Installing SIMOTION SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 Hardware & Software

1. Overview: SIMOTION SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 Engineering Platform

SIMOTION SCOUT TIA is the Siemens engineering system (ES) used to configure, program, commission, and diagnose the SIMOTION motion control platform. The TIA-integrated version runs inside the TIA Portal framework and provides a unified environment for SIMOTION CPUs, SINAMICS drives, and SIMATIC HMI panels. Hotfix 2 (HF2) on the V4.4 branch is a maintenance release for the SIMOTION SCOUT engineering toolchain that fixes functional defects and supports additional SIMOTION firmware versions.

This article consolidates the official installation requirements for the SIMOTION SCOUT TIA V4.4.x line, including the successor hotfix HF4 documented in the Siemens Industry Online Support. Engineers planning a new SIMOTION project with a CPU 445 (6AU1 445-2AD00-0AA0), SINAMICS S120 and SINAMICS G120 drives, and SIMATIC panels running WinCC flexible Runtime must satisfy a layered set of hardware, OS, storage, and software prerequisites before the SCOUT setup will complete.

The deployment also covers trends and recipe handling for production data. Both features are realized at the HMI layer using WinCC flexible, not inside SCOUT itself. SCOUT provides the connection, the tag interface, and the project; the runtime visualization, archive storage, and recipe management are done in WinCC flexible ES/Runtime on the panel.

2. PC Hardware Requirements

SIMOTION SCOUT TIA places a moderate load on the engineering station, but the embedded WinCC flexible ES, the TIA Portal framework, and the project size quickly push the system above the absolute minimum. Siemens specifies two configurations: the minimum to launch the install, and the recommended configuration for productive engineering of multi-axis projects.

For a project that combines a SIMOTION CPU 445 with several SINAMICS S120 line modules and multiple SIMATIC panels, the recommended configuration is the realistic floor. SIMOTION projects with multiple technology objects (TOs) – cams, gears, paths, synchronous operations – consume substantial RAM during compile and online diagnostics. Budget at least 16 GB if the engineering station will also host STEP 7 V5.5 SP4, WinCC flexible ES, and the WinCC flexible Runtime simulator.

Display scaling must be set to "Normal size" (100 %). DPI scaling above 125 % can cause distorted dialogs in SCOUT and WinCC flexible, particularly the technology object configurators and the trace viewer.

3. Operating System Support

The SCOUT TIA V4.4 release line was qualified against the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows client SKUs available at the time of release. The TIA Portal framework also constrains the supported matrix.

The Windows 7 64-bit, 8 GB RAM configuration listed in the recommended column is the supported baseline. If a newer Windows 10/11 workstation is being introduced for the engineering PC, you must move forward to a newer SIMOTION SCOUT release on a supported TIA Portal version (V15.1, V16, V17, or later). Do not retrofit V4.4 HF2 onto Windows 10 because driver signing and the TIA Portal V13 framework will block the install.

4. Storage, Memory, and Display Specifications

The installation footprint is dominated by the TIA Portal framework, the WinCC flexible ES, and the SIMOTION technology packages. Plan disk capacity as follows.

The 3 GB free temporary memory requirement on C:\ is mandatory even when the SCOUT binaries are installed on a different drive. The setup unpacks all installation files to a staging area under the system temp directory before it copies them to the final location. A small SSD boot partition will fail this prerequisite and abort the setup with the message "Not enough free space on drive C:".

For display, the 1024 × 768 16-bit mode is sufficient for SCOUT dialogs, but the technology object configuration masks, the cam editor, and the trace viewer were designed for 1920 × 1080 with 32-bit color. Plan for a 1080p panel when commissioning on the shop floor; on the engineering station, dual-monitor with 1080p per head is typical.

5. Software Prerequisites and Install Order

SCOUT TIA V4.4 does not ship a complete environment. The setup is layered: each component is a client install on top of a framework. Install the prerequisites in the order shown to avoid the "Setup cannot find prerequisite" aborts.

