Enabling SINUMERIK 828D Software Options: 0AC20 and AP58

Overview

The SINUMERIK 828D CNC is a panel-based controller whose functional scope is shaped almost entirely by software options. Hardware alone determines only the upper mechanical ceiling; every additional axis, spindle, technology cycle, and machining step is unlocked by a license key that is bound to the serial number of the CompactFlash Card (CF card) installed in the Panel Processing Unit (PPU). This article covers the two option part numbers most commonly shipped with an 828D Basic T Horizontal machine package, PPU 241.2:

• 6FC5800-0AC20-0YB0 — Controllable interpolation axes, extension (1 additional axis / 1 additional spindle)
• 6FC5800-0AP58-0YB0 — Advanced Technology Functions (extended milling/turning/drilling cycles)

Both articles are delivered on paper. The paper document carries a license key string that must be entered once into the controller (or reloaded from CF card) before the option becomes operative. If the option is referenced in machine data but the license is missing, the control raises the alarm "Option activated without license" and refuses to traverse the affected axis or execute the affected cycle.

The intended audience is the commissioning engineer or service technician who has just received a fresh 828D shipment, has mechanically and electrically installed the PPU, and is preparing the controller for the first power-up.

Hardware Context: PPU 241.2 Basic T Horizontal

The PPU 241.2 is a horizontal-mount, 10.4" TFT variant of the 828D operator panel. It integrates the CNC kernel, the SINAMICS S120 drive-clique line modules, and the I/O backplane into a single housing. According to the SINUMERIK 828D brochure, the 828D family is positioned for compact milling and turning machines; the "Basic T" suffix indicates the standard turning software set without the SWD (ShopTurn / ShopMill) graphical programming environment.

The default axis count of a PPU 241.2 is determined by the order code but is typically four interpolating axes plus one spindle. To add a fifth axis (commonly a C-axis on a driven tool turret, a sub-spindle, or a secondary linear axis) the 0AC20 option must be present. Without it, MD30350 $MA_IS_ROT_AX and the related configuration machine data for the extra axis are rejected at startup, and the channel will not come ready.

Decoding the Two Option Part Numbers

The trailing -0YB0 is critical. It tells the order entry system that the entitlement is to be issued as a printed Certificate of License (CoL), not preloaded onto the CF card at the factory. Engineers who see a different trailing suffix should treat the procedure differently: -0YB0 = manual entry, -0YB1 = CoL with the same content but a different export-control classification, and the absence of a Y-suffix usually indicates the option is already burned into the card at shipment.

6FC5800-0AC20-0YB0 — Additional 1 Axis / 1 Spindle

This option extends the maximum number of configurable axes or spindles by one. On a turning package, the most common use cases are:

• Adding a counter-spindle (axis name SP2 or CS) for part pickup on subspindle lathes.
• Adding a driven-tool C-axis (axis name C) on a milling-turning centre with live tooling.
• Adding a second independent linear axis such as a tailstock (TX) or a steady rest (SX).
• Adding a Y-axis on a mill where the basic configuration only supports X, Z, and the spindle.

The option is consumed per additional axis. If the machine requires two extra axes (for example, a Y-axis and a counter-spindle), two CoLs are required, or the higher-capacity option 6FC5800-0AC21-0YB0 (two additional axes) is purchased. The 0AC20 part number is a single-credit license.

6FC5800-0AP58-0YB0 — Advanced Technology Functions

The Advanced Technology option is a bundled cycle library that extends the standard technology set. The 828D Basic T already includes a baseline set of cycles for turning (CYCLE95, CYCLE97, CYCLE98) and drilling (CYCLE81 through CYCLE89); the AP58 option adds productivity-oriented cycles that shorten programming time and improve surface finish. The category groups offered with the option include:

The AP58 option is consumed once per control. It does not stack — a second CoL does not add a second copy of the cycles. The 828D differentiates "not licensed" from "licensed but disabled" at the cycle level using a softkey tree under Setup > Etc > Licenses.

License Format and Paper-Delivery Decoding

A paper CoL contains four machine-readable fields plus a tamper-evident holographic sticker. The four fields are:

1. License number — a 30-character alphanumeric string in the form XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
2. CF card serial number — the unique 12-character identifier that the license is bound to. The value must match the serial number of the CF card physically installed in the PPU; if the card is later replaced, the license must be reissued.
3. Option code — the four-character designator (e.g., AC20 or AP58).
4. Signature hash — a checksum that the controller validates before accepting the key.

Paper delivery is mandatory in regions where the import or export of cryptographic key material is regulated, or where end customers demand an auditable chain of custody for licensed software. Siemens is moving the bulk of new shipments to electronic delivery (the Web License Manager at www.siemens.com/automation/license), but the two options covered here are typically ordered on paper for the Asian and Indian machine-tool OEM market.

Prerequisites for Activation

• The 828D PPU 241.2 has been mechanically mounted and the 24 V DC logic supply is on, with no field wiring faults present on SINAMICS DRIVE-CLiQ.
• The CF card is the original Siemens part with the 828D firmware image. Aftermarket CF cards cause licensing to fail at signature validation.
• Access level Manufacturer (password-protected) is available. The licenses softkey is only visible at Manufacturer or Service level.
• The paper CoL is in hand and the CF card serial number printed on it matches the controller being commissioned.
• The firmware version on the CF card supports the option. AP58 requires SW 4.5 SP2 or later; AC20 is supported on every shipping 828D firmware from SW 4.4 onward.

