ET200S Migration to TIA Portal V18: IM Modules and GSD Files

Overview

Migrating a legacy SIMATIC S7-300 or S7-400 project with distributed ET 200S I/O to TIA Portal V18 (or V20) frequently surfaces unsupported module references. Two classes of error dominate:

1. I/O module references — older 6ES7 132/6ES7 133/6ES7 134/6ES7 135 catalog numbers whose product status has been changed to discontinued or phased out (e.g. 6ES7 132-4HB00-0AB0, replaced by 6ES7 132-4HB01-0AB0). The migration tool raises an error, not a warning.
2. IM (interface module) references — older ET 200S head modules such as 6ES7 151-1AA02-0AB0 (product cancellation 2003) are no longer contained in the TIA Portal hardware catalog. The migration tool fails the project even though the physical rack may still be in operation.

This guide documents the field-verified procedure for replacing I/O modules with current catalog equivalents and for integrating legacy head modules via the original PROFIBUS GSD files when the project is migrated with the Siemens Migration Tool TIA Portal (Entry ID 58638200). The article consolidates the official TIA Portal V20 migration documentation with field-tested rules for ET 200S head modules (IM 151) and PM/DC power modules.

Prerequisites

• TIA Portal V18 SP1 or later installed (V18 base, V18 Update 1, V18 Update 2, or V20 are all supported per the official migration entry).
• The Siemens Migration Tool installed (delivered as part of the TIA Portal setup, selectable under "More Options").
• Original STEP 7 V5.4 SP5 (or later) source archive (.zip or .s7p with referenced station sub-projects) or an STEP 7 V5.x project directory accessible read-only.
• Original ET 200S GSD file for the discontinued IM, e.g. SIEM8150.GSD for the 6ES7 151-1AA02-0AB0 PN/DP variant or SI04805.GSD for PROFIBUS head modules. The GSD must be installed into TIA Portal via Options → Manage general station description files (GSD).
• Documented hardware revision of every installed module (front-panel MLFB and FS state, e.g. 6ES7 151-1AA02-0AB0 / FS 03) — the project must record the exact catalog string because mixing revisions inside one ET 200S rack is not permitted.
• Read/write access to the destination TIA Portal project folder; the migration tool creates a new project and never overwrites the source.

ET 200S Module Compatibility Matrix (Selected)

The following table captures the most common catalog conversions encountered during field migration. Status is taken from the Siemens Industry Online Support product lifecycle pages.

Pin-compatibility of the 2 DO relay module 132-4HB0x allows a one-to-one drop-in replacement at the terminal level. Always confirm the new module is wired to the same terminal block (TB25L) and verify the base unit type (BU-15 or BU-30) matches the new MLFB's allowed base units; the successor -4HB12 requires BU-30, the older -4HB00/-4HB01 tolerate BU-15.

Head Module (IM 151) Migration Constraints

The interface module is the most sensitive part of an ET 200S migration. The TIA Portal hardware catalog no longer contains entries for the following IM 151 head modules whose product status was set to Product cancellation before TIA Portal V11:

• 6ES7 151-1AA00-0AB0 (IM 151-1 PN/DP, FS01)
• 6ES7 151-1AA01-0AB0 (IM 151-1 PN/DP, FS02)
• 6ES7 151-1AA02-0AB0 (IM 151-1 PN/DP, FS03) — cancellation 2003
• 6ES7 151-1AA03-0AB0 (IM 151-1 PN/DP, FS04)
• 6ES7 151-1AB00-0AB0 and ...-1AB01-0AB0 (IM 151-1 PROFIBUS, early FS)

Field testing demonstrates that configuring a newer catalog IM (6ES7 151-1AA04-0AB0 or later) while the older physical module is installed is not reliable. Symptoms observed in practice:

• Migration completes without an error or warning, suggesting success.
• Compile/download succeeds.
• ET 200S diagnostics (online → accessible nodes) does not report an error.
• However, the I/O process image is not refreshed; cyclic exchange is silent and the rack shows SF on the physical IM after a power cycle.

