Configuring Siemens TS Adapter II 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0 for STEP 7

The Siemens SIMATIC TS Adapter (catalog number 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0) is the TS Adapter II with Industrial Ethernet (IE) and MPI/PROFIBUS connectivity. It bridges a programming device (PG) or remote service PC to SIMATIC S7-300, S7-400, and C7 controllers over standard TCP/IP infrastructure and is delivered with the SIMATIC TeleService V6.1 optional pack for STEP 7 V5.x. The adapter does not work with TIA Portal; for TIA Portal projects use a CP 343-1 / CP 443-1 Ethernet interface or the SINEMA Remote Connect platform.

Yes — the 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0 is fully usable for online programming, block upload/download, and remote diagnostics, provided the TeleService optional pack is installed on the engineering PC and the PG/PC interface is bound to the TS Adapter I/II driver. The remainder of this article walks through identification, compatibility, hardware installation, driver configuration, parameter assignment, security, and troubleshooting.

1. Product Identification and Hardware Overview

The 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0 is a TS Adapter II variant with IE interface. It is mechanically a compact DIN-rail module (35 mm top-hat rail) with three isolated interface groups:

• Industrial Ethernet (IE) – 8P8C (RJ45) socket, 10/100 Mbit/s auto-negotiation, auto-MDIX, used for the upstream PG/PC or plant-network link.
• MPI / PROFIBUS – 9-pin D-sub (RS-485), connects to the S7 CPU MPI socket or to a PROFIBUS-DP segment.
• Power – 24 V DC ±20 %, removable 3-pin screw terminal, current consumption ≤ 200 mA continuous.

Use the variant matrix below when ordering spares or matching the right TeleService release:

LED indicators on the front panel give a quick status snapshot:

2. Compatibility Matrix: TeleService vs TS Adapter Firmware

The TeleService optional pack only implements the lowest-common-denominator of features between the installed TeleService release and the firmware on the target TS Adapter. Siemens documents this in the manual “TeleService V6.1 SP3 – Service Software for SIMATIC S7 and C7” (entry ID 48825184, chapter 1, page 14).

3. Prerequisites and Software Components

The TeleService driver is not shipped with STEP 7 V5.x. It is delivered as a separately installed optional pack. The following components are required for online programming over a 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0:

1. STEP 7 V5.4 SP3 or higher. V5.5 SPx is the only release for which the TeleService optional pack is still updated.
2. SIMATIC TeleService V6.1 SP3 or later, installable from the SIMATIC Manager CD or downloadable from Siemens Industry Online Support entry 48825184.
3. A local administrator account on the engineering PC – standard user rights are insufficient for the installation or for the Set PG/PC interface application.
4. One free 10/100 Ethernet port on the PC (or a routed path through the plant LAN).
5. 24 V DC supply, 200 mA continuous, fused, for the adapter.
6. PROFIBUS or MPI cable with 9-pin D-sub on both ends. Pre-fabricated 6XV1 830-0AH10 (1.5 m) / 6XV1 830-0AH30 (3 m) work out of the box. For custom lengths use PROFIBUS connectors 6GK1 500-0EA02 (35° outlet, integrated bus terminator).

4. Hardware Installation

Mount the adapter on a 35 mm DIN rail inside the control cabinet, leaving at least 25 mm of free air above and below for convection. Wire the module in this order:

1. Apply 24 V DC to the removable screw terminal. The connector is keyed but the wires are not – verify polarity before energising.
2. Connect the MPI/PROFIBUS 9-pin D-sub to the CPU’s MPI socket (or to any node on the MPI/PROFIBUS subnet). If the adapter sits at the end of the bus segment, set the D-sub connector’s terminating resistor switch to ON; otherwise leave it OFF. A duplicated termination is the single most common cause of “SF” alarms on the adapter.
3. Connect the Ethernet socket to the engineering network with a Cat 5e or higher patch cord. The port auto-negotiates 10/100 Mbit/s and supports auto-MDIX.
4. Set the MPI address DIP switches (1..7) to a value not already in use on the subnet. The default position “0” is the master address and is not recommended for a passive service node. Choose 1..31.
5. Power on. PWR must light solid green; SF must stay dark. LINK on the Ethernet port should turn solid green within 5 s of plugging the cable.

Pin-out of the MPI/PROFIBUS D-sub is the standard PROFIBUS-DP pin-out: pin 3 RxD/TxD-P, pin 8 RxD/TxD-N, pin 6 +5 V (isolated), pin 5 GND, shield on the housing. A 9-pin PROFIBUS connector with integrated bus terminator and 35° or 180° cable outlet (Siemens 6GK1 500-0EA02 for 35°) is recommended.

5. PG/PC Interface – Selecting the TS Adapter Driver

The driver selection is the first configuration step and the most common reason a fresh installation fails: STEP 7 does not include the TS Adapter driver. Without the TeleService optional pack, “TS Adapter I/II” is not in the list.

1. Open Start → SIMATIC → STEP 7 → Set PG/PC interface (or “PG/PC Interface anpassen” in German locales).
2. Under Interface parameterization used select TS Adapter I/II.
3. Click Properties… and configure:
   • IP address / Subnet mask / Gateway – the static IP of the adapter on the engineering network. Avoid DHCP; if the operator does not enforce fixed IPs, configure a static lease in the DHCP server and document the address on the cabinet label.
   • Connection type – “TCP/IP” for the IE variant (6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0). The ISDN and analog modem options apply only to 6ES7972-0CA12-0XA0 and 6ES7972-0CA23-0XA0.
   • Local PG connection – tick this when the PC is on the same IP subnet as the adapter. It avoids a router hop and gives the best response time.
4. Click OK, then OK on the parent dialog. STEP 7 stores the selection in the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\AUTSW\PGPCInterface for system-wide use.

