Fix KTP400 Comfort 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0 Not in TIA Portal Catalog

1. Problem Description

When configuring an automation project in TIA Portal, the SIMATIC KTP400 Comfort panel with order number (MLFB) 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0 fails to appear under Devices & Networks > Add new device > SIMATIC HMI > Comfort Panel. The hardware catalog may show older KTP400 Comfort entries (for example 6AV2124-1DC01-0AX0) but never the variant in the cabinet. The panel itself boots normally, displays the loader, and accepts configuration downloads through ProSave, yet the engineering software refuses to attach a new project device to that specific MLFB.

This is not a hardware fault. The panel is electrically healthy and the firmware is current. The device description shipped with the installed TIA Portal version is older than the panel's catalog face. The fix is to extend the catalog through a Siemens-released Hardware Support Package (HSP) and to confirm that the WinCC Comfort / WinCC Advanced runtime is installed and licensed. Once both are aligned, the device appears at the expected path and can be added, compiled, and downloaded.

2. Root Cause Analysis: Three Independent Conditions

Three independently insufficient conditions must all be true before a Comfort panel appears in the TIA Portal hardware catalog. If any one of them is missing, the catalog node for the affected MLFB stays empty or greyed out:

• TIA Portal base version. The installed TIA Portal major version must be at or above the version that introduced support for the panel family. Older installations do not see newer MLFB faces even if the panel is physically identical to a previous catalog entry.
• WinCC Comfort / Advanced installation. The WinCC Comfort (or higher) option must be installed as a selectable feature of TIA Portal. WinCC Basic does not include Comfort panel device descriptions; it only handles SIMATIC Basic panels.
• Hardware Support Package (HSP). Siemens ships new MLFBs after the initial TIA release through an HMI HSP. Without the matching HSP installed, the catalog refuses to list the newer MLFB even if WinCC Comfort/Advanced is present.

Note that licensing and catalog visibility are separate gates:

• HSP not installed: The panel does not appear in the catalog at all; you cannot drag it into the project tree.
• License not present: The panel appears in the catalog, but Add new device warns with messages such as No valid license for WinCC Comfort (TIA Portal error code 0x011F0021), and compile/download is blocked until the license is restored.

Identify which gate is open and which is closed before applying any fix.

3. MLFB Decoding for 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0

The Siemens order number is structured. Decoding the MLFB confirms panel class, display, and variant before you touch the catalog:

If the side label reads 6AV2124-1DC01-0AX0 instead, you have a different face of the same product line. Both MLFBs share the WinCC Comfort device framework; the difference usually resolves as a catalog-only inconsistency, not a runtime one. Verify which MLFB is on the panel using Main Menu > Settings > System > Device > Version on the panel itself.

4. Prerequisites and Component Inventory

Before touching the catalog, capture an inventory of the local install. This prevents chasing the wrong root cause.

The HSP catalog is forward-compatible by MLFB family. Always download the newest available HSP build for your TIA Portal major; do not assume that the older HSP file you once extracted still covers current MLFB revisions.

5. Step-by-Step Procedure: Install the HMI HSP

1. Run TIA Portal as administrator. HSP installation requires elevated rights because files are unpacked under C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\Portal\<version>\Hmi (or the user-selected TIA install path).
2. Navigate to Options > Support Packages.
3. Click "Install / uninstall support packages". A file dialog appears; point it to the HSP archive you downloaded. Files follow the pattern HSP_COMFORT_V<version>_<builddate>.zip (for example HSP_COMFORT_V17_20230615.zip).
4. Select the package in the list and confirm with Install. TIA Portal extracts the support package and prints every newly added MLFB face, including any 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0 entries.
5. Restart TIA Portal when prompted. The catalog caches MLFB faces per session; without a restart the new face will not show up.
6. Verify by adding a new HMI device and navigating to SIMATIC HMI > Comfort Panel > KTP400 Comfort > 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0. The node should now be present.

6. License Verification Procedure

An installed HSP makes the catalog entry visible, but configuration and download are gated by license. Confirm licensing with the following checks:

1. Launch Automation License Manager (Start > Siemens Automation > Automation License Manager).
2. Locate the entry WinCC Comfort or WinCC Advanced. The license must be on the local license server, the engineering PC, or the appropriate USB dongle.
3. If the license is on a network license server, ensure the server is reachable (ping <server>) and verify that the ALM TCP port (default 22350) is open. Reference How do you work with the Automation License Manager and how do you solve problems? for firewall and remote-server scenarios.
4. Return to TIA Portal, open the project, right-click the HMI device, and choose Compile > Software (rebuild all). A successful compile confirms valid runtime licensing.

7. TIA Portal Version Compatibility Matrix

Use this matrix to confirm support before downloading an HSP. HSP files are not cross-compatible between major versions. You must match the HSP major version to your TIA Portal major version.

Reference SIMATIC HMI Panels at a glance (TIA Portal) for the consolidated device catalog. For device-level manuals see SIMATIC HMI KTP400 Comfort device manuals.

8. Diagnostic Flow Diagram

9. Workarounds When the Catalog Still Cannot Find the Device

If the catalog continues to omit the panel after a clean install, use these field-tested fallbacks.

