Configuring CU320-2 DP with CBE20 in TIA Portal V17 for SIMATIC

Overview: Why V16 Cannot Add the CU320-2 DP

The CU320-2 Control Unit is available in two hardware variants: a PROFINET variant (CU320-2 PN, order code 6SL3040-1MA01-0AA0) and a PROFIBUS variant (CU320-2 DP, order code 6SL3040-1MA00-0AA0). The CBE20 Communication Board Ethernet can be plugged into either variant as an option module. The catalog content of the TIA Portal / Startdrive option package, however, is not identical across versions.

In TIA Portal V16 / Startdrive V16, only the CU320-2 PN device object is published. The CU320-2 DP is missing from the hardware catalog entirely, so the Add new device dialog will not offer it. Siemens introduced the CU320-2 DP as a configurable object only with Startdrive V17, which is the minimum version required for the workflow described below.

Prerequisites

Hardware and Topology Constraints of the SIMATIC 1507D TF

The SIMATIC S7-1507D TF is a SIMATIC Drive Controller: a S7-1500 CPU and a SINAMICS S120 integrated CU320-2 PN on a single backplane. The integrated CU320-2 can govern up to 6 SINAMICS S120 Motor Modules by default. If the machine needs more than 6 axes, additional external CU320-2 Control Units are required.

Because the original machine reused a CU320-2 DP with CBE20, the new build carries an extra DP Control Unit that sits in parallel to the integrated CU inside the 1507D. The integrated CU is wired to its own group of Motor Modules; the external CU320-2 DP is wired to a second group. This is the only supported way to scale beyond 6 axes on a Drive Controller while keeping PROFIBUS-based legacy hardware.

Step-by-Step: Adding the CU320-2 DP with CBE20 in TIA Portal V17

1. Open or create the TIA Portal V17 project. If the existing project was created in V16, use Project → TIA Portal version → Upgrade project to V17. The catalog does not back-populate devices added in a later version, so upgrading first is mandatory.
2. Open the project view and switch to the device configuration. Double-click Devices & networks in the project tree.
3. Add the SIMATIC Drive Controller. In the hardware catalog, navigate to Controller → SIMATIC Drive Controller and select the controller variant matching the firmware on the physical unit (e.g. CPU 1507D TF, firmware V2.9). Drag it into the network view. Per the official SIMATIC Drive Controller configuration procedure, the device version and firmware must match the real hardware so the integrated CU320-2 object exposes the correct drive objects.
4. Add the external CU320-2 DP. In the hardware catalog, navigate to Drive → SINAMICS → S120 → Control Unit → CU320-2 DP. Confirm the firmware version displayed in the catalog matches the firmware of the physical CU (readable via the BOP20 or via the Web server of the CBE20 at https://<cbe20-ip>). Drag the CU320-2 DP into the project.
5. Plug the CBE20 into the option slot. Open the device view of the CU320-2 DP. In the catalog, navigate to Drive → SINAMICS → S120 → Communication → CBE20. Drag the CBE20 onto option slot 1 or 2 of the CU320-2 DP. The slot number is physically determined by where the CBE20 is screwed onto the CU backplane.
6. Connect the integrated CU and the external CU to PROFINET. Drag a PROFINET connection from the PROFINET interface of the 1507D (X150) to PROFINET port 1 of the CBE20. The network view shows the logical link; the physical wiring is from the 1507D switch port to the CBE20 RJ45.
7. Assign IP addresses and PROFINET device names. Open Properties → Ethernet addresses on the CBE20. Set:
   
   • IP address: e.g. 192.168.0.10
   • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
   • PROFINET device name: cu320-2dp-cbe20 (must match the name written to the CBE20 by the topology editor or by the PLC online assignment).
8. Assign the CBE20 to a SINAMICS IO controller slot. In the CBE20 properties, the slot assignment maps the PROFINET telegram to a drive-object slot (e.g. telegram 1 for a servo, telegram 3 / 5 for a vector). For SINAMICS S120 servo control, set slot 1 to Standard Telegram 2 or SIEMENS Telegram 105 depending on the axis type.

Step-by-Step: Wiring DRIVE-CLiQ to Line and Motor Modules

After both Control Units are in the project, attach the SINAMICS S120 power modules to each CU. The order is the same for the integrated CU of the 1507D and the external CU320-2 DP.

1. From the hardware catalog, drag a Line Module (e.g. 6SL3130-6TE25-0AAx Active Line Module) onto the DRIVE-CLiQ port labeled OUT of the Control Unit.
2. Drag each Motor Module onto the next DRIVE-CLiQ ports in the physical sequence. The first Motor Module becomes drive object 2, the second drive object 3, and so on.
3. For each Motor Module, add the matching motor from the catalog (Drive → SINAMICS → S120 → Motor). Use Induction motor (rotating) or Synchronous motor (rotating) depending on the connected motor. The catalog will then pre-fill stator resistance, leakage inductance, and pole-pair count from the motor's MLFB / article number.
4. If the topology must be enforced strictly, enable Compare topology under Properties → DRIVE-CLiQ topology on the CU. The PLC will only go to RUN if the physical DRIVE-CLiQ ring matches the configured one.

