Fixing SIMOTION Scout V5.1 Missing SSP Sinamics V4.3.1 Package

Fixing SIMOTION Scout V5.1 Missing SSP Sinamics V4.3.1 Package Error

When commissioning or maintaining legacy motion-control projects in SIMOTION Scout V5.1 that reference a CU320-2 DP Control Unit running firmware V4.3.1, the engineering tool reports that the matching SSP SINAMICS V4.3.1 software package is not present. The project opens, but every device based on the older SINAMICS firmware becomes unloadable, breaking the online/offline comparison, topology view, and drive configuration. This article documents the exact symptoms, root cause, step-by-step recovery, and the verification procedure to confirm a clean fix.

1. Problem Summary

A field engineer attempts to open an existing SIMOTION project originally commissioned with Scout V4.1. Scout V5.1 prompts to convert the project, the conversion completes, and the tool then displays a dialog stating that the SSP SINAMICS V4.3.1 package and the corresponding CU320-2 DP V4.3.1 object type are not installed. The engineer observes that only SSP packages for SINAMICS V4.5 and V4.7 are present in the device catalog, and a manual install of the closest available package (V4.3.2) is rejected by the Scout installer with a version-mismatch error.

The symptom presents on the first project open after a Scout upgrade, on a freshly imaged engineering workstation, or after a clean install of the Scout V5.1 DVD. The error blocks the project navigator tree from expanding, the drive icon is grayed out, and any online connection to a live CU320-2 DP V4.3.1 controller cannot be established because the tool cannot resolve the device description.

1.1 Affected Tool Versions

2. Root Cause Analysis

SIMOTION Scout resolves every device object inside a project against a versioned Software Support Package (SSP). An SSP is the compressed device-description database (DDDB), GSD-like object catalog, topology rules, parameter lists, and fault/warning bitmaps that allow Scout to render, configure, and online-diagnose a specific SINAMICS firmware release. The package is identified by both the SINAMICS family (for example, SSP_SINAMICS) and the firmware version (for example, V4.3.1).

Three independent causes converge in the reported failure:

1. Incomplete Scout DVD install. The default install of SIMOTION Scout V5.1 only registers the SSP packages for the firmware versions the installer considers current. Legacy packages, including SSP_SINAMICS_V4_3_1, are present on the install media in the \VOL1\SSP_FAMILY\INT directory but are unchecked in the component list unless the user explicitly selects them.
2. Version-binding rule. A given Scout build will only accept SSP packages whose metadata matches the engineering framework version. Installing SSP_SINAMICS_V4.3.2 against Scout V5.1.0.1 is rejected because the package catalog was generated for an older Scout line and is not bit-compatible with the V5.1 device-description schema. The error reads: "This product can not be installed on the current version of Simatic Scout V5.1.0.1."
3. File-system or anti-virus interference. The SSP installer unpacks large compressed archives, registers COM-like device-description DLLs, and writes to protected directories such as %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\Scout V5.1\S7libs. Host-based anti-virus products — most commonly Kaspersky Endpoint Security — quarantine, lock, or partially delete the unpacked package files, causing the installer to report a generic failure even though the package is correct for the target Scout version.

All three causes must be addressed sequentially: the right package must be on the media, the right Scout build must accept it, and the workstation must be allowed to write the package files to disk.

3. Error Message Reference

4. Prerequisites

Before executing the recovery procedure, confirm the following:

• Administrator account on the engineering workstation. The Scout installer writes to %ProgramFiles%, %ProgramData%, and the registry hive HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\Scout V5.1.
• SIMOTION Scout V5.1 install DVD (or ISO) accessible at a known drive letter. The required package is located at \VOL1\SSP_FAMILY\INT\SSP_SINAMICS_V4_3_1.
• Local backup of the project archive (*.zip or *.ssp) before any repair operation.
• Read access to the CU320-2 DP controller to capture the actual firmware version currently running. If the live firmware has been upgraded in the field to V4.5 or later, opening the project with the V4.3.1 SSP is unnecessary — the project itself should be upgraded instead.
• Anti-virus exclusion or temporary disable for the Scout install path. Kaspersky Endpoint Security, Symantec Endpoint Protection, and McAfee Endpoint Security have all been observed to interfere with SSP installers.

5. Step-by-Step Resolution

5.1 Verify the Missing Package

1. Open SIMOTION Scout V5.1.
2. In Project Navigator, right-click the project node and select Project > Device diagnostics > Installed devices.
3. Note the list of registered CU320-2 DP versions. If V4.3.1 is absent, the SSP is missing.
4. Close Scout before running the installer; running Setup while Scout is open leaves the device-description cache locked and the new package will not register.

5.2 Locate the V4.3.1 Package on the Install Media

1. Insert or mount the SIMOTION Scout V5.1 DVD.
2. Open the path D:\VOL1\SSP_FAMILY\INT\SSP_SINAMICS_V4_3_1 (substitute the actual drive letter).
3. Confirm the directory contains the package descriptor files (typically setup.exe or install.ini and the compressed payload).

If the V5.1 DVD is not available, the same package is also redistributed inside the SIMOTION SCOUT V5.1 SP1 / V5.2 update media. Do not use a V4.x DVD — those contain the V4.3.1 package compiled for an older Scout and will trigger the version-mismatch error.

5.3 Launch Scout Setup and Select All SSP Components

1. Run setup.exe from the root of the V5.1 DVD (or from Start > Siemens Automation > SIMOTION Scout > Scout Setup).
2. When prompted for the install mode, choose Modify / Add components.
3. In the component tree, expand SIMOTION Scout > Software Support Packages (SSP).
4. Tick every available SSP, in particular SSP_SINAMICS_V4_3_1. Selecting all SSPs in one pass guarantees that any other legacy project the engineer may open later will resolve cleanly.
5. Proceed through the wizard until the install summary screen.