Step-by-Step Activation Procedure

The procedure is the same for both options and uses the controller's own HMI; no external programming tool is required.

1. Power up the PPU and wait for the standard operator screen to appear. Press the Setup area key on the horizontal softkey bar (second key from the left on PPU 241.2).
2. Press the Etc key ( > ) at the right end of the softkey bar to switch to the second softkey page.
3. Press the Licenses softkey. The control opens the license overview, which lists every option slot, the option code, the current state, and the available license count.
4. Press the Set option according to license softkey. The control displays a prompt asking whether all options contained on the CoL should be activated. Confirm with OK.
5. Alternatively, place the cursor on the row corresponding to the single option you wish to enable (for example, the row labelled AC20) and press the Set softkey. Enter the license number from the CoL, confirm with OK, and the option transitions from not licensed to licensed.
6. Cycle 24 V DC power on the PPU. Many of the option bits are sampled only at cold start; a hot activation will be accepted but the affected axis will not come ready until the next reboot.
7. After reboot, return to Setup > Etc > Licenses and verify the state column now reads set for both options.

Verification: Confirming the License is Active

After reboot, the license state can be read from three independent sources. Cross-checking all three catches the case where a single HMI page is showing cached data.

1. HMI license overview. Navigate to Setup > Etc > Licenses. Each option row carries a status column; set means active, not set means licensed but disabled, not licensed means absent.
2. Machine data query. Read MD19610 $ON_TECHNO_FUNCTION_MASK for AP58, and the axis-specific machine data MD30350 $MA_IS_ROT_AX, MD30300 $MA_IS_ROT_AX, and the channel-specific MD20070 $MC_AXCONF_MACHAX_USED for AC20. A non-zero value that the control accepted at startup indicates the option bit is set.
3. Alarm log. With the option set, the alarm "Option activated without license" (alarm 8022) must be absent from the clearable alarm list on the alarm screen.

DOCON WEB Reference

Engineers who need the canonical Siemens documentation for the license procedure can look up the relevant operator-component manual on the official Siemens documentation portal. The SINUMERIK 828D brochure confirms the part numbering scheme and the option taxonomy, while the Operator Components and Programming Manual (document number 6FC5398-8BP40) covers the softkey navigation shown above. Always cross-check the manual revision against the SW version of your CF card — Siemens frequently re-screenshots menus across major releases.

Machine Data Considerations

Setting the license is necessary but not sufficient. The axis or cycle must also be referenced in machine data, otherwise the controller will report the option as licensed but the spindle / axis / cycle will still be invisible. The minimum machine data set to review is:

MD19610 is the master switch for the AP58 cycles. Each bit in the mask enables a cycle group; if the bit is zero the cycle is not offered in the input screens even though the option is licensed. The default mask on a fresh PPU is 0x0 — the commissioning engineer must set the bits that match the actual machine configuration.

Option Bits and $ON_SET_OPT — The Behind-the-Scenes Mechanism

Each license, once accepted, writes a 64-bit word into a non-volatile counter on the CF card. The word is read on every cold start and copied into the option-bit word $ON_SET_OPT. The HMI Licenses screen is a re-formatted view of this same word. The relevant data flow is:

1. CF card holds the license record (serial-number bound, signed).
2. On startup, the license manager verifies the signature against the public key stored in the firmware.
3. Verified options are written to $ON_SET_OPT and to the option database file sloptions.dat on the CF card.
4. Each option-aware machine data read consults $ON_SET_OPT; if the bit is zero the data is treated as if the option does not exist.

This mechanism is also why a CF card swap is not free: the new card does not have the signature records, and the licenses must be reissued through the Siemens Web License Manager by quoting the new card serial number.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Edge Cases and Field-Commissioning Caveats

• Counter-spindle plus C-axis on a single 0AC20. A common OEM mistake is to order a single 0AC20 and try to use it for two extra axes. Each axis consumes one credit. Order 6FC5800-0AC21-0YB0 instead for a two-axis credit pack, or two single-axis CoLs.
• Re-licensing after a service CF swap. If the original CF card is replaced under RMA, the new card has a different serial number. The Web License Manager can reissue the CoL to the new serial at no additional cost if the original order is in warranty; outside warranty a reissue fee applies.
• Option "licensed but disabled" state. The license overview distinguishes "not licensed" (no CoL present) from "not set" (CoL present but softkey not pressed). Engineers troubleshooting should always check the state column, not just the existence of a CoL in the cabinet.
• AP58 on Basic T versus SWD. Basic T is the G-code turning variant. ShopTurn (SWD) is a separate option. The AP58 cycles are available in both environments, but the input screens differ.
• Firmware downgrade. Downgrading from SW 4.7 to SW 4.5 will lose any options that were licensed on 4.5-or-newer catalogs. Always confirm the target firmware supports the desired options before downgrade.

Safety and Operational Notes

The AP58 technology cycles are software-only; they do not introduce new axes or new safety-relevant hardware. Even so, any new cycle must be validated on a test part before production release. The validation should cover dry-run, single-block, and reduced-feedrate execution to confirm tool-path behaviour.

Frequently Asked Questions