1. STEP 7 V5.5 SP4 – required to install SCOUT, even if you intend to do all programming inside the TIA Portal. SCOUT uses STEP 7 for SIMOTION project integration, the symbol table, and the S7 communication routing. SP4 is the minimum service pack; later SPs (SP5, SP6) are accepted but not required.
2. TIA Portal V13 framework – SCOUT TIA is hosted inside the TIA Portal shell. The framework install drops the TIA Portal IDE, the Help Server, and the licensing service. Without it, the SCOUT TIA setup cannot attach to the TIA Portal extension API.
3. SCOUT TIA V4.4 base – the engineering system itself, including the technology object configurators, the cam editor, the trace viewer, and the SIMOTION runtime version catalog.
4. SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 – the maintenance hotfix layered on top of the V4.4 base. Apply the hotfix immediately after the base install; do not use SCOUT V4.4 base in production.
5. WinCC flexible ES – the configuration tool for the SIMATIC panels (e.g., the 6AV6 642-0BA01-1AX1). Required to author the panel project, define tags, and configure the recipe and trend views.
6. WinCC flexible Runtime (6AV6618-7GD01-3AB0) – installed on the panel or in the WinCC flexible PC Runtime simulator for offline tests.

For details on the system requirements and the order of installs, refer to the official SIMOTION SCOUT TIA Readme – System Requirements and the Siemens Industry Online Support entry on SCOUT V4.4 HF4.

6. Target Hardware Compatibility

The deployment listed in the source combines four hardware groups. Each must be addressable from SCOUT, exported to the TIA Portal project tree, and parameterized against the matching firmware and technology package.

The SIMOTION CPU 445 belongs to the SIMOTION D / P / C-class lineup. Pair the V4.4 SCOUT engineering tool with a SIMOTION firmware image at the same major version. Mismatches (e.g., SIMOTION V4.5 firmware with SCOUT V4.4) will fail the project download with a version compatibility error in the online dialog. Always align the technology package version on the CPU with the SCOUT version.

For SINAMICS S120, the commissioning can be performed from SCOUT (DO Drive / DO Servo) or from STARTER. SCOUT is preferred for SIMOTION projects because the drive is represented as a technology object and can be configured together with the cam, gear, and path objects. For SINAMICS G120, the IOP or STARTER path is acceptable when the drive is a pure frequency converter, but if the G120 is being used in a positioning or servo context, configure it from SCOUT to share the SIMOTION clock and the PROFIdrive telegram.

7. Network and Communication Configuration

Engineering stations communicate with the SIMOTION CPU 445 and the SINAMICS drives over PROFINET (preferred) or PROFIBUS. The PC interface (TCP/IP, ISO, or PROFIBUS DP) must be set in the SIMATIC Manager / TIA Portal before the first download.

Set the engineering PC IP address in the same subnet as the CPU 445 and verify reachability with ping before launching SCOUT. For PROFINET, ensure the network card is bound to the TIA Portal and that the Windows firewall allows the SCOUT and WinCC flexible ports (default 102, 161/162 SNMP, 5001, plus the dynamic range used by the S7 communication).

8. Installation Procedure (Step-by-Step)

The following procedure walks through a clean install for a SIMOTION SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 engineering station. Adapt the directory letters to your site convention.

