not a defect; it is an intentional product-lifecycle decision: SINAMICS S120 devices are configured and parameterized in SINAMICS Startdrive or SIMOTION SCOUT, not inside TIA Portal's drive catalog.

The supported integration path in TIA Portal V16 is to import the CU320-2 as a PROFINET IO device via GSDML. After import, the device appears under Other field devices > PROFINET IO > Drives > Siemens AG > SINAMICS > SINAMICS S120/S150 CBE20 V2.6. This article documents the exact procedure, the catalog entry naming, the GSD file source, the PROFIdrive telegram configuration, and the verification steps required for a working cyclic drive controller.

Prerequisites

Before starting the integration, confirm the following:

• Hardware: SINAMICS S120 CU320-2 DP control unit (6SL3040-1MA01-0AA0) with a CBE20 PROFINET board (6SL3055-0AA00-2EB0) inserted in the option slot.
• Firmware: CU320-2 firmware V2.6.2 (or compatible V2.6.x). CBE20 firmware loaded from the same SINAMICS support package. Verify with parameter r0002 (control unit firmware version) and r0018 (CBE20 firmware version) in the drive's parameter list.
• Engineering software: TIA Portal V16 Update 7 or later (V16.0 + SP1 recommended). Project compatibility for older TIA Portal projects is documented in the TIA Portal project compatibility matrix.
• GSD file: GSDML-V*-Siemens-SINAMICS_S120_S150_CBE20_V26-*.xml corresponding to firmware V2.6.x. The file ships with SINAMICS Startdrive V16, SIMOTION SCOUT, or can be downloaded from the Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) entry "SINAMICS S120/S150 GSDML for CBE20".
• Drive-side configuration: A working SINAMICS commissioning project (STARTER, Startdrive, or SCOUT) from which the CBE20 IP address, device name, and telegram selection are already known.

Hardware Topology Reference

The following table summarizes the standard SINAMICS S120 components referenced in this article.

Step-by-Step: Importing the CU320-2 as a GSD Device

1. Open the TIA Portal project containing the S7-1500 CPU that will act as the PROFINET IO controller.
2. Switch to the Device View of the S7-1500 station and select the PROFINET interface (X1 or X2) of the CPU.
3. Open the hardware catalog on the right-hand side and navigate to Other field devices > PROFINET IO > Drives > Siemens AG > SINAMICS.
4. Locate the entry SINAMICS S120/S150 CBE20 V2.6. This entry is created only after the GSDML file has been imported. If the entry is not visible, proceed to step 5.
5. Install the GSD file:
   • From the menu, select Options > Manage general station description file (GSD).
   • Browse to the directory containing the GSDML file (e.g., C:\Siemens\Automation\SINAMICS\GSD\V26).
   • Select the file GSDML-V2.31-Siemens-SINAMICS_S120_S150_CBE20_V26-20190327.xml (or the newest variant matching firmware V2.6.2) and click Install.
   • Wait for the catalog to refresh; this can take 15-60 seconds.
6. Drag the device SINAMICS S120/S150 CBE20 V2.6 from the catalog into the PROFINET subnet of the S7-1500. TIA Portal automatically assigns a placeholder IP address and PROFINET device name.
7. Open the device properties of the newly inserted SINAMICS station. On the PROFINET interface tab, set:
   • IP address: Match the value configured in the drive (e.g., 192.168.0.20).
   • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 (or matching subnet).
   • PROFINET device name: Match the device name stored on the CBE20 (e.g., sinamics-cu320-1). Device names are case-sensitive.
   • Real-time setting: Select IRT for isochronous applications or RT for standard motion. Most non-isochronous applications can use RT class 1.
8. Configure the device name in the drive side. Either use SINAMICS Startdrive, SCOUT, or the online PROFINET naming tool in TIA Portal (Online > Accessible nodes > Assign PROFINET device name).

Configuring PROFIdrive Telegrams

PROFIdrive communication between the S7-1500 and the CU320-2 uses standard telegrams (ST) or Siemens-specific telegrams (SPC). For firmware V2.6.2, the following telegram types are available on the CBE20 slot 0 / slot 1:

To assign a telegram in TIA Portal V16:

1. Open the Device view of the SINAMICS station.
2. Click on the CBE20 slot to open the slot properties.
3. In the Module parameters area, locate the PROFIdrive telegram selection dropdown.
4. Select the required telegram from the list. If using Siemens Telegram 110, the I/O addresses are automatically mapped.
5. Note the assigned I/O addresses (e.g., input range ID 256..271, output range QD 256..271). These addresses are referenced in the user program using standard S7 instructions such as DPRD_DAT and DPWR_DAT, or via the SINA_SPEED / SINA_POS function blocks.

