Migrating SIMATIC MP 377 to TP1500/TP1900 Comfort: Field Guide

Migrating SIMATIC MP 377 to TP1500/TP1900 Comfort Panels

The SIMATIC MP 377 15" Touch (article number 6AV6644-0AB01-2AX0) has been phased out of the Siemens HMI catalog. Field replacements with spare-part stock are no longer sustainable, and most plants now face a forced migration to the Comfort Panel family. The two practical successors that preserve the 15" to 19" footprint of the original installation are the TP1500 Comfort (6AV2124-0QC02-0AX1) and the TP1900 Comfort (6AV2124-0UC02-0AX1). This reference covers the engineering workflow, software prerequisites, project-recovery options, and verification checks required to complete the swap with minimum downtime.

1. Overview: Why Migrate to a Comfort Panel

The MP 377 was configured with WinCC flexible 2007 and belongs to the second-generation x77/x70 platform that uses a 4:3 XGA LCD with CCFL backlight. The Comfort family replaces this with:

• 16:9 widescreen TFT with LED backlight (no inverter to fail)
• Higher pixel density (1366 x 768 vs 1024 x 768)
• Configuration under TIA Portal with the WinCC Comfort / Advanced / Professional engineering toolchain
• Modernized OPC UA, SNMP, and Sm@rtServer capabilities
• Significantly higher internal flash and RAM budgets

For most machine builders the migration is mandatory: spare-part availability on MP 377 drops off sharply five years after product phase-out, and Siemens support escalations on WinCC flexible are limited.

2. Hardware Comparison: MP 377 vs TP1500 vs TP1900 Comfort

The table below summarises the key parameters that influence cut-out, project sizing, and commissioning. Always cross-check the exact variant on the device label before ordering.

3. Software Migration Path: WinCC flexible 2007 to TIA Portal

The migration is not a single-step file copy. The path has three phases:

1. Open the original project in WinCC flexible — WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 or SP3 is recommended because it can read .fwx files generated by WinCC flexible 2007.
2. Run the TIA Portal migration wizard — from Project → Migrate project, which converts the WinCC flexible database into the TIA Portal equivalent.
3. Re-target the device and recompile — change the HMI device from MP 377 15" Touch to TP1500 Comfort or TP1900 Comfort, then address layout, screen, and connection differences.

Siemens maintains a dedicated migration FAQ at support entry 109765132 which collects the most common field issues during this path. Read it before committing to the migration window.

4. Hardware Support Packages (HSP) and Required TIA Portal Versions

Comfort panels are supported from TIA Portal V13 SP1 upward, but for current firmware (V14.0.x and above) Siemens recommends TIA Portal V14 SP1 with the matching HSP. The HSP is installed separately via Options → Support Packages in the TIA Portal and adds:

• Device description (GSD/GSDML-aware PROFINET and PROFIBUS profiles)
• Firmware update images that can be pushed to the panel during commissioning
• Functional scope additions such as OPC UA server certificates

Without the correct HSP installed, the target Comfort panel will not appear in the device catalog and the project cannot be compiled to it. A typical prerequisite stack:

TIA Portal V14 SP1 Update 7 (or later)
+ WinCC Comfort/Advanced V14 SP1 Update 7
+ HSP for Comfort Panels V14.0.x
+ HSP for legacy PLC connection (e.g. S7-300/ET 200S if applicable)

5. Project Source Recovery: Backup File vs Source Project

This is the most common failure point of the entire migration. A field technician arriving at the cabinet typically finds one of the following:

To check whether the running MP 377 supports a recovery upload:

1. Connect a PG/PC running WinCC flexible 2008 SP2/SP3 to the MP 377 over PROFINET or MPI/PROFIBUS.
2. Open Project → Transfer → Backup — if the panel allows an upload, a project tree appears.
3. Save the recovered project as a new .fwx file.
4. Run the TIA Portal migration wizard on that file.

6. Pre-Migration Engineering Checklist

Complete the following checklist before scheduling the cabinet outage. Each item reduces the risk of an extended commissioning window.

• Original WinCC flexible .fwx file located and verified to open in WinCC flexible 2008 SP2/SP3.
• TIA Portal V14 SP1 (or target version) installed on the engineering station with matching WinCC Comfort license.
• Correct HSP package(s) installed. Verify under Options → Support Packages.
• PLC program and symbol table exported from STEP 7 / TIA Portal and available for re-import on the HMI side.
• Cabinet cut-out dimension verified against the selected Comfort panel datasheet.
• 24 V DC supply capacity checked: TP1500 Comfort typically draws ~1.5 A at 24 V, TP1900 Comfort ~2.0 A. Compare against existing PSU sizing.
• Network topology — IP address plan, PROFINET device name, PROFIBUS station address documented.
• Backup of all PLC programs, drive parameters, and SCADA configuration before the swap.
• Operator screens printed or screenshotted as a reference for layout adaptation.
• Spare USB stick with ProSave-compatible format (FAT32) prepared for firmware and image download.

