Fixing SINAMICS DCC "No Valid License Key Found" Error in STARTER

The "No valid license key found. The application will be closed." error appears in Siemens STARTER commissioning software when an engineer attempts to insert a SINAMICS DCC (Drive Control Chart) on a Control Unit that has not been authorized with a valid CFC for SINAMICS engineering license. The error terminates the chart insertion action and blocks all DCC programming on the drive. This article documents the licensing model, the diagnostic steps to confirm the cause, and the recovery procedure that restores the DCC chart editor.

1. Problem Description

When opening a SINAMICS project in STARTER, navigating to the drive's Control Unit, right-clicking, and selecting Insert DCC chart (or using the equivalent menu path), STARTER evaluates the local license container. If the CFC for SINAMICS license key is absent, the software raises the dialog:

No valid license key found. The application will be closed.

The dialog is presented by the DCC editor plug-in (CFC_SINAMICS), not by STARTER itself, and the error is logged against the component CFC for SINAMICS in the Automation License Manager. STARTER itself continues to function; only DCC chart creation is blocked.

Observed Behavior Matrix

2. SINAMICS DCC Background

SINAMICS DCC (Drive Control Chart) is a graphical configuration environment that extends the SINAMICS drive firmware with custom open-loop and closed-loop control blocks. It uses the CFC (Continuous Function Chart) editor from the SIMATIC automation toolchain, but compiles the chart into the SINAMICS Control Unit firmware image rather than a SIMATIC CPU.

DCC is supported on SINAMICS S120, S150, G130, G150, and certain SINAMICS G120 firmware versions, and provides blocks for:

• Arithmetic, logic, and multiplexer functions
• PI/PD controllers and limiters
• Sampling-time aware signal routing (DCC blocks run inside the SINAMICS task system)
• Drive-specific I/O such as terminals, encoder inputs, and PROFIdrive telegrams

The CFC editor is shared with the SIMATIC PCS 7 and STEP 7 CFC tools, but the SINAMICS runtime requires its own licensed editor flavor. STARTER loads the CFC for SINAMICS plug-in as an add-on; the license is validated only when the plug-in's chart insertion routine is invoked.

3. Licensing Model and Article Numbers

SINAMICS DCC requires a separate engineering license, even if STARTER is already licensed. Two license forms exist:

The license is delivered either on a USB license stick (e.g., part of the SINAMICS DCC option package) or as a Certificate of License that can be imported manually into the Automation License Manager (ALM). The license is bound to the engineering PC, not to the drive, so a missing license indicates a problem on the host PC, not on the Control Unit.

4. Root Cause Analysis

The "No valid license key found" dialog is raised by the CFC for SINAMICS plug-in when one or more of the following conditions is true on the local engineering PC:

1. No CFC for SINAMICS license key is installed on the local PC. This is the most common cause. STARTER was installed and licensed, but the DCC option license was never activated on this machine.
2. The license was previously activated on a different PC. License keys on a USB stick are consumed on first activation and transferred to that PC's local license container. The USB stick appears empty after the transfer.
3. The license server is unreachable (floating license). For network-floating deployments, the ALM client cannot reach the license server, the key is checked out by another user, or the server's license pool is empty.
4. STARTER version mismatch. The installed DCC license was generated for an older STARTER/SP release and is not accepted by the current STARTER version. An upgrade license or new full license is required.
5. Plug-in not installed. The CFC for SINAMICS editor itself is not installed in STARTER (DCC setup was skipped during STARTER installation). In this case STARTER typically hides the Insert DCC chart option, but a partial install can still expose the menu item and produce the same error.
6. Local user / permission error. The license was installed under a different Windows user profile or in a non-default license directory, and the current user cannot read it.

5. Diagnostic Procedure

Run the following checks in order to isolate the cause. Each step is independent and can be performed on the engineering PC without connecting to a drive.

Step 5.1 - Open Automation License Manager

1. Launch Siemens Automation License Manager from the Windows Start menu (or C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\License Manager\LicenseManager.exe).
2. Switch to the local PC view (left tree → localhost).
3. Search for entries containing "CFC for SINAMICS", "SINAMICS DCC", or the article number 6AU1810-1HA33-....
4. Note the status of each key. Valid statuses are Valid or Valid (in use). Expired, Not valid, or absent entries confirm a missing key.

Step 5.2 - Inspect the License USB Stick

1. Insert the original DCC USB license stick into the engineering PC.
2. Open Automation License Manager → USB stick entry in the left tree.
3. If the stick reads empty, the license has already been transferred to a previous host PC. The license is single-use per host unless the key is explicitly returned (drag-and-drop in ALM).
4. If a key is present, continue to Step 5.3 to install it.

Step 5.3 - Verify STARTER Plug-in Installation

1. In STARTER, select Help → Installed software (or ? → About depending on version).
2. Confirm that the entry CFC for SINAMICS is present in the installed components list.
3. If the entry is missing, the DCC plug-in was not installed. Re-run the STARTER setup and select the SINAMICS DCC option, then re-license.

Step 5.4 - Cross-check Windows User and License Storage

1. Open the ALM and view the license directory path (Tools → Settings → License Storage).
2. Default path: C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Licenses (or per-user variant under %APPDATA%).
3. Verify the current Windows user has read/write access to the directory.

6. Step-by-Step Resolution

Use the procedure that matches the root cause identified in Section 5.

Resolution Path A - Install from License USB Stick

1. Insert the SINAMICS DCC license USB stick into the engineering PC.
2. Open Automation License Manager.
3. In the left tree, right-click the USB stick entry.
4. Select the CFC for SINAMICS license and drag it (or right-click → Transfer license to local PC) onto the local PC node.
5. Wait for the transfer to complete. The status should read Valid.
6. Close ALM and restart STARTER.
7. Re-attempt the Insert DCC chart operation. The error dialog should no longer appear.

