Installing STEP 7 V5.4 Hardware Support Packages on Field PG

Overview: STEP 7 Hardware Support Package Architecture

STEP 7 V5.4 Hardware Support Packages (HSPs) are Siemens-issued ZIP distributions that extend the hardware catalog of the SIMATIC Manager and HW Config. Each HSP introduces new CPUs, signal modules, function modules, communication processors, and IM/CP types into HW Config so that an existing STEP 7 installation can describe and configure hardware that was released after the original media. An HSP is not a firmware update for the controller; it is a description-file set that allows the engineering station to load hardware configurations, recognize part numbers, and generate system data blocks (SDB) for devices that were unknown to the base install.

For an engineer working on a SIMATIC Field PG M without direct internet access, the HSP workflow must be performed offline: the package is fetched from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal on an internet-connected machine, transferred on a removable medium, and installed locally. This article documents the V5.4-compatible HSP path for the CPU 314 placeholder symptom shown as a quotation mark in HW Config.

Prerequisites and Field PG Readiness

Before retrieving or installing an HSP, verify the following on the SIMATIC Field PG M (or equivalent Field PG model with STEP 7 V5.4 installed).

• STEP 7 V5.4 with revision level V5.4.0.0 installed (verify via SIMATIC Manager → Help → About)
• Windows XP SP3 or Windows 7 Professional SP1 (32-bit) as appropriate for the V5.4 base media
• Local administrator rights for the installer account
• Minimum 2 GB free disk space for HSP extraction and STEP 7 catalog regeneration
• A second Windows PC with internet access to Siemens Industry Online Support
• USB stick, SD card, or external HDD (FAT32 or NTFS) for file transfer between PCs

STEP 7 Version to HSP Compatibility Matrix

Hardware Support Packages were introduced as a feature in STEP 7 V5.2. Earlier versions (V5.0, V5.1, V4.x) cannot consume HSPs; only an upgrade of the base STEP 7 software makes new hardware descriptions available on those releases. Newer base releases accept subsets of older HSPs, but a given HSP may explicitly require a minimum STEP 7 version to install.

The original Siemens support page that links to the consolidated HSP archive for STEP 7 V5.x is entry Entry ID 27079579. The current live link in Siemens Industry Online Support resolves the same archive under the modern portal path. The archive typically named STEP7_HSPs.zip bundles all HSPs released up to the archive stand date and is the offline installation package referenced in this article.

Downloading the HSP Bundle from Siemens Support

From the internet-connected workstation, navigate to the Siemens Industry Online Support portal and search for STEP 7 HSP or use the direct Entry ID path. The relevant search query and document for S7-300 / S7-400 module catalog updates is:

1. Open a browser and go to https://support.industry.siemens.com
2. Sign in with a Siemens Support account (free registration) to enable download access
3. Search for STEP 7 Hardware Support Packages or enter the entry ID 27079579 in the search field
4. Confirm the displayed document title: STEP 7 Hardware Support Packages (HSPs) with the current stand date
5. Download the attached ZIP archive STEP7_HSPs.zip to a local staging directory (e.g., D:\HSP_Staging)
6. Compute the SHA-256 hash of the downloaded archive and verify it matches the hash posted on the Siemens entry page
7. Copy STEP7_HSPs.zip to the USB stick or external drive used to bridge to the Field PG

Transferring the Archive to the Field PG

The Field PG typically runs without external network access in protected plant networks. Bridging with a USB removable drive is the standard offline transfer method.

1. Connect the USB stick to the engineering workstation that has internet access and contains STEP7_HSPs.zip
2. Copy the ZIP to the USB stick root (avoid deep paths; some PGs limit path length)
3. Safely eject the USB stick on the workstation
4. Connect the USB stick to the Field PG and copy the ZIP to a working folder, e.g., C:\Temp\HSP
5. Verify the file size on the Field PG matches the workstation copy; any size mismatch indicates a partial transfer
6. Right-click the ZIP → Properties → Unblock (Windows 7 and later; required when the file was downloaded on another machine)

For larger HSP bundles, prefer an NTFS-formatted removable disk so individual files larger than 4 GB are supported. For a typical STEP 7 V5.4-era HSP bundle the archive is well under 2 GB and FAT32 is sufficient.

Extracting and Installing the HSP Locally

Once the archive is on the Field PG, install the HSP into STEP 7 V5.4. The install sequence is the same as for any Siemens component on a Field PG.

