Configuring Remote Transfer on Siemens KTP1000 Basic DP HMI

Overview

The SIMATIC KTP1000 Basic DP (article number 6AV6647-0AA11-3AX0) and its PROFINET sibling (6AV6647-0AB11-3AX0) ship with WinCC Basic as the configuration environment. A common commissioning pain point is that the panel only surfaces the start-up (transfer) screen after a full power cycle. Operators have to walk to the cabinet, pull the breaker, count to ten, and re-energize the device before a project can be reloaded through the loader dialog.

Three independent mechanisms in the WinCC Basic / TIA Portal project remove that step:

1. Remote Control – enabled in the loader settings, exposed on the start-up screen without a power cycle.
2. Transfer channel selection – switching from Serial to MPI or PROFINET unlocks remote transfer on the DP variant.
3. STOPRUNTIME event – a script-level trigger that exits Runtime cleanly so the loader appears without a hardware reboot.

This article walks through each mechanism against the SIMATIC HMI HMI device KTP400 Basic / KTP600 Basic / KTP1000 Basic / TP1500 Basic operating instructions (chapters 5.9 and 6.4.3) and the TIA Portal Help system, then finishes with a troubleshooting matrix and a cross-platform comparison for engineers who maintain mixed fleets.

Identifying Your Panel Variant

Before changing any project parameter, confirm the exact article number and firmware. The "DP" and "PN" suffixes denote the integrated fieldbus, and the loader dialog branches differently for each.

Locate the article number on the rating plate behind the front bezel or via Start Center > System > Information on the panel itself. The loader version is reported in the same menu and must be ≥ V14.0.00.00_01.05 for the remote-control workflow described below; older loaders ignore the project-side enable bit and revert to the legacy "power-cycle to enter loader" behaviour. The latest WinCC Basic image (TIA V18 / V19) is available from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal.

Prerequisites

• Project engineering host: TIA Portal V18 Update 2 or newer, with WinCC Basic / Comfort / Professional installed.
• Compatible firmware image loaded onto the KTP1000 Basic (recommended: V18.00.01 or newer, download from the KTP Basic firmware entry).
• Cabling matched to the chosen transfer channel:
  • RS-232 Null-Modem (6XV1 440-2A...) for serial transfer.
  • PROFIBUS DP cable with PROFIBUS connector (6GK1 500-0EA02) for MPI / DP transfer.
  • Standard Cat-5e or better for PROFINET transfer on PN models.
• Source project with a defined transfer mode (Manual, Automatic, or Semi-automatic).
• Operator password for the Loader (default: 1000 – reset before commissioning if changed from the factory value).

Enabling Remote Control in the WinCC Project

Remote Control is the master bit that exposes the loader without a power cycle. The setting lives in the loader configuration, not in the runtime project.

1. Open the TIA Portal project that targets the KTP1000 Basic.
2. In the project tree, select HMI_1 [KTP1000 Basic DP].
3. Open Properties > Loader (older releases: Device Settings > Transfer).
4. Tick Enable Remote Control. The dialog expands to show the sub-options listed below.
5. Set Remote Control Type to HMI Loader (not Service) when the goal is simply to enter the loader from the project.
6. Under Permissions, choose the access level that should be allowed to invoke the loader (0 – No access through 9 – All). For service technicians, 5 – Service is the recommended compromise.
7. Compile the project and download it. The next time Runtime starts, the loader is reachable via the start-up screen, the "Control Panel" entry, or the configured hotkey.

Configuring the Transfer Channel

Each transfer channel exposes a different set of loader capabilities. Match the channel to the physical wiring you actually have in the cabinet.

To switch the channel on the panel side:

1. Power the panel and tap Start Center > Settings > Transfer.
2. Toggle the channel you need (Serial, MPI/DP, or PROFINET) to Enabled.
3. Set the Channel 1 / Channel 2 parameters (MPI address 1 by default, baud 1.5 Mbit/s).
4. Press Apply; the panel prompts for restart only if the change touches the loader firmware.