User Program Integration

TIA Portal V16 provides several application example libraries for SINAMICS integration. The most common are:

• SINA_SPEED (FB 285): Handles the standard speed-control telegram interface, including enable bits, fault acknowledgement, and ramp-up.
• SINA_POS (FB 288): Handles EPOS basic positioning with Siemens Telegram 110.
• LAcycCom library: For isochronous cyclic data exchange with the drive.

A minimal SINA_SPEED call sequence looks like the following in SCL:

// Instance DB declaration
DATA_BLOCK "dbSinaSpeed"
  { S7_Optimized_Access := 'TRUE' }
VERSION : 0.1
NON_RETAIN
  STRUCT
   Enable : Bool;
   SpeedSetpoint : Real;
   ActualSpeed : Real;
   AxisEnabled : Bool;
   Fault : Bool;
   ErrorId : Word;
  END_STRUCT;
END_DATA_BLOCK

// Call in OB1
"dbSinaSpeed".Enable := TRUE;
"dbSinaSpeed".SpeedSetpoint := 1500.0;

"SINA_SPEED_DB"(Enable := "dbSinaSpeed".Enable,
                 SpeedSetpoint := "dbSinaSpeed".SpeedSetpoint,
                 ActualSpeed := "dbSinaSpeed".ActualSpeed,
                 AxisEnabled => "dbSinaSpeed".AxisEnabled,
                 Fault => "dbSinaSpeed".Fault,
                 ErrorId => "dbSinaSpeed".ErrorId);

The hardware ID parameter of SINA_SPEED must be bound to the configured telegram slot. The hardware ID is found in Properties > System constants of the SINAMICS device.

Verification

After completing the configuration, perform the following verification steps:

1. Compile and download the TIA Portal project to the S7-1500 CPU.
2. Assign the PROFINET device name to the CBE20 using TIA Portal (Online > Accessible nodes) or SINAMICS Startdrive. The drive's LED BF (Bus Fault) must extinguish after a successful name assignment.
3. Check cyclic communication: In the SINAMICS parameter list, monitor r2050[0] (PROFINET control word 1) and r2089[0] (PROFINET status word 1). When the S7-1500 establishes cyclic I/O, these words should toggle or show the expected control pattern (typically 0x047E for run-ready state).
4. Online diagnostics in TIA Portal: Right-click the SINAMICS device in the network view and select Online > Diagnostics. The status should report No fault and the device should be marked Available.
5. Webserver of CBE20: Open the CBE20 webserver by entering its IP address in a browser. Confirm the diagnostic pages show "Connection established" and the assigned telegram.
6. Function test: Trigger a small setpoint (e.g., 50 rpm) from the S7 program and verify with the drive's trace function (STARTER/Startdrive) that the actual speed matches.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Catalog Entry Naming Convention

The TIA Portal catalog uses a strictly versioned naming scheme. The string SINAMICS S120/S150 CBE20 V2.6 reflects the GSD version, not necessarily the SINAMICS firmware. The relationship is:

• CBE20 V2.6 GSD → supports firmware V2.5, V2.6, V2.6.1, V2.6.2 on the drive.
• CBE20 V2.5 GSD → supports firmware V2.4 and V2.5 only.
• CBE20 V4.7 GSD → required for SINAMICS V5.x firmware families.

For firmware V2.6.2 specifically, the GSDML file version V2.6 is correct. Installing a newer GSD (e.g., V4.7) will cause parameter-mapping mismatches because the BICO interconnection definitions differ between firmware generations.

Drive-Side Parameter Quick Reference

Comparison: Native Catalog vs. GSD Integration

For most retrofit and slave-node scenarios where the drive is configured elsewhere (SCOUT, Startdrive, or commissioning software), the GSD approach is the leaner choice. For new installations where TIA Portal is the central engineering environment, licensing SINAMICS Startdrive V16 enables the native catalog path and full drive commissioning.

Notes on Project Compatibility and Versioning

TIA Portal enforces strict version compatibility. Projects created in V15.1 cannot be opened in V16 without an upgrade; projects saved in V16 cannot be downgraded to V15.1. The official compatibility matrix is published in the TIA Portal project compatibility documentation. When upgrading projects that contain GSD-imported SINAMICS devices, the GSD files must be re-installed in the target TIA Portal version because GSD storage is version-local.

For engineering teams operating mixed-version environments (V16 and V17/V18 in parallel), keep a shared GSD library on the network and reinstall as required when transitioning projects.

FAQ