Field PG M3 Windows 7 64-bit: Driver and STEP 7 Safety Issues

Problem Summary: Field PG M3 with Windows 7 64-bit Driver Failures

The Siemens Field PG M3 is a ruggedized industrial programming device designed for commissioning SIMATIC S7-300/S7-400, S7-1200/S7-1500, and SINUMERIK controllers. When a customer installs a 64-bit Windows 7 image on a unit that was originally delivered with a 32-bit operating system, the following hardware subsystems become non-functional or are flagged with a yellow exclamation in Device Manager:

• Integrated SD card reader
• Integrated MMC (MultiMediaCard) card reader
• USB Mass Storage Controller (often reported as "Unknown Mass Controller" or "USB Mass Storage Device" with error Code 28 / Code 39)
• STEP 7 Safety Advanced fails to load with a 64-bit runtime error

This article documents the root cause, the official order-code path that distinguishes 32-bit from 64-bit deliveries, the supported TIA Portal / STEP 7 Safety versions, and the verified service-channel procedure for obtaining a complete driver set.

Field PG M3 Hardware Platform Overview

The Field PG M3 (6ES7715-.....) is built on an Intel Core i5 / i7 mobile platform with 15.6" HD anti-glare display, integrated SmartCard reader, ExpressCard/54 slot, and a multi-format flash reader that supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, and Memory Stick. The platform uses an Intel 7-series chipset with USB 3.0 and eSATA interfaces bridged through a Renesas / NEC controller. Windows 7 64-bit support requires 64-bit kernel-mode drivers for the Ricoh R5C847 (or equivalent) flash controller, the Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller, and the optional SmartCard / Mass Storage composite device.

The hardware is identical between 32-bit and 64-bit deliveries; the difference between the two SKUs is firmware/BIOS configuration, license key, pre-installed OS image, and the driver payload bundled in the recovery media. The 14th digit of the order number encodes this configuration, as documented in the SIMATIC Field PG M3 catalog data and confirmed in the official Siemens support entry ID 60466787.

Order Code Configuration: The 14th Digit Determines OS Eligibility

The 14th digit of the Field PG M3 order number (6ES7715-.....-....) selects the pre-installed operating system and the memory configuration. The matrix below is the authoritative reference published by Siemens for sales releases beginning April 2012, with delivery of the Windows 7 variants beginning May 8, 2012.

Key licensing rule: A Field PG M3 originally delivered with 14th digit "B" (32-bit Windows 7) carries a license that legally permits a re-installation of Windows 7 64-bit, but only when the operating system option "C" image is used. A unit delivered with 14th digit "A" (Windows XP) cannot be upgraded in-place to 64-bit Windows 7 without obtaining both the matching license key and the matching 64-bit driver set.

Root Cause: Why 64-bit Drivers Are Missing

When Windows 7 64-bit is installed from generic media or from a 32-bit Field PG M3 recovery image, the kernel loads only the drivers that ship inside that image. The stock 32-bit image contains 32-bit versions of:

• Ricoh R5C847 / R5U2xx SD/MMC/MS card reader driver
• Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller driver
• NEC/Renesas USB 3.0 driver
• JMicron JMB36x mass storage controller driver
• Validity Fingerprint Sensor driver (optional)

These are x86 drivers; Windows 7 64-bit refuses to load unsigned 32-bit kernel-mode drivers by default (driver signing enforcement is mandatory on x64). Devices that depend on them fall back to the generic Microsoft class driver or display a yellow bang in Device Manager. The 64-bit variants exist in the official "Field PG M3 Image for 64-bit OS" recovery package, but are not redistributable on the public Siemens download portal — they are distributed only through a Siemens Technical Support service request, as confirmed in Siemens support entry ID 60466787.

SD Card Reader Failure Under Windows 7 64-bit

Symptom in Device Manager: SD Host Controller or Ricoh SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller listed with Code 28 (drivers are not installed) or Code 39 (cannot load device driver). The slot accepts the card mechanically, but no drive letter is assigned and no event is logged in diskpart output.

Resolution requires the 64-bit INF from the official image, in particular:

• R5U2xx64.inf (Ricoh SD/MMC/MS driver, x64 build 6.x)
• R5U2xx64.cat (digitally signed catalog)

Manual install procedure when the official image is available:

1. Open Device Manager, right-click the failing SD Host Controller, select Update Driver Software.
2. Choose Browse my computer for driver software, then Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
3. Select SD Host Controllers, click Have Disk, and browse to the \Drivers\CardReader\x64 folder of the official image.
4. Select the Ricoh SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller, confirm the Windows Security prompt (the driver is signed by Microsoft WHQL).
5. Reboot and verify in Device Manager that the entry shows "This device is working properly".

MMC Card Reader Failure Under Windows 7 64-bit

The MMC reader shares the same Ricoh R5C847 silicon as the SD reader; it is exposed as a separate child device in the ACPI tree (ACPI\R5C847\\...). When the parent SD driver fails to load, the MMC child device is never enumerated and never receives a drive letter. Installing the SD driver from the previous section automatically enumerates the MMC device on the next plug-event.

Verification after install:

1. Insert a known-good MMC card (≤ 2 GB MMC, ≤ 32 GB MMCplus).
2. Confirm that a new drive letter appears in Windows Explorer within 2-3 seconds.
3. Run wmic logicaldisk get caption,filesystem from an elevated command prompt; the MMC card should be listed as a removable FAT/FAT32/exFAT volume.