To switch the channel inside the project:

1. HMI_1 > Properties > Connection – assign the S7 PLC that will host the runtime tag set.
2. Properties > Loader > Transfer Channel – select PROFIBUS MPI or PROFINET.
3. Set the matching HMI Station Address (1–126, default 1) and the baud rate (PROFIBUS: 9.6 kbit/s to 12 Mbit/s; PROFINET: 100 Mbit/s full duplex).

Adding a STOPRUNTIME Event to Exit Runtime Cleanly

The STOPRUNTIME event is a project-side script trigger that closes Runtime, hands the panel back to the loader, and avoids a hardware power cycle entirely. It works on every KTP Basic variant, regardless of transfer channel.

1. In the project tree, right-click HMI_1 > Events and add a new event, e.g. ExitRuntime.
2. Attach the event to a discrete button, a tag trigger, or a global scheduler entry.
3. In the function list, call the system function StopRuntime with the reason 0 (normal exit) or 1 (operator-initiated transfer).
4. Optionally, chain the StartRuntime function with delay 0 ms to bounce straight back into the loader.

Typical ladder on an S7-1200 to drive the trigger:

// OB1 - cyclic
// Trigger HMI Runtime exit on operator request
IF "HMI_Exit_Req" THEN
    "HMI_Stop_Cmd" := TRUE;          // pulse a discrete tag
END_IF;

// On the HMI side, configure an event "ValueChange" on "HMI_Stop_Cmd"
// that calls StopRuntime with Reason := 1

For multi-screen projects, put the event in a template so it is always loaded. That guarantees the operator can exit Runtime from any screen, which is especially useful on cell HMIs where a failed project download otherwise requires a service call.

Verification Procedure

1. Compile the project (Project > Compile > Software (rebuild all)) and resolve every warning. TIA Portal flags inconsistencies between the loader channel and the connection configuration in the "Go online" dialog.
2. Click Online > Load to device > Software and configuration. The transfer dialog should appear without a power cycle on the panel.
3. On the panel, watch for the loader screen to surface within 5–8 seconds after Runtime ends.
4. Confirm the loader version under Start Center > System > Information matches the version the project was compiled against.
5. Run a controlled Runtime exit by triggering the STOPRUNTIME event from a button or the simulator (HMI_1 > Simulation > Start) and confirm the loader appears.
6. Cycle the 24 V supply once to verify that the legacy start-up path still works as a fall-back.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Cross-Platform Reference

Engineers maintaining mixed HMI fleets often need to apply the same logic to other vendors. The conceptual steps differ in name only:

• AutomationDirect C-more Micro: The setup screen is exposed via an internal system tag the project can write. F1/F5 key combinations navigate the loader without a reboot. Project-level "System Setup Screen Enable" determines whether operators can reach the loader at runtime.
• Beijer Electronics iX / X2 series: The iX runtime exposes System > Reboot to logged-in operators. Configure the iX project under Settings > System > Reboot to allow the loader to restart the panel without cycling 24 V. Refer to the Beijer iX Knowledge Base – Reboot the HMI Panel.

In all three platforms (Siemens KTP Basic, AutomationDirect C-more, Beijer iX) the principle is the same: a project-side permission plus a runtime-side exit function must be configured, otherwise the operator is forced into a hardware power cycle.

Field-Proven Commissioning Tips

• Two passwords, two roles. Set a level-9 administrator password for engineering and a level-5 service password for operators. The loader will then respect the operator role without exposing the full compile configuration.
• Document the loader version. Pin the loader firmware in the project archive. Mismatches between project and panel are the most common cause of "the loader changed" after a service visit.
• Avoid "automatic transfer" in production. TIA Portal supports fully unattended transfer; leave it disabled until the cell has been validated. A triggered STOPRUNTIME + manual confirm is safer for life-safety systems.
• Use the same transfer channel as the PLC link. If the S7-300 sits on PROFIBUS, the HMI on MPI uses the same cable and connector types, which simplifies spares.
• Tag the panel physically. A small label with the article number, firmware version, and project CRC eliminates guesswork for the next engineer.