5.4 Disable Host Anti-virus Before the Install

1. Open the Kaspersky (or equivalent) management console.
2. Either disable real-time protection for the duration of the install, or add persistent exclusions for:
   • C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\Scout V5.1\
   • C:\ProgramData\Siemens\
   • %TEMP%\
3. Confirm the AV service is no longer holding handles on files inside the Scout install tree (use handle.exe from Sysinternals, or simply reboot into a clean state with AV deferred).

5.5 Run the Install

1. Click Install in the Scout Setup summary.
2. Monitor the install log. The relevant line is the registration of SSP_SINAMICS_V4_3_1 into the DDDB (device-description database). The path is typically %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\Scout V5.1\S7libs\S7dddb\sinamics\4.3.1\.
3. If the install reports a generic failure, re-check the AV exclusion list. Field reports confirm that Kaspersky silently deletes the unpacked package files mid-install, which surfaces as a Setup rollback rather than a descriptive error.
4. When Setup completes, reboot the workstation if prompted. A reboot is recommended even if not prompted, because the DDDB cache and the Scout configuration service must reload the new package list.

5.6 Re-Register and Verify in Scout

1. Start SIMOTION Scout V5.1 as Administrator.
2. Open the project. The conversion dialog from V4.1 → V5.1 will reappear; accept it.
3. Confirm that the missing software packages warning is no longer raised. The project navigator should expand the CU320-2 DP node without errors.
4. Right-click the drive > Target device > Online to verify that the device description resolves correctly.

6. Verification Procedure

After the install, perform the following checks to confirm the fix is durable:

7. Firmware Migration Path: From V4.3.1 to V4.5 / V4.7

Once the project can be opened, the recommended long-term action is to migrate the live CU320-2 DP and the project firmware to V4.5 or V4.7 rather than remaining on V4.3.1. V4.3.1 is no longer in the standard support window, and several SINAMICS S120 function modules (for example, the Safety Integrated Extended Functions, EPOS, and the Web-server option) require later firmware. The migration has two parallel tracks.

7.1 Project-Side Upgrade

1. With the V4.3.1 SSP now installed, open the project in Scout V5.1 and confirm online consistency.
2. Right-click the CU320-2 DP device > Upgrade device version > Select V4.5 (or V4.7 if the controller hardware supports it).
3. Scout performs a parameter-level conversion. Review the conversion log for any parameters marked not convertible; these are usually deprecated bits in the Safety channel or in the basic positioner.
4. Save the project under a new name to preserve the V4.3.1 baseline.

7.2 Controller-Side (Live Firmware) Upgrade

1. Use SIMOTION SCOUT or Starter / Startdrive to download the matching firmware (for example, the SINAMICS S120 CU320-2 DP V4.5 image) to a CF card.
2. Power down the controller, swap or update the CF card, and power up.
3. Confirm the new firmware is reported correctly on the operator panel or in Scout > Target device > Device version.
4. Download the converted project to the controller and perform the standard commissioning acceptance test.

8. Anti-virus Interference Reference

Field reports across multiple sites confirm that the most common reason a correct SSP install fails on Windows 10 / Windows 11 is the host anti-virus product holding a write lock on the unpacked DDDB files. The table below maps the symptom to the recommended workaround.

9. SSP Package Compatibility Matrix

The compatibility between Scout version, SSP firmware, and Control Unit object type is enforced at install time. The matrix below is the subset that the field engineer most commonly needs.

10. Related Issues and Edge Cases

10.1 Project Created in V4.1, Opened in V5.1 with a Missing V4.3.1 SSP

The most common variant of the failure. The conversion log will show Object type CU320-2 DP V4.3.1 — referenced in the project, not present in the registered DDDB. Resolved by installing the V4.3.1 SSP from the V5.1 DVD as documented in §5.

10.2 Project Created in V4.1, Opened in V5.1 After a Fresh PC Image

Identical symptom; root cause is the default Scout install on a fresh PC. The first engineering step on a new workstation should always be to launch Scout Setup → Modify → tick all SSP packages. This eliminates the diagnostic loop entirely.

10.3 Project Contains a Mix of V4.3.1 and V4.5 Drives

When a single cabinet hosts drives on two firmware versions (for example, a phased upgrade), both SSPs must be present. The error "missing software packages" will list every device version that lacks a registered SSP. Install both, in one Setup pass.

10.4 Live Controller Already at V4.5 but Project Still References V4.3.1

Scout will open the project but the online/offline comparison will report a version mismatch. The cleanest fix is to upgrade the project to V4.5 in Scout (§7.1) and then re-download. Installing the V4.3.1 SSP is unnecessary in this case.

10.5 SSP Installer Fails on a Read-Only Project Archive

If the project is opened from a read-only network share, Scout writes a temporary local copy and then raises the missing-package error. Copy the project to a writable local path first.

11. Best Practices

• Always select every SSP during Scout install. Disk cost is trivial; diagnostic time saved is significant.
• Maintain a "golden image" of the engineering PC with the full set of SSPs and a baseline of project archives, so new workstations can be cloned in minutes.
• Match project firmware to controller firmware before any online session. Mismatches produce confusing parameter-conversion faults that look like control problems but are configuration problems.
• Add Scout paths to anti-virus exclusions rather than disabling AV. This satisfies most site IT policies and avoids creating a security gap during commissioning.
• Document the firmware version in the project name (for example, Line3_V45.zip). A glance at the filename removes the guess-work from the missing-SSP diagnostic.
• Keep the Scout V5.1 DVD in a known location. The legacy SSPs are not redistributable from the Siemens support portal in the same form as current packages; the original install media is the canonical source.

12. Frequently Asked Questions