Configuring the CBE20: Why Only SINAMICS Link Is Exposed

The CBE20 is a flexible communication board. It supports several Ethernet-based protocols:

When you open the CBE20 properties in the device view, the Operating mode drop-down is forced to SINAMICS Link for the CU320-2 DP. The Startdrive V17 network editor does not yet expose PROFINET controller / EtherNet/IP as selectable operating modes for the DP variant. This is a Startdrive limitation, not a hardware limitation of the CBE20.

For the workflow in this article, that is acceptable: the PLC ↔ drive telegrams are exchanged over the CBE20's PROFINET interface as PROFINET IO. The PROFINET IO functionality on the CBE20 does not require switching operating modes — the SINAMICS Link operating mode label refers only to drive-to-drive cross-traffic. Setting the operating mode to 1 (SINAMICS Link) in p8835 is what the Startdrive wizard writes; the PROFINET IO channel remains active simultaneously.

Alternative Path: GSDML Import + STARTER Commissioning

If Startdrive V17 still does not expose a required mode, the historical fallback path is to import the CU320-2 DP as a PROFINET device via its GSDML file, then commission with STARTER (or the modern SINAMICS Startdrive Standalone) rather than the integrated TIA Portal commissioning editor.

1. Download the GSDML for the CU320-2 DP from the Siemens Support Portal: search for article ID 109751706 (CU320-2 DP GSDML) and install it via Tools → Manage device description files (GSD) in TIA Portal.
2. In the device configuration, drag the imported CU320-2 DP PN device from Other field devices → PROFINET IO → Drives → Siemens AG → SINAMICS into the project. This makes the CU a slave of the 1507D's PROFINET controller.
3. Set the IP address and PROFINET name on the GSDML proxy object identically to the values on the CBE20.
4. Commission the drive using STARTER connected to the CBE20's service interface. STARTER reads and writes the parameter set over PROFINET, the same way it does over PROFIBUS. The functional view, trace, control panel, and drive wizards are all available.
5. Use TIA Portal for the PLC logic (SCL / LAD / FBD), HMI tags, and WinCC visualization. Use STARTER exclusively for the SINAMICS parameter set and trace.

PLC ↔ Drive Telegram Mapping

After the topology is set, map the data exchanged between the 1507D and the CU320-2 DP. On the CBE20 of the external CU, configure the PROFINET slots as follows.

On the 1507D, the integrated PROFINET interface of the CPU generates the corresponding Drive technology object (TO_Axis, TO_SynchronousAxis) automatically when you add the CU320-2 DP to the device view and select Add technology object in the inspector. The TO_Axis links to the PROFINET slot / telegram of the chosen axis.

Verification and Commissioning Sequence

1. Compile and download the project. TIA Portal V17 compiles the configuration. Download to the 1507D first, then to the external CU320-2 DP via the CBE20.
2. Power up the drive line. Precharge the Line Module, wait for the 24 V ready signal, and confirm that the CU320-2 DP reports r0002 = 0 "Operation - everything enabled".
3. Topology check. In the TIA Portal online view of the CU320-2 DP, open Diagnostics → Topology. Every DRIVE-CLiQ component must show green and the actual serial numbers must match the project.
4. Motor identification. Run Commissioning → Motor identification → Stationary measurement on each Motor Module. This populates the motor equivalent circuit diagram parameters (stator resistance, leakage inductance, magnetizing current).
5. Encoder calibration. For absolute encoders, run the encoder adjustment routine so the commutation offset is stored in p0431.
6. Velocity and position controller optimization. Use the Startdrive / STARTER trace to record step responses and run the auto-tuning routine (p2900 = 1 for a one-button optimization on servo drives).
7. End-to-end test from the PLC. From a SCL FB, write MC_Power then MC_MoveAbsolute to the TO_Axis. Verify the axis reaches the target position with the configured dynamic limits.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Key Parameter Reference for the CU320-2 DP + CBE20

Safety and Acceptance Checklist

• Confirm the drive has an STO (Safe Torque Off) input wired per the SINAMICS S120 Function Manual and that the PLC's PROFIsafe slot is configured with the correct F-monitoring time and F-host address.
• Verify the integrated CU of the 1507D and the external CU320-2 DP each have their own stop category and emergency stop wiring. The integrated CU is part of the Drive Controller; its STO is wired to the backplane terminals of the 1507D. The external CU's STO is on its X120 terminal block.
• Run an acceptance test of the SINAMICS safety functions (SS1, SLS, SOS) with the trace recorder active, and store the trace recordings as evidence.
• Document the firmware version on every Control Unit and the Startdrive project version in the machine's safety dossier. A safety acceptance test is only valid for the firmware / project version under which it was performed.