KTP400 Basic Color PN Compatibility with WinCC flexible 2008

Overview

The SIMATIC HMI KTP400 Basic Color PN (order number 6AV6647-0AK11-3AX0) is a 4-inch widescreen Basic Panel that belongs to the second generation of the SIMATIC HMI family. Although it ships in the same family as panels historically supported by SIMATIC WinCC flexible 2008, this specific device can only be configured with TIA Portal (WinCC Basic V11 SP2 / STEP 7 Basic V11 SP2 or later). Siemens has not released a Hardware Support Package (HSP) that would add the device to WinCC flexible 2008, and there is no path to generate a compatible runtime download with the older engineering tool.

Engineers that have standardized on STEP 7 V5.6 for their S7-300/400 PLC programs do not need to abandon that toolchain. Siemens documents a "Combined configuration with WinCC (TIA Portal) and STEP 7 V5.x" workflow that allows STEP 7 V5.6 to remain the primary PLC engineering tool while the HMI is configured entirely in TIA Portal. The panel talks to the CPU directly over PROFINET; no additional gateway, OPC server, runtime, or routing block is required.

KTP400 Basic Color PN Hardware Specifications

Why WinCC flexible 2008 Cannot Configure the KTP400 Basic Color PN

WinCC flexible 2008 was released in parallel with the first-generation SIMATIC Panels (TP170 / TP177 / OP77 / OP170 and the early Basic Panels). Its device library and runtime image generator were never extended to cover the second-generation Basic Panels. The KTP400 Basic Color PN is a TIA Portal-native device; it ships with a new runtime image, a different tag-handling structure, and a different screen object set that WinCC flexible 2008 cannot interpret.

Three reasons an HSP for WinCC flexible 2008 will not be released:

1. The panel is intentionally aligned with the TIA Portal data model (HMI tags, alarm classes, screen objects, integrated help system) that WinCC flexible 2008 does not implement.
2. Siemens discontinued active development of WinCC flexible in favor of TIA Portal. New panel families are added exclusively to the TIA Portal device catalog.
3. The panel's runtime image and bootloader expect a configuration project authored by WinCC Basic V11 SP2 or later. WinCC flexible 2008 cannot generate a download package that the bootloader will accept.

Combined Configuration: TIA Portal HMI + STEP 7 V5.6 PLC

The official Siemens workaround for users who must keep STEP 7 V5.6 for the PLC is called "Combined configuration with WinCC (TIA Portal) and STEP 7 V5.x". The architecture is straightforward:

• STEP 7 V5.6 remains the primary engineering tool for the S7-300 / S7-400 CPU and the PLC program.
• TIA Portal is used to configure the KTP400 Basic Color PN and any other TIA Portal panels in the line.
• Both projects share the same PROFINET subnet, the same CPU IP address, and the same PLC tag address layout.
• Tags are not exchanged through a shared database; the HMI tags in TIA Portal are entered manually and reference the same DB / I / Q / M addresses used by STEP 7 V5.6.

This approach is field-proven on S7-300 (CPU 31x PN/DP) and S7-400 (CPU 41x PN) systems. It is also the only way to integrate a TIA Portal-only panel into a STEP 7 V5.6 PLC project, since the older PLC toolchain has no direct import path for TIA Portal HMI projects.

Prerequisites for the Combined Configuration

• STEP 7 V5.6 (SPx) installed, with the PLC project compiled and the S7 program tested.
• TIA Portal V11 SP2 or later installed; the same PC can host both tools, but a virtual machine is recommended for engineering laptops that struggle with concurrent license managers.
• KTP400 Basic Color PN firmware image that matches the TIA Portal version (the panel ships with a compatible image; updates are performed via the TIA Portal "Update operating system" function over PROFINET).
• PROFINET cabling between the panel and the S7 CPU's PN port (or a PN switch in between).
• Free IP addresses on the engineering subnet (CPU, panel, and engineering PC must be in the same subnet).