9.1 Substitute the Alternate MLFB Face

If your application does not depend on a panel-specific feature unique to one face, drag the alternate KTP400 Comfort entry into the project (for example 6AV2124-1DC01-0AX0 if the installed MLFB is 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0, or vice versa). Both faces use the same 4.0" TFT, the same WinCC Comfort configuration screens, and the same image extensions. You can compile and download the project to the physical panel regardless of which MLFB face is used in the TIA project. This is the recommended engineering carve-out when the catalog refuses the newer MLFB.

9.2 Cross-Tool Provisioning with ProSave

If TIA Portal configuration is blocked at the catalog level, use ProSave (Start > Siemens Automation > ProSave) to load the runtime and configuration archive (file extension .img) directly to the panel. ProSave requires the panel to be in Transfer mode: open the loader with Main Menu > Service > Transfer > Enable, then assign a project IP. The panel boots the runtime independently of TIA Portal catalog access.

9.3 Verify Against the Panel's Loader Face

On the panel itself navigate to Main Menu > Settings > System > Device > Version. Confirm the loaded firmware reads, for example, image version V16.x or later and an HMI firmware build aligned with the TIA Portal HSP level. If the on-panel image version is ahead of the catalog's, the matching HSP must come from the support site referenced in Section 4. Always align firmware ↔ HSP ↔ TIA Portal major version.

9.4 Reset the TIA Catalog Cache

Stop TIA Portal and delete the user-side catalog cache:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Siemens\Automation\CatalogCache\<TIA_version>
• %APPDATA%\Siemens\Automation\Portal V<version>\Catalog

Restart TIA Portal. The catalog rebuilds from the live HSP set. This resolves sporadic "HSP installed but still invisible" symptoms that appear after a TIA Portal upgrade where the cache was not invalidated.

9.5 Repair the WinCC Comfort Installation

If WinCC Comfort appears in Installed software but the catalog still misses Comfort faces, run the TIA Portal installer, choose Modify, and ensure WinCC Comfort is fully ticked. Select Repair if the entry appears corrupted. Reinstall any missing hotfixes, then reboot before retesting the catalog.

10. Field Commissioning Checklist

1. Confirm panel MLFB on the side label is 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0 (or note the actual MLFB if it differs).
2. Confirm Help > Installed software… lists WinCC Comfort / Advanced of the same major version as the TIA Portal base.
3. Install the newest Image Downloads for SIMATIC HMI Operator Panels HSP via Options > Support Packages.
4. Restart TIA Portal. Verify the catalog lists the panel under SIMATIC HMI > Comfort Panel > KTP400 Comfort > 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0.
5. Open Automation License Manager; confirm a valid WinCC Comfort/Advanced license exists and is on the local or reachable server.
6. Insert the panel into the project, compile, and download.
7. On the panel, accept the project IP / device name and verify transfer.
8. Save a project backup (.zap) and a runtime image (.img) on the engineering workstation.

11. Verification Procedure

After the fix, prove the catalog works end-to-end with the following test sequence:

1. In the project tree choose Project > Add new device > SIMATIC HMI.
2. Type 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0 into the catalog search field. The panel appears.
3. Drag the panel into the project. The Add new device dialog closes OK without a license warning.
4. Open the panel's Device View > Properties > General. The dialog reports type KTP400 Comfort, MLFB 6AV2124-2DC01-0AX0, and firmware version stamp matching the installed HSP.
5. Compile the project via Compile > Software (rebuild all). Successful compile confirms license and HSP are both valid.
6. Transfer the runtime to the panel. The on-panel loader shows the project name and revision; the configured screen appears on power cycle.

12. WinCC Variant Reference

Use WinCC Comfort when only Comfort panels are in scope. Move to WinCC Advanced or Professional only when the project must mix Comfort panels, PC Runtime, and centralized archives.

13. Recommended Controller Pairings

The KTP400 Comfort pairs with most SIMATIC controllers released in the same TIA era. Use the table below for the typical connection definitions:

Avoid mixing legacy WinCC Flexible projects on a Comfort panel; rebuild in TIA Portal. The Comfort runtime does not accept .hmi-format archives from WinCC Flexible.

14. Field-Repaired Adjacent Issues

• Symptom: panel boots but only shows the loader. Root cause: runtime image was cleared. Resolve via ProSave restore (.img) or by downloading the project from TIA Portal.
• Symptom: "Failed to read device description" during compile. Root cause: partial install of WinCC Comfort. Run the TIA Portal installer and choose Repair on the WinCC Comfort feature.
• Symptom: "Device not accessible" when adding to project. Root cause: a higher HSP is required. Update to the newest HSP before retrying.
• Symptom: TIA Portal V14 base refuses the panel MLFB even after HSP. Root cause: V14 base only ships the original MLFB face. Upgrade to V14 SP1 update 6 or higher.
• Symptom: license recognized for Comfort but compile still fails. Root cause: license was moved between servers; wait for the daily ALM refresh or reissue the license through ALM Transfer License.

15. Edge Cases and Long-Term Maintenance

When you upgrade TIA Portal, the catalog carries forward but the HSP set resets to the new major version's baseline. Re-import the newest HSP immediately after every TIA Portal upgrade; do not assume prior HSPs remain active.

When you deploy to multiple identical panels, copy the first configured device using the project tree context menu Copy & Paste on the HMI node, then change the PLC connection and the IP address. The shared catalog face guarantees that every panel can adopt the same project.

When retiring a Comfort panel, run ProSave Backup > Restore to keep a copy of the project archive before decommissioning. This protects you in case the catalog face is later removed by an HSP update and you still need a working configuration file.