Configuring SIMOTION D435-2DP with SINAMICS S120 and DCM

Overview

SIMOTION D435-2DP is a motion controller in the SIMOTION D family that integrates the controller, PROFIBUS/PROFINET communication, and DRIVE-CLiQ drive interface in a single hardware module. When a machine combines modern SINAMICS S120 booksize drives (servo and vector) with legacy SINAMICS DCM (SIMOREG DC-MASTER, 6RA80) drives — for example in retrofit press lines with top and bottom press motors running in load-sharing torque control — the engineer must understand three things before commissioning:

1. DRIVE-CLiQ topology rules between the D435-2, the CU320-2, and the Motor Modules.
2. Whether the CU320-2 should be retained or bypassed by connecting Line/Motor Modules directly to the D435-2.
3. How to route the encoder feedback of the DCM motors (SMC30) so the signal is available to both the DCM and SIMOTION.

The commissioning tool is SIMOTION Scout, which embeds the STARTER drive commissioning tool and the DCC (Drive Control Chart) editor — no separate install of STARTER is required when Scout is installed.

SIMOTION D435-2DP Hardware and Interfaces

The D435-2DP module occupies the SIMOTION D slot of a SINAMICS S120 booksize Line Module. Its key physical interfaces are:

The D435-2 is the second-largest SIMOTION D controller in the D4x5 class; it scales up to 32 axes and 96 positioning axes, depending on the firmware option (F). D425 covers 16 axes, and D445 covers 64 axes. The D435 is therefore the right choice for the 12-axis example below but can be over-specified for a smaller machine — a D425 may suffice if all axes are in one Line Module topology.

Topology Option A: Direct DRIVE-CLiQ Connection (No CU320-2)

If the application has fewer than six Motor Modules and one Line Module, the engineer can skip the CU320-2 and wire the S120 power units directly into the D435-2's DRIVE-CLiQ ports.

Recommended wiring sequence for a D435-2 with 1 × Line Module and N ≤ 5 Motor Modules:

1. D435-2 X100 → Line Module X200 (DRIVE-CLiQ port 0).
2. D435-2 X101 → Motor Module 1 X200.
3. D435-2 X102 → Motor Module 2 X200.
4. Continue through X105 as needed.
5. If more than 5 Motor Modules are needed, insert a DMC20 (DRIVE-CLiQ Hub Module) at one of the D435-2 ports to gain a sub-ring of additional 6 ports.

The DCC library blocks (DCC_Lib_S120) automatically detect the topology when STARTER is opened in Scout (Project → Connect to target unit → Configure drive unit). No separate PROFIBUS or PROFINET line is required for drive communication — the controller and drive share DRIVE-CLiQ.

Topology Option B: CU320-2 Aggregation

When the machine has more than six Motor Modules or when the S120 section must remain addressable as a single PROFIdrive node on an existing line, the CU320-2 should be retained. In this case the CU320-2 aggregates the Motor Modules on its own DRIVE-CLiQ ring and the D435-2 talks to the CU320-2 over a fieldbus, not DRIVE-CLiQ.

For the 12-axis case (8 × S120 + 4 × DCM), the engineer should compare the two options against the available DRIVE-CLiQ ports and the Line Module rating. If one Active Line Module can supply all 8 S120 Motor Modules, direct connection to the D435-2 saves a CU320-2 and the fieldbus commissioning step.

CX32-2 Controller Extension

The CX32-2 is a controller extension that occupies a Motor Module slot inside a SINAMICS S120 booksize rack but behaves like a second SIMOTION D controller on the DRIVE-CLiQ ring. It is the recommended way to add axes to a D435-2 in machines where direct DRIVE-CLiQ ports are exhausted.

Use the CX32-2 in preference to adding a second CU320-2 when the S120 drives need to exchange axis-level data with the D435-2 (synchronism, cam, gearing) at high update rate. The CU320-2 only exchanges process data and parameters — it does not participate in SIMOTION's IPO cycle.

SINAMICS DCM (6RA80) Integration

The SINAMICS DCM replaces the legacy SIMOREG 6RA70 in new installations. The 6RA80 base unit accepts the motor armature and field wiring directly and is parameterised through a CUD (Control Unit) on the left side of the device. For a press line retrofit, the CUD provides:

• One CBE20 communication board (PROFINET) or PROFIBUS CUD add-on (order code K80) for connection to the D435-2.
• Two DRIVE-CLiQ ports for connecting an SMC30 sensor module and the basic unit's own CUD-CUD link.
• Six digital inputs, four digital outputs, two analog inputs, two analog outputs for top/bottom/limit signals.

Two integration options exist for the fieldbus:

1. PROFIBUS DP (K80 CUD or CBE20 with PROFIBUS): The DCM is a PROFIdrive node on the same PROFIBUS line as the S120. The D435-2 is the PROFIBUS master, STARTER discovers both the CU320-2 and the DCM on the same DP line.
2. PROFINET IO with CBE20: Faster update; preferred for press lines where torque setpoint update must be sub-millisecond.

Encoder Handling with the SMC30

The motor encoder feedback of a DC press motor is typically an HTL or TTL incremental encoder. The SMC30 sensor module (6SL3055-0AA00-5CA2) is a DRIVE-CLiQ device that converts these signals into the DRIVE-CLiQ internal format. The routing decision depends on which controller closes the position loop:

For the press retrofit described in the source, the top/bottom press motors need a load-sharing offset that compares the SIMOTION setpoint to the actual encoder value and corrects each DCM torque setpoint in real time. Plug the SMC30 into the D435-2 so the SIMOTION technology object (TO) can read the angle and write the corrected torque to the DCM over PROFIdrive.

