Fixing WinCC Flexible MP 277 Image Version Compatibility

Field scenario: a SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch Multi Panel is running image / OS version 2.0.x on the shop floor, but the engineering station still has WinCC flexible 2007 installed. When the engineer selects the panel type under Devices > SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch, the highest image version the catalog offers is 1.1.0. Compiling and pressing Transfer > To Device fails because the ES does not recognize an image higher than its catalog maximum, and the project refuses to download. This article resolves that error path without forcing the user to update the panel image, and documents every supported workaround end-to-end.

Problem Statement: ES Catalog Mismatch on the MP 277 10" Touch

The MP 277 10" Touch is a member of the SIMATIC Multi Panel family. Each panel ships with a fixed runtime image (operating system plus runtime kernel). The image version is independent of the panel's hardware revision - it is a firmware bundle that can be updated through ProSave or the Update Operating System button inside WinCC flexible / TIA Portal. From an ES perspective, the catalog installed inside the engineering tool is the single source of truth: it lists every image the ES knows how to compile against and transfer.

Symptom observed in WinCC flexible 2007:

• Project tree > Devices opens the property dialog for the MP 277 10" Touch.
• Device version dropdown shows maximum Image 1.1.0.
• Compiling against any panel image > 1.1.0 (for example the panel's actual 2.0.x image) produces the warning The selected device version does not exist in the catalog. Compilation aborted.
• Transfer > To Device > MPI/DP or Ethernet terminates with No connection - the target device image is newer than the engineering software supports.

Standard response from Siemens support entry 6AV6643-0CD01-1AX1 product support page: the panel supports a long life cycle of image versions, but each engineering release has a frozen catalog. If the panel on the bench is newer than the catalog maximum, only three recovery paths exist.

Root Cause Analysis: ES Image Catalog vs Panel Image Version

WinCC flexible maintains a per-device image catalog in the installation directory:

Each .bin file is the compressed image envelope (kernel + runtime + faceplates + ActiveX controls) for one specific image release. When you select Device version in the project tree, the ES hashes the catalog files and only permits selections that match. If the panel's flash image is newer than any catalog file, the ES refuses to:

1. Compile the project with the correct device type.
2. Sign the runtime blocks with a panel key the runtime expects.
3. Open a transfer handshake (PN/Ethernet or MPI/DP) that the ES does not trust.

This is by design - it protects against silent downgrades that could brick the runtime. It also means a project compiled against image 1.1.0 cannot run on image 2.0.x without recompilation against the matching catalog.

SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch Hardware Identification

Before applying any of the workarounds below, confirm that the panel on the bench really is the 10" Touch variant and capture its current image revision:

Read the running image from the panel control panel:

1. Power up the panel, wait for the loader to finish.
2. Tap Control Panel > OP > Information > System.
3. Note Image version, Build date, and HMI version.
4. Compare against the catalog maximum of the installed WinCC flexible version.

WinCC Flexible Image Version Compatibility Matrix

The matrix below summarizes the catalog coverage that each ES release ships with for the MP 277 10" Touch. ES Max Image is the highest panel image the catalog can compile against; Recommended Path is the Siemens preferred migration step.

Solution 1: Upgrade the Engineering Software (Recommended)

The cleanest fix is to bring the ES forward so that its catalog covers the panel image running on the floor. The engineer does not have to touch the panel OS at all; the ES simply needs to recognize image 2.0.x.

Step-by-step

1. Back up the project. Open the WinCC flexible 2007 project, choose Project > Archive, and save the .zap archive to a network share.
2. Capture the panel image. Use ProSave (delivered with every WinCC flexible installation) to read the panel and store a full backup on the engineering PC:

3. Decide the target ES. For a Windows-based engineering station that must remain on WinCC flexible (no migration to TIA Portal), install WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 Standard or Advanced. For new projects that can move to TIA Portal, install TIA Portal V15.1 with WinCC Comfort/Advanced.
4. Install the ES on the same workstation. WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 is co-installable side-by-side with 2007; the catalog for 2007 remains untouched. Install path default: C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible 2008.
5. De-archive the project. Open 2008 SP3, choose Project > Retrieve, point to the .zap archive. 2008 SP3 converts the project in place; no manual recompilation needed for the panel type.
6. Verify the catalog. Open the project tree, right-click the MP 277 10" Touch > Properties > Device version. Confirm that image 2.0.x is now selectable. If the maximum is still 1.1.2.x, install the WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 Update 1 hotfix from the Siemens support portal.
7. Compile. Project > Compile > All (rebuild). The compiler must report 0 errors, 0 warnings.
8. Transfer. Transfer > To Device > Ethernet. Select the panel IP, enable Overwrite recipe data only if the recipe schema changed. The transfer should now succeed without altering the panel image.