The root cause is the firmware contract: the parameter telegram of 1AA02 does not contain the record structures introduced in 1AA04 (e.g. port-statistics records, identification & maintenance I&M1…I&M4, and the extended diagnostic buffer used by TIA Portal V14+). Configuring the newer IM while the physical unit responds with the older record set causes the head module to drop the parameter assignment and enter a fail-safe state.

GSD-Based Legacy Module Integration

The supported path for a discontinued IM is to install the matching GSD and integrate the ET 200S station as a PROFIBUS DP slave or PROFINET IO device on a per-GSD basis. Procedure for TIA Portal V18 SP1 / V20:

1. Download the GSD for the legacy IM from Siemens Product Support. For 6ES7 151-1AA02-0AB0 use the file SI04805.GSD (PROFIBUS) or the PN equivalent (delivered with the IM firmware package as GSDML-Vx.x-...).
2. Open TIA Portal and select Options → Manage general station description files (GSD).
3. Browse to the GSD directory and install. Restart TIA Portal if prompted.
4. In the migrated project's device view, replace the unsupported IM with the GSD variant: drag the ET 200S IM 151-1 PN/DP from the hardware catalog → PROFINET IO → I/O → ET 200S.
5. Open the device properties and verify the slot list matches the physically wired modules in left-to-right order, including the power module (PM), the IM, and every terminal module. The GSD slot count must equal the count of slots in the physical rack.
6. Compile (Hardware and Software). The compiler will report Slot not configured for every missing module; populate the slots from the GSD module list until compile is clean.

Address Packing Workarounds for Old 2 DO Modules

The legacy GSD for 6ES7 132-4HB00-0AB0 reserves 1 byte per 2-channel digital output module. The current successor (4HB01 / 4HB12) packs the module into a single bit when adjacent to another DO module in the same byte. Field-tested workaround when the legacy GSD is used:

1. Open the device view of the ET 200S station in the TIA Portal project.
2. Select the slot corresponding to the 2 DO module.
3. In Properties → I/O addresses, the start address and length are greyed out if the GSD enforces per-slot granularity. For the 132-4HB00 PROFIBUS GSD the reserved length is always 1 byte.
4. Do not attempt to address QBx.2…QBx.7 from the program. Those bits belong to the next slot and a write to them is treated as a peripheral access to the next module, not the configured 2 DO module.
5. To regain address density, perform one of the following:

• Hardware change: replace the physical 132-4HB00 modules with the successor 132-4HB01 (pin-compatible) and re-configure the slot with the catalog entry. The successor respects slot packing and will reduce the address footprint by up to 50%.
• Program change: keep the legacy GSD and refactor the S7 program to operate on whole bytes. Build an FC/FB that demultiplexes bit x.0 and x.1 into booleans internally and writes the rest of the byte to a status word or a constant zero.

The first option is preferred on long-running plants because it removes the GSD dependency and enables full online diagnostics. The second option is acceptable for short-cycle migration or for plant sections scheduled for retirement.

Step-by-Step Migration Procedure

The procedure below assumes STEP 7 V5.4 SP5 as the source. The steps are condensed from the official TIA Portal V20 migration handbook with field-proven additions for ET 200S.