If the engineering PC has multiple NICs (plant LAN + management LAN, or VPN + corporate LAN), bind the TS Adapter driver to the correct NIC using the “Properties… → TCP/IP → Bind to network adapter” selector. Otherwise the driver will install on the wrong interface and the connection will time out even though ping succeeds.

6. TS Adapter Parameter Assignment (PLC Side)

The driver in Set PG/PC interface only describes the PC end. The adapter itself – its MPI address, its bus profile, and the access protection list – is configured from the TeleService application. These parameters are stored inside the adapter’s non-volatile memory, not in the STEP 7 project.

1. Open Start → SIMATIC → STEP 7 → Teleservice.
2. From the menu choose Options → Assign parameters TS Adapter I/II.
3. Select the adapter by its IP address; click Read to import the current configuration. The TeleService GUI also exposes the adapter’s diagnostic buffer and firmware version here.
4. Configure the parameters that STEP 7 cannot reach:
   • MPI/DP address – the adapter’s own passive address; the default of 0 is reserved as “master”. Pick an unused value in the 1..31 range.
   • Highest MPI/DP address – set to the value configured in STEP 7’s hardware configuration (typically 31 or 63, depending on the CPU family).
   • Baud rate – 187.5 kbit/s is the universal default and the only rate at which MPI is guaranteed. PROFIBUS-DP segments negotiate up to 12 Mbit/s if every node supports it.
   • Access list – up to 8 IP or MAC addresses that are permitted to establish a programming connection. Leave the list empty during commissioning; populate it before handover.
   • Access protection – password that must be entered on subsequent parameter-assignment sessions. Forgotten passwords require a factory reset of the adapter via the S7 service.
5. Click Write. The adapter reboots and the new parameters take effect on the next power-up.

7. Establishing a Programming Connection

With the driver and the adapter configured, online programming follows the standard STEP 7 procedure:

1. Open the STEP 7 project. In SIMATIC Manager → Options → Set PG/PC interface confirm the active interface is “TS Adapter I/II”.
2. Choose PLC → Download or PLC → Online → Accessible Nodes. The accessible-nodes search scans the MPI subnet through the adapter and lists every CPU it can reach. Each request is a routed MPI/DP round-trip, so the search takes 10–20 s on a 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0; this is normal.
3. Select the target CPU and click OK. STEP 7 prompts for any project-specific access password.
4. Verify the connection by reading the diagnostic buffer (PLC → Diagnostic/Settings → Diagnostic Buffer). An entry of the form “Online connection established from IP x.x.x.x” confirms end-to-end reachability.

Throughput on a 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0 at 187.5 kbit/s MPI is roughly 8–12 KB/s – sufficient for block upload/download, but a full 2 MB S7 program block takes 3–4 minutes. Increase the MPI baud rate to 1.5 Mbit/s if every node on the segment is an S7-300/S7-400 CPU that supports it; ET 200S IM 151-1 and similar older IMs limit the segment to 500 kbit/s.

8. User Rights and Security Considerations

TeleService V6.1 SP3 and higher enforce two-tier Windows authentication:

Use a dedicated service account for the engineering workstation; do not use a domain admin. Combine the OS-level rights with the adapter’s IP/MAC access list to satisfy IEC 62443-3-3 zone-and-conduit requirements for the plant network. Enable the password on the CPU (CPU properties → Protection tab) and on the adapter (Section 6) before handing the cabinet over to production.

9. Routing, Sub-net Bridging, and Remote Diagnostics

The TS Adapter II is a Layer-3 bridge for S7 routing. It can be used in two ways:

• Single-subnet mode – the CPU is on the same MPI/PROFIBUS subnet as the adapter. No routing is required.
• Multi-subnet mode – the adapter is the gateway between Ethernet and the field bus. STEP 7 routing tables must include the adapter as the gateway; this is normally generated by the TeleService plugin automatically when a project is opened on the engineering PC.

For remote diagnostics of field faults, the TeleService application can mirror the CPU’s diagnostic buffer live. A typical workflow:

1. Establish the programming connection (Section 7).
2. Open PLC → Diagnostics/Settings → Diagnostic Buffer. The adapter forwards the MPI read-request to the CPU and returns the response via TCP/IP.
3. For HMI panel diagnostics on a WinCC flexible station connected downstream of the CPU, the same channel can be used to back-project the panel project – a useful feature for service staff on the road.

Throughput-sensitive tasks (trace recording, full project upload) are not recommended over the TS Adapter; use a direct Ethernet CP (e.g. CP 343-1) on the CPU and reach the plant over the standard network instead. The TS Adapter is a service tool, not a production data path.

10. Troubleshooting Matrix

11. Migration Path – From TS Adapter to SINEMA Remote Connect

The TS Adapter family has been in maintenance mode since 2018. Siemens’ current recommendation for new installations is SINEMA Remote Connect, a VPN-based remote service platform that works with the SCALANCE M-800 / M-900 industrial routers and the CPU’s native Ethernet interface. SINEMA Remote Connect terminates the IPsec tunnel in the cloud or in a customer data centre and provides:

• Central user / certificate management (replaces the adapter’s access list)
• Multi-homing across several plants without re-engineering the fieldbus
• Audit logging for IEC 62443-3-3 compliance
• Direct support from TIA Portal, WinCC, and STEP 7 V5.6

Existing 6ES7972-0CA33-0XA0 installations continue to be supported; spare parts and TeleService V6.1 SP5 are still available on the Siemens support portal. New projects, however, should budget for SINEMA Remote Connect from the outset – the TS Adapter II has no roadmap beyond 2024 and its drivers are not ported to TIA Portal.

12. Frequently Asked Questions