Resolution Path B - Import a Certificate of License

If the license was delivered electronically (Certificate of License .txt file):

1. Save the certificate file to a local directory.
2. Open Automation License Manager.
3. Right-click the local PC node → Import license (or Install license).
4. Browse to the certificate file and confirm.
5. Restart STARTER and verify.

Resolution Path C - License Server Unreachable (Floating License)

1. Confirm the engineering PC can reach the license server host (ping, route, firewall rules on TCP port 4410 for the ALM server).
2. In ALM → Settings → License Server, verify the server address.
3. If the connection is healthy but the license is checked out elsewhere, wait for it to be returned or contact the license administrator.
4. If the server is offline, fall back to a local license or restore the server service.

Resolution Path D - STARTER Version Mismatch

1. In ALM, right-click the existing DCC license → Properties and note the licensed version.
2. Compare with the installed STARTER version (Help → About).
3. If the installed STARTER is newer than what the license was issued for, the CFC for SINAMICS plug-in rejects the key. Two remedies exist:
   • Purchase an upgrade license (article suffix ...-0XE0 in the 6AU1810-1HA33 family) and import it. The upgrade license binds to the existing key on the same PC.
   • Install the matching STARTER version side-by-side. Use the older STARTER for projects that require the older DCC license.

Resolution Path E - Missing DCC Plug-in

1. Re-run the STARTER / SCOUT setup executable (the same installer used originally, or the latest compatible service pack).
2. In the setup wizard, expand SINAMICS components and select SINAMICS DCC (also labelled CFC for SINAMICS).
3. Complete the installation and re-launch STARTER.
4. Verify the Insert DCC chart option is now enabled, then continue with Path A or B for licensing.

Resolution Path F - Wrong Windows User

1. Log in as the Windows user that originally installed the license, or
2. In ALM, change the license storage location to a path the current user can read, then re-import the certificate.
3. Restart STARTER.

7. Verification Procedure

After applying any resolution path, perform the following verification sequence to confirm that DCC chart insertion is restored.

1. Close and re-launch STARTER to force re-evaluation of the license container.
2. Open the affected SINAMICS project (or create a minimal test project with the same drive family).
3. Connect to the Control Unit in the project tree.
4. Right-click the Control Unit → Insert DCC chart.
5. Confirm that the chart opens in the CFC editor without the "No valid license key found" dialog.
6. Add a simple block (e.g., a constant feeding a digital output) and perform Project → Compile. Compilation must complete without license errors.
7. Download to the drive (online) to confirm the chart is accepted by the SINAMICS Control Unit.
8. Re-check ALM → the CFC for SINAMICS entry should now display status Valid (in use) while STARTER is open.

8. Edge Cases and Field-Proven Caveats

8.1 USB Stick Reports Empty

The license USB stick is single-use per host. Once the key is transferred to a PC, the stick is intentionally left empty. If a colleague reports "the stick is empty," it almost always means a previous engineer already activated the license on their own machine. Contact Siemens Customer Support to have the key reset to the USB stick only if you have proof of purchase and the key has not been bound to another host through an active support contract.

8.2 STARTER vs. Startdrive

SINAMICS DCC is fully supported in STARTER (the classic commissioning tool) and, in newer SINAMICS firmware versions, in Startdrive integrated into the TIA Portal. The CFC for SINAMICS license is shared between both tools; activating it on a station licensed for STARTER will also unlock DCC editing in Startdrive provided Startdrive is at the same or newer SP release. If the engineer has migrated to TIA Portal, ensure the matching TIA Portal version of Startdrive is installed and that the license's allowed product list includes the active TIA Portal version.

8.3 Virtual Machines and License Dongles

License keys are bound to the Windows SID/PC fingerprint. Running STARTER inside a VM (e.g., a corporate VDI image) without a USB pass-through for the license stick, or with cloned VM snapshots, can invalidate the license or cause intermittent failures. Ensure each VM is uniquely provisioned and the license is installed on the master image only after VM sealing.

8.4 Working Offline (Without Drive Connected)

The license check is performed by the editor plug-in, not by the drive. The engineer does not need to be online with the SINAMICS Control Unit to test whether the DCC license is recognized. Opening a project and attempting Insert DCC chart is sufficient to validate the license state.

8.5 Mixed License Model on a Multi-Engineer Project

When several engineers collaborate on the same project, each workstation must have its own CFC for SINAMICS license. A single license is non-transferable between users; only the floating license server model allows sharing across users. Ensure the project repository (e.g., Teamcenter, SVN) does not contain a copy of the license in its file set, as the license is host-bound and must never be archived with the project files.

8.6 Differences Between "No Valid License Key" and "DCC Not Activated"

If the dialog reads "DCC is not activated" on the Control Unit itself, the issue is at the drive-firmware level (SINAMICS DCC option not enabled in the Control Unit's functional scope), not at the engineering station. The remedy is different: a separate SINAMICS option key is required on the drive side, and the drive must be re-commissioned with that option enabled. The license error discussed in this article is strictly on the STARTER host.

9. Reference Documentation

For the official Siemens product documentation, license terms, and STARTER service-pack compatibility matrices, refer to:

• SINAMICS DCC - Licensing & Engineering Manual (Siemens Support, ID 109762889)
• Siemens Industry Online Support portal
• SINAMICS S120 manuals overview
• Automation License Manager (ALM) usage guide

10. FAQ