Mass Controller (USB / Storage) 64-bit Driver Missing

Symptom: Device Manager shows Unknown device with Hardware ID USB\VID_xxxx&PID_xxxx for a JMicron JMB36x or a Renesas uPD720202 controller, or the entry appears under Universal Serial Bus controllers as USB Mass Storage Device with Code 10 (cannot start) or Code 43 (device has been blocked because it has reported problems).

The 64-bit INF required is one of the following, depending on the actual silicon revision:

JMB36X_x64.inf

Install path (identical to the SD reader procedure): Device Manager → Update Driver → Browse → point to \Drivers\Storage\x64 of the official image → reboot. Verify with devcon status =USB from an elevated command prompt.

STEP 7 Safety Advanced 64-bit Compatibility

STEP 7 Safety Advanced V11 (and later) supports 64-bit Windows 7 from V11 SP2 / V12 (TIA Portal) onward, as documented in Siemens support entry ID 58205193. Specifically:

• STEP 7 Safety Advanced V11 — released February 2012, supports Windows 7 64-bit (SP1 required).
• STEP 7 Safety Advanced V13 / V14 / V15 / V16 / V17 — supported on Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, Windows 10 64-bit (build-specific) and Windows Server editions listed in the TIA Portal installation manual.
• STEP 7 Safety Advanced V5.x — 32-bit only, cannot load on 64-bit Windows. Customers must use the V11+ (TIA Portal) line for 64-bit F-programming.

If the local installation reports "STEP 7 Safety cannot load in 64-bit mode", confirm that the installed package is V11+ and that the F-configuration tool was installed as part of the TIA Portal setup. Older V5.x F-Configuration Tool / Distributed Safety installations do not contain 64-bit code and must be uninstalled before a 64-bit TIA Portal install will complete.

Resolution Path: Obtaining the Official Image and Drivers

The verified service path for an end user is the Siemens Technical Support service-request system, available at the URL documented in Siemens support entry ID 38718979. Procedure:

1. Open a Service Request (SR) at the Siemens Industry Online Support portal.
2. Reference the Field PG M3 order number (6ES7715-.....-....), the 14th digit, the current BIOS version (read with SMBIOS or via Start → Programs → SIMATIC → Field PG Tools → BIOSInfo), and the current Windows build (winver).
3. State explicitly that a 64-bit Windows 7 image is required, that the license (digit C) is owned, and that the recovery media is missing the 64-bit driver set.
4. Siemens will provide either the complete recovery DVD (image including all x64 drivers) or a password-protected download link to the matching driver pack.

If a service request is denied with the response "the Field PG M3 was not released/offered with an installed 64-bit version of Windows 7", re-open the ticket and reference the order digit "C" SKU that explicitly ships 64-bit. The denial typically originates from a first-line agent who did not verify the actual order configuration.

Recommended Service Request Procedure

Use the following template fields when opening the SR through the Siemens Industry Online Support portal:

• Product: SIMATIC Field PG M3
• MLFB / Order Number: 6ES7715-…
• 14th digit: A / B / C
• OS pre-installed: Win XP SP3 32 / Win7 32 / Win7 64
• Current OS attempt: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
• Failing devices: SD reader, MMC reader, Mass Controller
• STEP 7 Safety version: (e.g., V11 SP2 / V13 SP1 / V16)
• Error message: verbatim text from Device Manager code field

Attach the output of msinfo32 /report %TEMP%\pg-m3.html and a screenshot of Device Manager with the yellow-bang entries expanded.

Verification Checklist

After installing the 64-bit driver pack from the official image, confirm each item below:

1. Device Manager shows no yellow bang or Code 28/Code 39 on SD Host Controller, MMC Host Controller, USB Mass Storage, USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller.
2. SD card (4 GB - 32 GB SDHC) mounts within 3 seconds of insertion; MMCplus card mounts in the same time window.
3. USB 3.0 external HDD enumerates at SuperSpeed (verify with USBTreeView or Device Manager speed field).
4. STEP 7 Safety Advanced V11+ launches without "cannot load in 64-bit mode" dialog; F-programming compiles and downloads to a SIMATIC F-CPU.
5. TIA Portal Help → About reports "Operating system: Windows 7 64-bit" and version match.
6. SIMATIC Field PG diagnostic tool (if installed) reports all subsystems green.

Preventive Notes for Future Deployments

When ordering a new Field PG M3 for 64-bit Windows 7 use, specify order digit "C" explicitly. The "C" SKU ships with the 6 GB or 8 GB RAM configuration required to comfortably run TIA Portal V15+ at 64-bit. Units ordered with digit "B" (32-bit) cannot be converted to "C" without a license-key exchange; the recovery DVD is hardware-tied to the COA sticker.

For customers planning to run TIA Portal V17 or later on Windows 10 64-bit, note that the Field PG M3 must meet the TIA Portal V17 installation prerequisites: at least 8 GB RAM, 16 GB free disk space on SSD, and a CPU supporting SSE4.2. Units with mechanical HDD should be upgraded to SSD before V17 deployment; the in-box recovery image supports the SSD swap and the AHCI driver is part of the 64-bit image.