Solution 2: Verify Catalog Without ES Upgrade (Read-Only)

If the engineer only needs to read the panel image to confirm the version (without transferring a project), ProSave and the panel's own loader are sufficient. This path is useful when the goal is to diagnose whether the panel image truly is 2.0.x or whether the project file simply references a newer device type.

Procedure

1. Connect the engineering PC to the panel's PN port X1 or X2 using a crossed or straight Ethernet cable (auto-MDIX on both ports).
2. Set the engineering PC NIC to a fixed IP in the same subnet as the panel (for example panel 192.168.0.10, PC 192.168.0.1, mask 255.255.255.0).
3. Launch ProSave: Start > Siemens Automation > WinCC flexible Tools > ProSave.
4. Configure:
   • Device type: SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch
   • Connection: Ethernet
   • IP address: 192.168.0.10
   • Mode: Administrator (required for image operations)
5. Click Read panel information. The dialog will display the live image version, build number, and panel MLFB.
6. Cross-check the displayed image against the WinCC flexible catalog by browsing C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible\Catalog\SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch. The largest .bin file name corresponds to the highest supported image.

Solution 3: Recompile Existing Project Against Lower Image (Legacy)

This solution is the inverse of the original requirement: it keeps the ES at WinCC flexible 2007 and accepts an older image catalog (max 1.1.0). It is only valid if the panel image on the floor can also be downgraded - which contradicts the user's original constraint. It is documented here for completeness and for engineers who face the reverse problem (newer ES, older panel).

Procedure (Reverse Migration)

1. Open the project in WinCC flexible 2007.
2. Right-click MP 277 10" Touch > Properties > Device version > Image 1.1.0.
3. Remove any object / ActiveX / faceplate not present in image 1.1.0 (for example WinCC flexible 2008 SmartClient objects).
4. Compile. Warnings about missing object types are expected; errors must be resolved.
5. Connect to panel, use ProSave to push image 1.1.0 from C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC flexible\Catalog\SIMATIC MP 277 10" Touch\Image_1.1.0.bin via Update operating system.
6. Transfer the project.

Commissioning Procedure: Transfer the Compiled Project

Once the ES catalog covers the panel image, use the standard commissioning sequence below. It mirrors the procedure in the 6AV6643-0CD01-1AX1 product support page.

1. Stage A - Bench test. Power the panel from a 24 V DC Class 2 supply (21.6 V min, 28.8 V max, 2 A peak inrush). Connect PN, set fixed IP, ping the panel from the ES.
2. Stage B - Image verification. Use ProSave to read the panel image. Verify version matches the catalog maximum of the ES.
3. Stage C - Recipe backup. ProSave > Backup > Complete backup with recipes and passwords. Store the .psb file in the project archive.
4. Stage D - Compile. WinCC flexible > Project > Compile > All (rebuild). Required result: 0 errors.
5. Stage E - Transfer. Transfer > To Device > Ethernet > Transfer. The dialog must end with Transfer completed successfully. Confirm by tapping Control Panel > OP > Information > Project > Last transfer; the build date must equal today.
6. Stage F - Recipe restore. If Stage C captured live recipes, ProSave > Restore > Recipes only to repopulate after the transfer.
7. Stage G - Acceptance test. Drive each screen, each button, each alarm class. Verify tag connections with the PLC by reading a known value off WinCC flexible Tools > Tag simulation.

Verification and Acceptance Tests

After the transfer, validate that the panel is actually running the new project and that no silent downgrade or unsupported object type was pushed:

Troubleshooting Matrix

FAQ