DCC (Drive Control Chart) in SIMOTION Scout

DCC is a graphical function-chart editor embedded in STARTER. It runs on the drive-side CUD/CU320-2, not on the D435-2, and executes in the drive's sampling time (typically 1 ms for current, 4 ms for speed). When Scout is installed, DCC is included — there is no separate install or licence for the editor in the basic Scout package.

Typical DCC blocks used in a press line:

• TTLG — torque limiting, used to clamp the DCM setpoint during a press stroke.
• RAMP — ramp-function generator for soft start/stop of a press motor.
• NSET — speed setpoint with curve generator, used when SIMOTION hands off speed control to the DCM in non-stroking phases.
• IF, AND, OR — Boolean logic for interlocks (e.g., only enable press if guard is closed).

DCC is downloaded into the drive by STARTER's standard download (target system → Load to target device). To make changes active, run RAM to ROM on the drive and a subsequent Copy RAM to ROM on the D435-2 so the DCC version stamps match.

PROFIBUS DP and PROFINET IO Commissioning

For a mixed CU320-2 + DCM machine, configure the bus in this order:

1. Assign a unique PROFIBUS address to each node (e.g., CU320-2 = 4, DCM1 = 5 … DCM4 = 8, D435-2 = 2).
2. Set the D435-2 PROFIBUS to 1.5 Mbps or 12 Mbps; match on the CU320-2 and the DCM CUDs.
3. Import the GSD file for the DCM (Siemens DP slave GSD) into HW Config of the D435-2. The GSD for 6RA80 is SIEM8115.GSD or the newer XML variant.
4. Place the CU320-2 and each DCM into the PROFIBUS line; insert the PROFIdrive telegram (1 for standard, 3/5 for servo, 105 for Siemens).
5. Configure the I/O addresses in the slot. Map the STW1 and ZSW1 words to the SIMOTION I/O image.
6. For PROFINET, replace steps 1–5 with the equivalent steps in the PROFINET editor; use the GSDML GSDML-Vx.x-Siemens-Sinamics-…xml.

Press Application: Load-Sharing Torque Control

For a 4-motor press with two top and two bottom DCMs running load sharing, the technology stack on the D435-2 should look like:

1. One SIMOTION TO_DriveAxis per DCM axis, with a TO_SynchronousAxis for the top–bottom gearing.
2. One TO_Cam if the press follows a master angle (e.g., the line speed); otherwise TO_SpeedSetpoint for torque-only control.
3. A TO_Telegram per DCM (telegram 105) exposes Nsoll/Nist/Mist and accepts Msoll from SIMOTION.
4. The load-share loop reads ActSpeed and ActTorque from the DCM telegrams and writes a correction delta into the next cycle's torque setpoint. Use a PI controller with Kp ≈ 0.5 and Tn ≈ 50 ms, tuned by hand to the mechanical stiffness of the press frame.

The S120 axes in the same machine (servo and speed-control axes) do not participate in the load-share loop; they only need standard positioning or speed TO configuration.

Software Toolchain

A single SIMOTION Scout installation covers the engineering of the D435-2, the embedded STARTER for the S120 and DCM, the DCC editor, the trace, and the control panel. No additional licence is required for the basic DCC blocks or the standard PROFIdrive telegrams.

Commissioning Sequence (Field-Proven)

1. Wire the DRIVE-CLiQ ring: D435-2 X100 → Line Module; D435-2 X101–X105 → Motor Modules, SMC30s, and CX32-2 if used. Connect the CU320-2 to the PROFIBUS or PROFINET of the D435-2, not to DRIVE-CLiQ.
2. Power on the Line Module, run the S120 commissioning wizard in STARTER. Auto-detect the topology; check the topology tree shows every Motor Module and every SMC30.
3. Configure each S120 axis: motor ID, encoder type, current/speed limits, and the PROFIdrive telegram to use.
4. For each DCM, set the CUD PROFIBUS address, the telegram number, and the motor data (armature voltage, field current, encoder counts per rev).
5. Run the SIMOTION axis wizard: assign each S120 Motor Module and each DCM telegram to a TO_DriveAxis.
6. If load sharing is required, build the correction loop on the D435-2 and tune the PI gains with the drive in torque control.
7. Save the project: Project → Save and compile all on the D435-2, Copy RAM to ROM on every drive.

Verification Checklist

• Open Scout's device diagnostics (Project → Diagnostics). The D435-2, every CU320-2, every Motor Module, every DCM, and every SMC30 should be online without error.
• Check DRIVE-CLiQ diagnostic LEDs (green solid) on every port; red or flashing indicates a topology mismatch.
• Trace the PROFIdrive telegram of one DCM: confirm ZSW1 bit 10 (control requested) and bit 6 (enable voltage) toggle correctly when the axis is enabled from SIMOTION.
• For load-sharing axes, trace the ActTorque of all four DCMs on the same chart during a press stroke; the curves should overlap within the mechanical stiffness tolerance.
• Read the firmware versions of the D435-2 and the DCM CUD from Target system → Device diagnostics → Version; record for the project documentation.

Troubleshooting Matrix

FAQ