Configuring SINAMICS DCM 6RA80 Winder Application with DCC

Overview: SINAMICS DCM 6RA80 Winder Architecture

The SINAMICS DCM (6RA80) converter can be deployed as a center winder or unwind stand using the Drive Control Chart (DCC) technology package. The winder application is delivered as a DCC plan that is loaded into the drive's runtime memory and a set of STARTER commissioning scripts that perform the BICO interconnections required to wire the chart to the converter's real-time I/O, setpoints, and feedback channels.

Unlike legacy 6RA70 systems that required an external T300 or T400 technology board to host winder logic, the 6RA80 hosts the winder plan directly on the Control Unit (CU). The DCC plan is supplied unencrypted, which means the chart can be inspected, modified, and extended inside the STARTER DCC editor for non-standard machine adaptations.

The standard winder application supports:

• Speed-controlled mode (line speed follow / draw)
• Tension-controlled mode (closed-loop dancer or load-cell)
• Tapered tension profile (linearly decreasing tension as roll diameter grows)
• Two load-cell inputs (differential or averaged)
• Analog setpoint inputs for tension and taper trim pots
• Diameter calculation from line speed and winder speed
• Inertia compensation and friction compensation

Prerequisites: Hardware, Firmware, and Licensing

Verify license activation on the Control Unit's CF card under Licensing in STARTER. The DCC runtime slots and the winder application are independent from the DCC base license. If the technology package is missing, the chart will compile and load, but the drive will report F30002 (DCC runtime license missing) at the next power-up.

Winder.xml vs Wickler.xml: Which File Do You Import?

Siemens documentation in the 6RA80 winder application example references two filenames that often confuse first-time users:

• Winder.xml — the DCC chart definition file. This is the file that STARTER imports into the drive's DCC project tree. It contains the chart topology, block types, and runtime parameters that define the winder control law.
• Wickler.xml — referenced in older sections of the 6RA80 function manual (the German word "Wickler" means "winder"). In the current application example, this filename refers to a sheet-page XML used by the legacy commissioning wizard. The wizard is Excel-based and is not supported with the SINAMICS DCM; it was carried over from the SIMOREG 6RA70/T400 documentation.

Action: Import only Winder.xml (the DCC chart). Do not attempt to run the Excel commissioning wizard against a 6RA80 — the wizard requires T300/T400 hardware and will not communicate with a DCM. All commissioning is performed from the STARTER sheet pages after the chart and the interconnect script are loaded.

Loading the DCC Chart and Interconnect Script in STARTER

1. Open the drive project in STARTER and go online with the SINAMICS DCM.
2. Right-click the drive object in the project tree and select Import DCC chart from XML. Browse to Winder.xml and confirm.
3. After import, expand the DCC node. The chart will appear with default sheet pages: Setpoint channel, Closed-loop control, Winder-specific, and Signals and monitoring.
4. From the same DCC menu, select Execute script and point to the Interconnect_Winder.vbs (or equivalent) script supplied with the application example. The script will perform all required BICO interconnections between the drive's setpoint channel, encoder evaluation, analog inputs, and the DCC chart's parameter interface.
5. Perform Load to target device (RAM + flash) and execute a power-up so the chart initializes.

The script performs interconnections that include (non-exhaustive):

• Wiring the line-speed encoder input to the DCC chart's velocity setpoint input.
• Routing the analog input used for the load cell to the tension setpoint channel.
• Routing the analog input used for the taper potentiometer to the taper scaling input.
• Configuring the digital inputs for speed/tension mode selection and web-break detection.
• Setting the field-weakening and armature-current limits appropriate for winder operation.

Key Winder Parameters Exposed by the DCC Chart

After the script runs, all user-relevant parameters are accessible from the DCC sheet pages or from the parameter list filtered by DCC tag. The following table maps the most common parameters that need to be set for a two-spindle center winder.

Exact parameter numbers vary with the DCC chart version. Use the DCC parameter filter and the function-block tooltips to identify the parameter number for the version you have loaded. The principles of the settings, however, are identical across chart versions.