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Open the existing STEP 7 V5.6 project, open HW Config, and confirm that the S7 CPU has a PROFINET interface configured with a fixed IP address (for example, 192.168.0.1 / 255.255.255.0). Document the IP, subnet mask, and PROFINET device name of the CPU.
2. Save, compile, and download the STEP 7 V5.6 project to the CPU. Verify online reachability from the engineering PC using a ping or the Accessible Nodes tool inside STEP 7 V5.6.
3. Open TIA Portal, create a new project, and add the KTP400 Basic Color PN from the HMI catalog (HMI > SIMATIC Basic Panels > 4" displays). Assign a unique PROFINET device name and a fixed IP address (for example, 192.168.0.10 / 255.255.255.0) on the same subnet as the CPU.
4. Add the S7-300 / S7-400 CPU as a non-integrated partner in the TIA Portal project via "Add new device > SIMATIC S7-300 > CPU 31x PN/DP" (or the S7-400 equivalent). Make sure the IP and PROFINET name match the values configured in STEP 7 V5.6 exactly. TIA Portal uses this partner only as a tag reference; it does not download the PLC program.
5. Open the HMI connection of the KTP400 and select "S7-300 / S7-400" as the communication driver. Enter the CPU IP address, the rack (0), and the slot (for S7-300 PN CPUs, slot 2; for S7-400 PN CPUs, slot 3 for the PN interface). Select "Fetch / Write" or "Fetch / Write protected" as required by the CPU's protection settings.
6. Define the HMI tags. Use the same DB / I / Q / M address syntax as in STEP 7 V5.6. Example: DB100.DBX0.0 for a Boolean, DB100.DBD4 as a Real at offset 4, IW0 for an input word. For arrays, define the full length in TIA Portal (for example, "DB100.DBW0..49" by using array tags with starting address and length).
7. If the application uses area pointers (date/time, job mailbox, recipe, alarms, life bit), activate them in the HMI connection and reserve the corresponding DB in STEP 7 V5.6. The HMI expects the data block to be in a non-optimized, non-remanent area so that the HMI can read it by absolute address.
8. Compile the TIA Portal project. Resolve any warnings about unreachable partners (these are expected when the CPU is not part of the TIA Portal project). Download the project to the panel using PROFINET. The panel will reboot and load the new runtime.
9. Leave the PLC programming inside STEP 7 V5.6. Any change to the PLC tag layout must be replicated manually in the TIA Portal HMI tags; this is the main engineering overhead of the combined configuration.

Configuration Parameters in TIA Portal (HMI Connection)

PROFINET Network Topology

Inline SVG: a 3-node PROFINET line with engineering PC, S7-300 CPU, and KTP400 Basic Color PN.

Tag Address Mapping (WinCC flexible vs TIA Portal conventions)

Although both tools reference the same S7 address space, the syntax differs. Use the table below as a translation reference when porting a STEP 7 V5.6 PLC program into TIA Portal HMI tags.

Verification and Commissioning Checklist

1. After downloading the TIA Portal project, the panel must display the configured start screen within 30 seconds of the 24 V supply stabilizing.
2. Open "Settings > Network" on the panel and confirm that the IP address, subnet mask, and PROFINET device name match the values configured in TIA Portal.
3. Set the PROFINET device name on the panel via TIA Portal (right-click the device > "Assign PROFINET device name"). The panel and the CPU must have the same PROFINET network name and the same subnet mask.
4. Trigger a tag in the PLC (force an input or set a flag from STEP 7 V5.6 online) and verify the corresponding HMI element changes state within 200-500 ms. Update intervals are configured per tag in TIA Portal; default 1 s is acceptable for non-critical displays.
5. Test each alarm class, the life-bit, and the date/time pointer. The life-bit must toggle in the reserved DB; if it does not, the CPU protection level may be blocking the write access.
6. Confirm that STEP 7 V5.6 and TIA Portal can be run in parallel on the same engineering PC without license-server conflicts. If conflicts occur, use two license keys (parallel installation) or run TIA Portal inside a virtual machine.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Alternative Panels That Work with WinCC flexible 2008

If keeping WinCC flexible 2008 as the engineering tool is mandatory, the panel must be replaced with a device that is in the WinCC flexible 2008 device catalog. Examples include:

• TP177B / TP177 micro / TP170B (mono and color variants)
• OP77B / OP170 / OP73 / OP73micro
• MP177 / MP270B / MP370 (Multi Panels)
• Mobile Panel 177 PN

These devices remain in the WinCC flexible 2008 HSP set; however, they have lower resolution, smaller screens, and limited recipe / alarm capacity compared to the KTP400 Basic Color PN. Verify the exact order number in the WinCC flexible 2008 device catalog before selecting a replacement.

Migration Path: WinCC flexible 2008 to TIA Portal

If the project can be moved entirely to TIA Portal, Siemens provides a project migrator. The migrator preserves screens, tags, alarms, and scripts, but it requires TIA Portal V11 SP2 or later. After migration, the project can target the KTP400 Basic Color PN directly. The PLC program in STEP 7 V5.6 can also be migrated to the TIA Portal S7-300 / S7-400 CPU objects, removing the need for a combined configuration.

Long-Term Recommendation

For new installations, choose a TIA Portal-supported panel from the start and migrate the PLC program to TIA Portal as well. This eliminates the manual tag-replication overhead of the combined configuration and gives access to the full TIA Portal HMI feature set (faceplates, libraries, integrated help, ProDiag). The combined configuration documented above should be treated as a transitional solution for installations where STEP 7 V5.6 is locked by standardization, regulatory documentation, or maintenance contract.

FAQ