CP 5511 Windows 7 Compatibility: Migration to CP 5512, CP 5711, and USB Adapters

The Siemens CP 5511 (Article No. 6GK1551-1AA00) is a Type II PCMCIA communications processor historically used to connect SIMATIC programming devices (PGs) and PCs to MPI and PROFIBUS networks. Field reports and Siemens' own support documentation confirm that the CP 5511 is not functional on Windows 7. The root cause is not a Siemens driver bug — the underlying 16-bit PCMCIA Card Services subsystem was deprecated by Microsoft and removed from the Windows 7 kernel. This article documents the root cause, the official Siemens migration path to the CP 5512 (CardBus) and the CP 5711 (USB), and the practical constraints of the third-party USB-to-MPI/DP converter (6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0) used by technicians who need a compact, laptop-friendly replacement.

1. Affected Hardware and Software Stack

1.1 CP 5511 Identification

The CP 5511 ships with a 9-pin D-sub PROFIBUS connector and a 16-bit PCMCIA edge connector. The card communicates with the host via the legacy 16-bit PC Card standard. Windows 7 ships with a 32-bit CardBus / 16-bit PCMCIA host controller stack, but the 16-bit Card and Socket Services that the CP 5511 enumeration script depends on are not present. Siemens support entry 4241537 describes the requirement and the supported card-and-socket services revision required by the device.

1.2 Companion Software Versions

2. Root Cause: 16-bit PCMCIA Was Removed From the Windows 7 Kernel

The CP 5511 is a 16-bit PC Card. Microsoft deprecated 16-bit PC Card support in Windows Vista and removed it in Windows 7. The host-side driver relies on the legacy card.exe Card and Socket Services component and the PCMCIA.SYS enumerator, neither of which is installed by the Windows 7 in-box driver set. When a user inserts the CP 5511:

1. The Windows 7 PCMCIA / CardBus class driver sees the device but cannot match it to a 16-bit socket services provider.
2. Device Manager shows the device under Other devices with a yellow exclamation or under PCMCIA adapters with Code 28 ("The drivers for this device are not installed") or Code 52 ("Windows cannot verify the digital signature").
3. SIMATIC NET's Set PG/PC Interface utility cannot bind to the device; the CP 5511 entry is greyed out or absent from the interface list.
4. STEP 7 "Accessible Nodes" or TIA Portal "Online > Accessible nodes" returns an empty node list even when the PLC is online and the bus terminator is correctly installed.

This is the same root cause that affects every other 16-bit PC Card (modems, older wireless cards, etc.) on Windows 7. A new driver from Siemens will not fix it because the upstream OS support no longer exists.

3. Official Migration Paths

Siemens offers two direct successors and a third-party compact option. Each has different use-case, mechanical, and electrical trade-offs.

3.1 CP 5512 — 32-bit CardBus (Direct Successor)

The CP 5512 is functionally identical to the CP 5711 but uses a 32-bit CardBus socket. It is the recommended drop-in replacement for users with a notebook that has a true PC Card (CardBus) slot, including many industrial Panasonic Toughbooks, Siemens Field PG M4/M5, and older Dell Precision / Lenovo ThinkPad T-series workstations. Note that an ExpressCard slot is not a CardBus slot and will not accept the CP 5512 without an ExpressCard-to-PC-Card adapter, which is not officially supported.

3.2 CP 5711 — USB (Universal Replacement)

The CP 5711 is the universal solution and is the only one that works on every modern laptop. It is also the only one that is fully certified for SIMATIC Net PC Stations (i.e., a PC acting as a DP master, IO controller, or S7 OPC server with the SIMATIC NET V14+ PC suite).

3.3 USB-to-MPI/DP Compact Adapter (6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0)

This compact USB adapter is the technician's everyday tool: it lives in a laptop bag, draws all required operating power from the bus connector, and is far more portable than the CP 5711 brick. The trade-off is that it cannot be used in a SIMATIC NET PC Station configuration, and it has electrical constraints on which sockets will power it. See section 5.

4. Decision Matrix: Which Adapter for Which Workflow?

For most service engineers running STEP 7 on a modern laptop, the 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 is the right answer. For SIMATIC NET PC stations in a control room, the CP 5711 is mandatory. The CP 5512 is the best fit for legacy Field PG M-series notebooks still in service.

5. Powering the USB-to-MPI/DP Compact Adapter

The compact 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 adapter draws +24 V DC from pin 7 (+) and pin 2 (GND) of the partner's PROFIBUS connector. This voltage is normally supplied by the CPU or HMI panel's MPI/PROFIBUS interface. If the partner device does not source 24 V on the bus connector, the adapter will enumerate, LED-status will be ambiguous, and S7 frames will silently fail.

5.1 Sockets That WILL Power the Adapter

• S7-300 CPU MPI/DP port (X1) — supplies 24 V isolated from the backplane.
• S7-400 CPU MPI/DP port — supplies 24 V.
• ET 200S / ET 200pro IM DP master port — supplies 24 V on the bus connector when configured as a passive station.
• SIMATIC HMI MPI/PROFIBUS port (e.g., TP177B, MP277, Comfort panels) — supplies 24 V.
• SIMATIC Field PG MPI port — supplies 24 V.

