MP370 HMI Program Upload and Download via ProTool Pro

Overview of MP370 Program Transfer Methods

The SIMATIC MP370 is a 12-inch or 15-inch operator panel from the Multi Panel family, historically programmed with Siemens ProTool/Pro (Configuration System, CS) or WinCC flexible 2004 for non-TIA Portal installations. MP370 panels integrate with SIMATIC S7-300 and S7-400 controllers via MPI, PROFIBUS, or Industrial Ethernet and support on-board project storage on PC flash memory cards (CF/PCMCIA-style). Three primary transfer paths exist for moving compiled runtime projects (.fwd/.pdz archives) between the configuration PC and the panel:

1. Serial / MPI / PROFIBUS / Ethernet transfer through ProTool Pro or ProSave (live online to a running panel).
2. External PC flash memory card swap: extract the card, edit the project offline, write back, insert into the panel.
3. Backup/Restore via the panel's Service menu using a PC memory card, then subsequent offline editing of the backup file.

The three paths are not equivalent. Method 1 is the only path that produces a fully re-editable *.pdb source project in ProTool Pro, and it requires the original *_Start.pdb project to have been downloaded with the Enable Upload to Configuration PC option. Method 2 is the only practical method when the panel is decommissioned, password-locked, or the original project is lost. Method 3 is a derivative of Method 2 and is the procedure Siemens documents for in-field panel replacement.

Prerequisites

Verify the panel's firmware and ProTool/Pro target version before any transfer. A mismatch between the panel's ProTool RT version and the project's target version is the most common reason for download rejection (error 0x8004... in the transfer log). Use the panel's Start Center → System → Version menu to read the ProTool Runtime build.

Understanding the MP370 Project Files

ProTool/Pro differentiates three artifact types, and confusing them is the source of most field problems:

When the user reports "I have the project but I am not sure whether it is the same exactly with the one in HMI," the correct check is to use ProTool Pro's Project → Compare function, or to compile the local *.pdb and compare its CRC with the CRC of the runtime file currently loaded on the panel (read from the panel Service menu: System → Information → Project CRC).

Method 1: Online Transfer (Upload/Download) over MPI/PROFIBUS/Ethernet

Step 1 - Establish the connection in ProTool Pro

1. Open the integrated STEP 7 / ProTool project (*.s7p S7 project that contains the MP370 station).
2. Right-click the MP370 station → Open Object. ProTool Pro launches with the HMI project loaded.
3. From the ProTool Pro menu, select File → Download → Selection. The "Select Target System" dialog lists the configured connection type (MPI, PROFIBUS, Ethernet).

Step 2 - Configure transfer parameters

Step 3 - Download to panel

1. Click OK. ProTool Pro compiles the source *.pdb into a *.fwd file.
2. The transfer progress dialog reports the number of bytes sent. Typical MP370 12" project (300-500 screens, 2000 tags) transfers in 3-8 minutes over Ethernet, 8-20 minutes over MPI at 187.5 kbit/s.
3. If the panel prompts Transfer, press the Transfer button on the touch screen within 10 seconds, or the request times out.
4. Wait for the panel to reboot into the new project. The transfer dialog closes with a success message.

Step 4 - Upload from panel (reverse direction)

1. Place the panel in Transfer mode (Start Center → Transfer button).
2. In ProTool Pro, select File → Upload → Selection.
3. Choose the same connection profile used for download.
4. Click Upload. ProTool Pro will read back either a full *.pdb (if "Enable Upload" was used at download time) or only a *.fwd (if it was not).

Method 2: PC Flash Memory Card Backup and Restore

This is the path that matches the original question: editing an alarm message on the memory card offline, then putting the card back. The procedure is fully documented in the SIMATIC WinAC MP for MP370 manual (PDF) and in the ProTool Pro online help under Backup/Restore via external storage medium.

Step A - Create a backup from the panel

1. Power down the MP370.
2. Insert a PC flash memory card (8 MB minimum, 16/32 MB recommended) into the slot on the rear of the panel, label side up.
3. Power on the panel. From the Start Center, navigate to Service → Backup/Restore.
4. Select Backup to Memory Card. The panel writes a BACKUP.PDZ (or BACKUP.ARJ on older firmware) archive containing the current runtime, all recipes, and the language database.
5. Wait for the progress bar to complete (typically 1-3 minutes for a 16 MB card).
6. Power down and remove the card.

Step B - Edit the backup file offline

1. Insert the card into a PC card reader.
2. Copy BACKUP.PDZ to a working folder.
3. Open ProTool Pro on the configuration PC. From the File → Restore menu, select the BACKUP.PDZ and restore it to a temporary directory. The restore extracts a *.fwd plus optional source fragments.
4. To edit alarm messages, you need the source *.pdb. If the original *.pdb is available, open it directly in ProTool Pro and skip the restore step.
5. Modify the alarm text under Messages → Discrete Alarms or Messages → Analog Alarms.
6. Recompile the project: File → Compile → All. This regenerates the *.fwd.