1. Archive the STEP 7 source project. In SIMATIC Manager, choose File → Archive and select With reorganisation. Verify the archive contains the STEP7 subfolder, the IM subfolder (station data), and all referenced S7 programs.
2. Open the Migration Tool. Start → Siemens Automation → Migration Tool TIA Portal (Entry ID 58638200). The tool requires read access to the source and write access to the destination folder.
3. Select source and target. Browse to the STEP 7 archive or directory. The tool detects the project structure and lists the S7 stations and the S7 programs inside. Each station can be toggled for migration; only stations whose hardware is supported in the target TIA Portal version are exported.
4. Resolve pre-migration diagnostics. The tool emits a Migration Pre-Diagnostics log. Pay attention to MLFB not supported entries. For I/O modules, replace with the catalog successor; for IM 151 head modules, follow the GSD path described in section 5.
5. Execute the migration. Click Migrate. The TIA Portal target project is opened automatically. Compile the entire project (Hardware and Software + PLC program). The compile output is the definitive list of remaining errors.
6. Map unsupported IM via GSD. In the device view, drag the GSD-injected ET 200S station onto the PROFINET subnet. Verify the slot list matches the physical rack. Compile again.
7. Download the configuration. Connect to the S7 CPU, perform a complete download (block + system data). The first download will trigger an automatic restart of the CPU; the IM 151-1 PN/DP will reset and re-parameterise from the new project.
8. Verify cyclic exchange. Open an online watch table on the input and output process images of the ET 200S station. Force a known input and confirm the corresponding bit flips in the PI/PO. Verify with the physical I/O on the terminal block.

Verification & Commissioning

Use this checklist before signing off the migration. Every item is observable in the field without specialist tooling.

• Accessible nodes: Online → Accessible nodes lists the IM 151 with its full MLFB. The MLFB must match the physical module; a mismatch indicates a GSD was assigned to a different IM than the one in the rack.
• Diagnostic buffer: Open the IM 151 online → Diagnostics buffer. The most recent entry should be Parameter assignment by CPU OK or Module initialised. Any Record set mismatch or Parameter error entry indicates a firmware/parameter contract violation — usually a wrong GSD revision.
• Slot-level status: Online → Module information of the IM 151 lists every slot. Each slot must show OK or Module is exchanging data. Slots with Not reachable or Wrong module indicate a slot-list mismatch between the TIA Portal project and the physical rack.
• Process image continuity: For 2 DO modules, force QBx.0 and QBx.1 and observe the physical outputs. Force QBx.2…QBx.7 and confirm they do not energise the same module — this proves the GSD-per-slot reservation is correctly respected by the S7 program.
• Power module check: The PM (e.g. 6ES7 138-4CA00-0AA0) and its power-feed terminal (e.g. 6ES7 193-4CC20-0AA0) must report the correct diagnostic values in the GSD module list. A red SF on the physical PM with a green BF on the IM typically indicates reversed base units, not a wrong module.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Edge Cases & Field Notes

• PROFIBUS and PROFINET coexistence: When a migrated station contains a mix of PROFIBUS-coupled IM 151-1 and PROFINET-coupled IM 151-3, the GSD must be installed for both variants. The slot list of the PROFIBUS and PROFINET stations are independent — the slot count of one does not constrain the other.
• Functional Safety (F-modules): If the ET 200S contains F-modules (e.g. 6ES7 138-4FA00-0AB0), the migration tool does not migrate the safety program. The F-program must be re-authored in TIA Portal's Safety Advanced editor and the F-destination address confirmed against the original PROFIsafe address assignment.
• Power module (PM) catalog gaps: PM modules with catalog numbers 6ES7 138-4CA00-0AA0 FS01/02 are not in the TIA Portal catalog. They are integrated via the IM's GSD and appear in the slot list as the PM slot, not as a stand-alone device.
• I&M data loss: I&M0..I&M4 records populated by the original STEP 7 project are not transferred by the migration tool. Re-author plant identification, location, and installation date manually after the migration.
• Hot-swap of IMs: Field swaps from 1AA02 to 1AA04 on a live plant require the new IM to be parameterised with its own GSD before the swap. Otherwise, the I/O drop will fall to fail-safe and the S7 CPU will go to STOP with a rack fault.
• Multi-rack ET 200S with shared I&M: When multiple ET 200S stations share a PROFIsafe address range, the F-destination address is assigned per station, not per slot. Verify all F-destination addresses against the safety acceptance report after the migration.

FAQ