1. Verify the PC meets Section 2 and Section 3 requirements. Confirm at least 20 GB free on the data drive and 3 GB free on C:\.
2. Insert or mount the STEP 7 V5.5 SP4 media. Run setup.exe as administrator. Select the default install path C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation. Restart if prompted.
3. Insert or mount the TIA Portal V13 media. Run setup.exe. Accept the license terms and select a complete install with all optional components. The setup will install the TIA Portal Help Server, the licensing service, and the TIA Administrator. Restart if prompted.
4. Insert or mount the SIMOTION SCOUT TIA V4.4 base media. Run setup.exe. The setup detects the TIA Portal V13 framework and binds SCOUT as a TIA Portal option. Choose Complete; the technology packages and the trace viewer are required for the V4.4 line.
5. Apply the SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 hotfix immediately after the base. The HF2 setup is a TIA Portal client install; it auto-detects the TIA Portal V13 framework and patches the installed components.
6. Install WinCC flexible ES. Choose Complete to include the configuration tool, the project translation, and the PC Runtime simulator.
7. Install the WinCC flexible PC Runtime 6AV6 618-7GD01-3AB0 if the engineering PC will also be used as a visualization node.
8. Apply the SIMOTION device description files for the SINAMICS S120 and G120 drives. These are typically included in the SCOUT setup under Options → Drive ES or in the matching SINAMICS support package.
9. Start the TIA Portal. Confirm the SCOUT option is visible in the Project view tree. Open SCOUT and create a new project to validate the install.
10. Download the SIMOTION technology package that matches the firmware on the CPU 445 (e.g., V4.4 TP). Use the SCOUT online dialog to perform the first download and verify the connection.

9. Configuring Trends and Recipes with WinCC flexible

Trends (logged process values) and recipes (setpoint data records for product variants) are implemented in the HMI project, not in SCOUT. SCOUT provides the SIMOTION variables; WinCC flexible archives them and provides the operator UI.

To configure a trend:

1. Open the WinCC flexible ES project that pairs with the SCOUT project (each panel has its own WinCC flexible project, integrated into the TIA Portal project tree).
2. Define the SIMOTION connection: protocol = SIMOTION, address = the CPU 445 IP, rack/slot if applicable.
3. Create a tag for each variable you want to trend. Map the tag to the matching SIMOTION variable by name or symbolic address.
4. Insert a Trend view on the process screen. Add the tag as a trend source. Configure the update rate (typically 500 ms to 2 s) and the time axis (5 min to 1 h).
5. Optional: enable a Data log for the tag to persist the values to a CSV-style archive on the panel's storage card.

To configure a recipe:

1. In WinCC flexible ES, open Recipes and create a new recipe (e.g., "Product_A").
2. Add elements that match the SIMOTION setpoint variables (e.g., setpoint_position, setpoint_velocity).
3. Create one or more data records (e.g., "A_100mm", "A_200mm"). Set the element values for each record.
4. Place a Recipe view on the operator screen. The recipe view shows the records and writes/reads them to the connected SIMOTION tags on operator command.
5. For product changeover, the operator selects the record, presses Download to PLC, and the SIMOTION program uses the new setpoints on the next cycle.

10. Commissioning Verification Checklist

After install and configuration, validate the system end-to-end before signing off the engineering station.

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

The following matrix covers the install and first-commissioning issues most frequently observed on SCOUT TIA V4.4 HF2 deployments.

12. Field-Engineering Caveats

• VM deployments: SCOUT TIA V4.4 runs on Windows 7 / Windows 8.1 virtual machines without issue when the hypervisor exposes a bridged Ethernet adapter. Set the network adapter to "Bridged" (not NAT) so the VM appears on the plant PROFINET subnet.
• Antivirus interference: Real-time virus scanners occasionally block the SCOUT trace writer and the TIA Portal Help Server. Add the install directory (typically C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation) and the project directory to the AV exclusion list.
• Windows regional settings: The TIA Portal V13 framework and SCOUT expect a period (.) as the decimal separator. Switch the Windows regional format to English (United States) or German (Germany) to avoid numeric parsing errors on the cam editor and the trace viewer.
• Hotfix progression: If you must move to a later hotfix on the V4.4 branch (HF3 or HF4), apply them in sequence. Skipping a hotfix is not supported; the setup will refuse to install a later HF over a base V4.4 that has not been patched by the intermediate HF.
• Project archive: A SCOUT TIA V4.4 project can be opened in newer SCOUT versions through a conversion wizard, but a converted project is not guaranteed to round-trip back to V4.4. Maintain a frozen V4.4 backup of the master project for the lifetime of the V4.4 line.
• License transfer: The USB license stick can be moved between engineering stations. The license server on the local PC must be stopped before the stick is removed, or the TIA Portal will report "License not found" on the next start.