Two-Spindle Configuration with Peer-to-Peer Communication

The winder application supports a turret arrangement where two spindles (A and B) operate alternately. One spindle is winding while the other is being prepared. The line speed is the master reference; both spindles follow that reference. The active spindle is in tension mode once the web is captured; the standby spindle is in speed mode or in ready state with the drive disabled.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Wiring

Use the SINAMICS DCM's P2P protocol over PROFIBUS or PROFINET to distribute the line-speed reference. The configuration steps are:

1. On the master line drive, enable P2P broadcast of the actual speed value (r21, r63, or the appropriate ramp output depending on the master drive type).
2. On each winder drive, configure the P2P receiver to accept the master speed on a free word and interconnect it to the chart's line-speed input.
3. Verify the P2P telegram with the STARTER trace; latency should be < 20 ms for typical web-handling lines.

Spindle A vs Spindle B Signal Allocation

For Spindle A the tension loop reads the actual web tension from a load-cell pair mounted on the lay-on roller. For Spindle B the operator can trim the tension and taper from analog potentiometers on the operator panel, which the DCC chart scales to the same physical units as the load-cell inputs.

Tension Control Loop Tuning Procedure

1. Disable the line; jog the winder in speed mode with a small diameter setpoint. Verify direction and encoder feedback are correct.
2. Set Winder mode = 1 (Tension) and enable the line at low speed. Observe the tension actual value on the trace. It should track the setpoint with no oscillation.
3. Increase proportional gain (p4xxx[6]) in 20 % steps. If the tension actual begins to oscillate at a fixed frequency, reduce gain by 30 %.
4. Adjust integral time (p4xxx[7]) so the tension actual converges to setpoint in < 2 s after a step change in line speed.
5. Run an acceleration ramp at maximum line acceleration. If tension dips or overshoots during the ramp, increase inertia compensation (p4xxx[8]) until the deviation is within ±5 %.
6. Repeat the procedure on the second spindle. Spindles with different gear ratios or motor data will have different optimal gain values.

Memory and Sample-Time Considerations

Per the Siemens support note on the winder DCC application, the winder chart is intended to run on a SINAMICS DCM Control Unit without splice control. The runtime footprint and recommended sample times are:

If you intend to add splice control or a more complex web-handling function, the chart will need a higher-tier Control Unit with more DCC memory. Running with a sample time below 2 ms for the winder chart will not provide measurable benefit and consumes additional runtime.

Commissioning Verification Checklist

• Direction check: Web up, winder pulling; the motor torque is positive (motoring), speed follows line speed reference within ±2 %.
• Mode transition: Triggering the speed/tension digital input causes a clean handoff with no tension spike > 20 % of setpoint.
• Load cell calibration: With a known hanging weight, the tension actual reads within ±1 % of the calibrated value.
• Taper linearity: At full roll, the measured tension equals setpoint × (1 - taper/100).
• Web break response: Simulated loss of load-cell signal causes the drive to ramp to zero torque within 100 ms and trip F08501 if configured.
• Turret hand-off: Spindle A → Spindle B transition completes within 500 ms with no slack or web break.
• Persistent storage: After a power-cycle, the drive comes back online with all winder parameters intact and the same mode it was in at power-down.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Field-Proven Tips for First-Time Commissioning

• Always load the DCC chart and run the interconnect script on a freshly commissioned drive before touching any winder parameter. The script sets BICO connections that the chart depends on; if you commission manually, you can spend hours chasing signals that the script would have wired in seconds.
• Save a STARTER project archive before running the script. The script modifies many BICO connections, and having a clean rollback point is invaluable when adapting the chart.
• Use a STARTER trace on r21 (speed actual), r25 (output voltage), and the DCC tension actual to verify dynamics. A four-channel trace is the fastest way to see whether the loop is closed properly.
• If your web is very stretchy (low Young's modulus), expect to need a longer integral time and a slightly higher taper percentage to avoid slack at the end of the roll.
• For two-spindle systems, keep both spindles on the same CF card image and the same firmware version to avoid mismatched chart behavior.

FAQ