Step C - Write the project back to the memory card

1. From ProTool Pro, select File → Download → Memory Card (or Transfer → Memory Card in older builds).
2. Choose the PC flash card target. ProTool Pro writes a complete project directory including *.fwd, firmware stub, recipe templates, and any language files.
3. Safely eject the card from the PC.

Step D - Restore on the panel

1. Power down the MP370 and insert the freshly written card.
2. Power on. The panel detects the project on the card and offers Restore from Memory Card during boot, or you can use the Service → Backup/Restore → Restore from Memory Card menu.
3. Confirm. The new project with the corrected alarm text becomes active after a brief restart (10-20 seconds).

Method 3: ProSave-Based Transfer (Standalone, no STEP 7 Integration)

ProSave is the lightweight transfer utility bundled on the ProTool/Pro CD and inside STEP 7 V5.x. It supports the same connection types (RS-232, MPI, PROFIBUS, Ethernet) but does not require a STEP 7 project. ProSave is ideal for service technicians who do not have the original S7 project but need to refresh the HMI runtime, install firmware, or change the panel's IP address.

Procedure

1. Launch ProSave (default path: C:\Siemens\ProSave\ProSave.exe).
2. Select device type: MP370.
3. Select connection: Serial / MPI / PROFIBUS / Ethernet (TCP/IP).
4. Click File → Download and choose the *.fwd or *.pdz archive.
5. ProSave displays the transfer status and any panel-side prompts.

ProSave parameters for Ethernet

WinAC MP Integration with S7-400

The MP370 is one of the few Siemens panels capable of hosting a WinAC MP (Windows Automation Center, Multi Panel) soft-PLC runtime. In this mode, the panel executes an S7-300-compatible CPU image in parallel with the HMI runtime, and the configuration requires the SIMATIC WinAC MP for MP370 installation manual (PDF) and the WinAC MP software CD.

For a panel with WinAC MP:

1. Install WinAC MP on the configuration PC from the WinAC MP CD (separate from the ProTool/Pro CD).
2. Use ProSave to transfer the WinAC MP firmware to the panel first.
3. Use ProTool Pro to download the HMI project to the panel.
4. Use STEP 7 to download the S7-300-compatible PLC program to the panel's WinAC MP slot.

When the S7-400 is the master and the MP370 is purely an HMI with WinAC MP disabled, the transfer sequence is just ProTool/Pro plus standard STEP 7 download. WinAC MP activation is signalled in the panel's Start Center → System → WinAC MP status page.

Project Comparison and Verification

To confirm whether the source *.pdb on the PC matches the runtime currently loaded on the panel, use one of these two methods:

Method A - CRC check

1. Read the panel-side project CRC: Start Center → System → Information → Project Information. Note the 8-character hex CRC.
2. Recompile the local *.pdb in ProTool Pro. The compile log shows the resulting CRC of the *.fwd.
3. Compare. Equal CRCs prove identical content; different CRCs prove at least one byte differs.

Method B - Upload and diff

1. Upload the project from the panel to the configuration PC (requires "Enable Upload" flag).
2. Open both *.pdb files in ProTool Pro side by side (two ProTool instances).
3. Use Project → Compare to generate a tag-, alarm-, and screen-level diff report.

Changing an Alarm Message Offline (Direct Answer)

The fastest way to fix a single alarm string on an MP370 integrated with an S7-400:

1. Locate the source *.pdb inside the STEP 7 project (ProjectName\HMI\MP370\*.pdb).
2. Open it in ProTool Pro. Navigate to Messages → [Message Class] → [Alarm Number].
3. Edit the alarm text, click Apply.
4. Compile: File → Compile → All.
5. Connect the PC to the MP370 (MPI/PROFIBUS/Ethernet).
6. Set the panel to Transfer mode.
7. In ProTool Pro: File → Download → Selection → check Enable Upload to Configuration PC → OK.
8. Wait for the panel to restart with the new alarm text (typical 15-30 s).

If the configuration PC cannot be brought online with the panel (network unavailable, the S7-400 is locked out for production), use Method 2 (memory card) and rewrite the card offline, then swap it into the panel during a scheduled short stop.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Firmware and Version Compatibility

MP370 panels are not natively supported by TIA Portal; they sit in the classic ProTool/Pro / WinCC flexible 2004 generation. Migration to a TIA Portal-compatible successor (e.g., Comfort Panel TP900) requires a project migration in WinCC flexible 2008 or TIA Portal V13 SP1+ using the panel migration tool, which is outside the scope of MP370 service transfers.

Memory Card Specifications

Step-by-Step Summary: Edit Alarm Text and Push to Panel

1. Locate the integrated *.pdb for the MP370 inside the STEP 7 project.
2. Open in ProTool Pro, edit the alarm string, compile to *.fwd.
3. Choose the transfer path: online (MPI/PROFIBUS/Ethernet) or offline (memory card).
4. For online: set the panel to Transfer mode, click Download in ProTool Pro, ensure Enable Upload to Configuration PC is checked.
5. For offline: write the compiled project to a PC flash card using ProTool Pro, then use the panel's Service → Restore from Memory Card menu.
6. Verify the alarm text on screen and check the transfer log for Transfer successful plus correct CRC.