5.2 Sockets That WILL NOT Power the Adapter

• Sinamics / Micromaster / Masterdrives PROFIBUS connector — drives do not source 24 V on the DP port. The adapter will not enumerate.
• ET 200eco / ET 200AL block I/O PROFIBUS connector — passive I/O with no local 24 V source on the bus pins.
• Passive DP repeater segment — no terminator power.
• Some third-party DP slave connectors without 24 V jumper.

5.3 LED Diagnostics on the 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0

6. Installation Procedures

6.1 CP 5512 Installation on Windows 7

1. Install SIMATIC NET PC Software V12 SP2 or later (V14 SP1 recommended for full Windows 7 x64 signed-driver support).
2. Insert CP 5512 into a free CardBus slot. The device is hot-pluggable but cold-boot insertion is more reliable on Win 7.
3. Open Set PG/PC Interface (control panel applet). Select CP5512 (CardBus) > MPI / PROFIBUS.
4. Assign node address (default 0) and highest station address (HSA = 15 for MPI, 31 / 63 for PROFIBUS).
5. Properties > MPI / PROFIBUS bus parameters > transmission rate = 187.5 kbps (MPI default) or 1.5 Mbps (PROFIBUS standard).
6. Apply. Restart S7DOS service: net stop "S7DOS" && net start "S7DOS" from an elevated command prompt.
7. Verify with STEP 7 Accessible Nodes or Diagnostics > Bus Nodes.

6.2 CP 5711 Installation on Windows 7

1. Install SIMATIC NET PC Software V12 or later.
2. Connect CP 5711 to a USB 2.0 port. The CP 5711 appears as a USB composite device with two interfaces (PROFIBUS + auxiliary).
3. Allow Windows to install the signed driver (part of the SIMATIC NET install). If prompted for a location, point to %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\SIMATIC_NET\drivers\CP5711.
4. Open Set PG/PC Interface and select CP5711 > MPI / PROFIBUS.
5. Configure bus parameters identically to CP 5512.
6. For PC Station use, also open SIMATIC NET Configuration Console and bind the CP 5711 to the appropriate OPC / DP / IO application slot.

6.3 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 Installation on Windows 7

1. Do not connect the adapter before installing the driver.
2. Insert the driver CD or extract the driver package (downloadable from the Siemens support portal). The driver is shipped in USB-to-MPI-DP\Driver\Win7\x86 and \x64 folders.
3. On Windows 7 x64, disable driver signature enforcement or use the test-mode boot option. The driver is unsigned: bcdedit /set testsigning on followed by a reboot.
4. Connect the adapter to USB. Windows Device Manager prompts for the driver; point it to the appropriate x86 or x64 folder.
5. Connect the D-sub connector to the CPU or HMI MPI/PROFIBUS port. Confirm the PWR LED illuminates.
6. Open STEP 7 / TIA Portal and select PC Adapter (USB) / PC Adapter (MPI) / PC Adapter (PROFIBUS) in Set PG/PC Interface.
7. Set the PG/PC address (default 0) and baud (1.5 Mbps for PROFIBUS, 187.5 kbps for MPI).

7. Verification Procedure

1. From an elevated command prompt, run pnputil /enum-devices /class Net and confirm the Siemens MPI/PROFIBUS interface is listed with status OK and no Code 28 / 52.
2. Start the S7DOS service: net start S7DOS. Confirm the service enters the Running state.
3. Open STEP 7 Set PG/PC Interface > Diagnostics. The bus statistics must show Token rotation time < 50 ms and Frame errors = 0 over a 30-second sample.
4. Run Accessible Nodes. The target CPU must appear with its configured MPI / PROFIBUS address and firmware version.
5. Download a small test block to a RAM-only DB and verify online consistency.

8. Troubleshooting Matrix

9. Long-Term Roadmap

The CP 5511, CP 5512, and 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 are all in the Siemens PMD (Product Maintenance & Discontinuation) lifecycle. For new installations, Siemens recommends the CP 5711 (USB) or a PC Station with a CP 1623 / CP 1626 PCI-Express card for control-room applications. For field service, the compact USB-to-MPI/DP converter remains the practical option, with the caveat that it must be paired with a CPU or HMI socket that sources 24 V.

Engineers maintaining Windows XP estates (which is still common in pulp & paper and water/wastewater sectors) can continue to use the CP 5511 indefinitely. As soon as the engineering PC migrates to Windows 7 or later, the CP 5511 must be retired.

10. Quick Field-Reference Summary

• CP 5511 on Win 7: Will not work. Replace.
• Compact laptop with no CardBus slot: Use the 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 USB adapter, but only on a CPU or HMI port.
• Drive or ET200 PROFIBUS socket with no 24 V on the bus: Use the CP 5711 with external 24 V supply, or a CP 1623 PCI-Express card in a desk-bound PC.
• SIMATIC NET PC Station (DP master, OPC): Use the CP 5711 or CP 1623. The 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0 is programming-only.
• Existing Field PG M4 / M5 with CardBus slot: CP 5512 is the lowest-effort drop-in.
• Windows 10 1607+ with the compact USB adapter: Plan for a Windows 7 VM with USB passthrough.

FAQ