7. Step-by-Step Migration Procedure

The procedure below assumes a successful migration from a WinCC flexible 2007 project to a Comfort panel on TIA Portal V14 SP1. Plan a 4 to 8 hour window for a typical mid-size project (50 screens, 800 tags, 200 alarms).

7.1 Open the source project

1. Launch WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 (or SP3) on the engineering station.
2. Open the original .fwx project. Resolve any compile warnings before continuing.
3. Save a clean copy under a new name (e.g. Project_migrate.fwx) so the original remains untouched.

7.2 Migrate to TIA Portal

1. Launch TIA Portal V14 SP1.
2. Select Project → Migrate project and choose the cleaned WinCC flexible project.
3. Select the target HMI device: TP1500 Comfort (15.4") or TP1900 Comfort (18.5").
4. Accept the proposed migration. The migration log is stored in the project directory as MigrationLog.txt — review every warning before continuing.

7.3 Re-target the device

1. In the TIA Portal project tree, right-click the HMI device and select Change device if you need to switch from a trial TP1500 to TP1900.
2. Verify the connection list. PROFINET connections to S7-300/400/1200/1500 controllers are typically carried over unchanged, but confirm the slot assignment and IP address.
3. Re-bind any HMI tags that were using external tag sources from STEP 7. The HMI tag database is rebuilt under HMI tags → Show all tags.

7.4 Compile and download

1. Right-click the HMI device and select Compile → Software (rebuild all).
2. Resolve any errors flagged in the Info editor. Common issues include deprecated function calls, unsupported fonts, and missing graphics.
3. Transfer the project to the Comfort panel over PROFINET using the panel's IP address, or via USB using a ProSave-compatible stick.

8. Layout Adaptation: 4:3 to Widescreen Conversion

The aspect-ratio change from 4:3 (1024 x 768) to 16:9 (1366 x 768) means horizontal width grows by approximately 33% while vertical height stays the same. Screens designed for the MP 377 will appear stretched if simply retargeted. The recommended approach is:

1. Use the TIA Portal Adapt screen tool (Runtime settings → Screen → Adapt to new device) as a starting point.
2. Manually re-flow objects left-to-right and rebalance vertical spacing.
3. Resize fixed-size elements (buttons, I/O fields) using the Arrange → Resize tools. Keep touch-target sizes at least 12 mm x 12 mm for operator gloves.
4. Re-export any custom graphics at 1366 x 768 native resolution to avoid interpolation artefacts.

A quick ratio check for objects moved between screens:

Scale factor X = new_width / old_width = 1366 / 1024 = 1.334
Scale factor Y = new_height / old_height = 768 / 768 = 1.000

Use 1.334 as the horizontal scaling factor and 1.000 vertically. Operators should always re-validate alarm acknowledgment and emergency stop button placement after the layout pass.

9. Tags, Alarms, and Scripts Conversion

The migration wizard carries most tags and alarms over, but several categories need explicit review:

10. Communication, Recipes, and Historical Data

10.1 Communication

PROFINET and PROFIBUS connections migrate with the project. Verify the following in TIA Portal after migration:

• PLC station number / IP address is unchanged.
• PROFINET device name matches the plant standard (commonly the same as the old MP 377).
• Update rate and watchdog times are still appropriate for the Comfort panel's faster CPU.
• If the original project used an S7-200 or older S7-300 MPI connection, verify the Comfort panel still supports that protocol via the appropriate HSP.

10.2 Recipes

Recipes migrate to the Comfort format but the on-disk path changes. After commissioning, copy any saved recipe files from the old MP 377 backup (under /Recipes) to the Comfort panel using ProSave or an FTP transfer. Verify the data record import paths under Recipes → Properties → Storage.

10.3 Historical data

WinCC flexible archives on the MP 377 cannot be opened in WinCC Comfort directly. Plan to export the historical data while the old panel is still running, or accept that historical archives will restart on the new Comfort panel.

11. Verification and Acceptance Testing

Run the following verification suite on the Comfort panel before handing it back to operations:

1. Tag polling verification — force a known PLC tag, confirm the HMI display updates within one update cycle.
2. Alarm acknowledgement — trigger an alarm from the PLC, acknowledge from the Comfort panel, confirm the alarm clears and the audit log records the operator.
3. Recipe round-trip — save a recipe, modify a data record on the Comfort panel, restore, confirm the PLC values match.
4. Touch calibration — touch each of the four screen corners and the centre; the cursor must track within 1 mm.
5. Backlight and screen-saver — set the screen-saver timeout to match the original MP 377 setting; confirm the backlight dims to the planned value.
6. User administration — log in as each role; confirm visibility restrictions and button-level authorisations.
7. Network connectivity — confirm Sm@rtServer (if used) is reachable and OPC UA server certificate exchange completes.
8. Emergency stop and safety-critical buttons — verify physical touch target is at least 12 mm x 12 mm and the button is reachable while wearing gloves.
9. Audit log — confirm the audit log is being written to the configured location (SD card, USB, or network share).
10. Power-cycle test — remove 24 V for 30 seconds, restore, confirm the panel auto-starts into runtime and re-establishes the PROFINET connection.

12. Troubleshooting Migration Matrix

13. Frequently Asked Questions