CP 5512 on Windows 7 64-bit: Resolving Driver Incompatibility

Compatibility Status of the CP 5512

The Siemens CP 5512 PCMCIA (CardBus) communications processor is not released for any 64-bit operating system. Siemens officially limits the CP 5512 to a maximum of Windows 7 32-bit. Practical testing confirms this: the card operates correctly on Windows 7 32-bit installations but fails on Windows 7 64-bit, regardless of whether the driver installs successfully. There is no supported Siemens driver package that enables CP 5512 operation under a 64-bit OS.

ExpressCard-to-CardBus Adapter Behavior

Because modern laptops lack a native PCMCIA slot, an ExpressCard-to-CardBus adapter is a common workaround, and field experience shows the CP 5512 works reliably through such an adapter on Windows 7 32-bit. However, the adapter does not solve the 64-bit problem. On Windows 7 64-bit, the CP 5512 driver can be installed manually without errors, but attempting to use the card triggers a blue screen and a system restart. Other ExpressCard devices function normally on the same machine, which isolates the fault to the CP 5512 driver rather than the adapter or the slot. Treat a BSOD after manual driver installation as confirmation of the platform incompatibility, not as a fixable configuration issue.

Recommended Migration Path

Do not invest further time or money in non-released configurations. The supported replacement is the Siemens CP 5711 (USB-based), which is reported to work well in current field use and carries Siemens support if problems occur. The decision path is straightforward:

1. If the machine must run the CP 5512, stay on Windows 7 32-bit or earlier 32-bit Windows; an ExpressCard-to-CardBus adapter is acceptable here.
2. If the machine must run a 64-bit OS, replace the CP 5512 with a CP 5711 rather than attempting manual driver installation.
3. Verify the replacement against the software packages that use the CP (e.g., programming/MPI/PROFIBUS tools) before field deployment.

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