1. Right-click STEP7_HSPs.zip → Extract All… to a local path, e.g., C:\Temp\HSP\STEP7_HSPs\
2. Open the extracted folder and confirm the presence of:
   • setup.exe (HSP installation launcher)
   • One or more HSP_xxxx.zip package archives
   • A Readme.txt or Readme.pdf with the HSP stand date and compatibility matrix
   • Optional PDF appendices for each module family covered
3. Close the SIMATIC Manager on the Field PG before starting the HSP installer
4. Run setup.exe from the extracted STEP7_HSPs folder as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
5. The HSP Setup wizard lists the individual HSPs included in the bundle; select the HSP packages relevant to your target hardware (for a CPU 314 placeholder, the S7-300 HSP packages are required)
6. Accept the license agreement and click Install
7. Wait for the installer to copy catalog files into %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\STEP7\S7HSP (path varies slightly by installation profile)
8. Click Finish when prompted; the installer may request a restart of the STEP 7 services
9. Reboot the Field PG if the installer reports a pending restart, or if STEP 7 still does not display the new modules after a relaunch

Updating HW Config and Importing the CPU 314

After the HSP is installed, the CPU 314 placeholder must be resolved inside the project. HW Config refreshes its catalog from the HSP folder on each startup; this is automatic but may require a manual reload for projects that were opened before the install.

1. Start SIMATIC Manager and open the project that displayed the quotation mark
2. Double-click the Hardware icon to launch HW Config
3. If HW Config was already open before the HSP install, close it completely and reopen from SIMATIC Manager (HW Config caches the catalog while running)
4. In HW Config, confirm the hardware catalog tree now contains the S7-300 / CPU 300 family with the CPU 314 variants visible, for example:
   • SIMATIC 300 → CPU 300 → CPU 314 → 6ES7 314-1AF10-0AB0
   • SIMATIC 300 → CPU 300 → CPU 314 → 6ES7 314-1AG14-0AB0
   • SIMATIC 300 → CPU 300 → CPU 314C-2 PN/DP → 6ES7 314-6CG03-0AB0
5. Delete the existing placeholder slot (right-click → Delete) and drag the correct CPU 314 order number into Slot 2 of rack 0
6. Click Station → Save and Compile to regenerate the system data blocks (SDB)
7. Note the message at the bottom of HW Config: No errors indicates the catalog was loaded and CPU is recognized

Common CPU 314 MLFBs that an HSP refresh introduces on STEP 7 V5.4 (selection, not exhaustive):

The CPU 314 manuals and operating instructions are available in the Siemens support portal under S7-300 CPU 314 product manuals. The consolidated S7-300 CPU manual set is documented at Siemens Industry Online Support under product family SIMATIC S7-300.

Verification Procedure

After installing the HSP and refreshing HW Config, validate that the project now compiles cleanly with the correct CPU.

1. In HW Config, the quotation mark on Slot 2 is replaced by the CPU 314 order number
2. Run Station → Consistency Check; no inconsistencies should be reported
3. Run Station → Save and Compile (target: PC internal); the compile log lists all SDBs generated without errors
4. Close HW Config; SIMATIC Manager should not display any yellow warning triangle on the Hardware icon
5. Open the project online (if a CPU is available) or in PLCSIM (V5.4 SP5) to download the hardware configuration and confirm the CPU accepts the SDB

Troubleshooting Matrix

Field PG-Specific Notes

The SIMATIC Field PG M (and Field PG M2 / M3 / M4 / M5 depending on generation) ships with a hardened Windows image and the SIMATIC software stack pre-installed. HSP installation on a Field PG follows the same procedure as on a standard engineering workstation, but three points are worth highlighting:

1. User account. HSP Setup.exe must be run from an account that is a member of the local Siemens TIA Engineer or local Administrators group; standard user accounts fail when writing to %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\STEP7
2. Antivirus. Field PG images often ship with a corporate antivirus policy that quarantines files transferred from USB. Pre-scan the USB stick on the internet-connected workstation to avoid the quarantine stripping signed Siemens DLLs from the HSP bundle
3. Windows driver maintenance. While the HSP extends the STEP 7 hardware catalog, the underlying Field PG drivers (CP 5611, CP 5621, Intel/AMD chipset) are managed separately. Keep Windows device drivers current via Windows Update or vendor packs; reference Update drivers through Device Manager in Windows for the standard procedure

HSP Update Hygiene and Repeat Install

Siemens releases new HSP bundles whenever new SIMATIC modules ship or when module descriptions are revised. The recommended cadence is:

• Subscribe to Siemens Product Catalog updates at Siemens Industry Online Support
• Re-verify the HSP stand date every 12 months or before any project that involves hardware not previously configured on the PG
• Maintain a dated archive of installed HSPs on the Field PG in D:\HSP_Archive\<yyyy-mm-dd>\ for rollback
• Document the installed HSP stand date in the project footer or station documentation so future engineers can reproduce the engineering environment

FAQ