ProTool to WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 Migration Guide

Overview

ProTool was the legacy Siemens HMI configuration suite (versions 5.x through 6.x) used to program Operator Panels (OP), Multi Panels (MP), and Text Displays (TD) such as the OP7, OP17, OP27, OP37, MP270, MP370, and the C7-62x compact controller/HMI. WinCC Flexible 2008 is its direct successor, and WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 (Service Pack 3) was the last released patch stream before migration to the TIA Portal / WinCC Comfort/Advanced/Professional line. The migration tool embedded in WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 (and earlier SPs) converts ProTool 5.2 SP2, ProTool 6.0, and ProTool/Pro projects into the WinCC Flexible .hmi container while preserving tags, screens, alarms, recipes, and PLC connection data.

The most common field failure is an aborted conversion during the configuration consistency check, leaving the engineer with only a ProSave image from the panel and no editable source. This reference covers the supported file formats, the exact migration workflow, the failure modes (especially the "consistency of configuration data" stop), and the recovery paths for MP370, OP7, and related panels.

Prerequisites

File Format Reference

The single most important rule in the field: a ProSave backup is a runtime image, not a source project. A successful ProSave backup is a runtime artifact compressed with the panel's boot loader. It does not contain the symbolic tag names, the original screen layout, the script logic, or the alarm classes in editable form. It is the same data the panel executes, not the data ProTool compiled it from. To migrate, the engineer must obtain the original .PDB/.PBZ from the original ProTool engineering station, the project archive, or a back-transfer (reverse restore) into ProTool 5.2 SP2 running on a connected PC.

Step-by-Step Migration Workflow

1. Locate the .PDB/.PBZ source. Confirm the file timestamp pre-dates the ProTool/Pro V6.0 transition. ProTool 5.2 SP2 is the lowest source version WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 migrates without warnings.
2. Decide on path A (offline) or path B (panel upload). Use path A when a .PDB or .PBZ exists. Use path B only when no source file is available and the panel is an MP370/MP270B/OP27 with a working ProSave v13.x image.
3. Path A - offline: Decompress the .PBZ with WinZip/7-Zip; the inner file is typically *.PDB. Open WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3, then File > Migrate ProTool Project. Browse to the .PDB and confirm. The migrator reads the OPC-/ProTool-internal configuration and emits a WinCC Flexible log under %TEMP%\ProToolMigration\.
4. Configure target panel. After the source reads, the migrator prompts for the destination device (for example MP370 15" Touch). Choose the panel model that matches the original ProTool configuration, including the option bitmaps for PROFIBUS or MPI subnets.
5. Confirm the symbolic addresses. WinCC Flexible tags have a fixed-width naming rule; the migrator renames any tag with leading digits, embedded spaces, or reserved words such as CON, PRN, AUX. Review the log and rename as needed.
6. Compile to RT. Target > Compile > Rebuild All. Errors must be zero; warnings about unsupported graphics formats (older .bmp palettes) are typical and can be re-imported.
7. Download to panel. Connect MPI/PROFIBUS or Ethernet, then Target > Transfer > to Device. Authenticate with the panel's transfer password (default 1000 on legacy ProTool panels).
8. Path B - panel upload: If only a ProSave image exists, restore it to a PC running ProTool 5.2 SP2 with ProSave v13.x. The reverse restore places the .PDB on disk, but tag names are stripped (numeric only) and the alarm log configuration is lost. Migrate the recovered .PDB as in step 3.

Configuration Consistency Check Failure

The migration tool halts with the message "An error occurred when checking the consistency of configuration data" when the source .PDB references components, libraries, or OPC scopes that the ProTool runtime cannot resolve in-place. Typical triggers:

MP370-Specific Procedures

The MP370 12" and 15" Touch is the most-encountered panel in migration requests because it shipped in volume with mid-2000s plant retrofits. Two practical paths exist:

1. ProSave v13.x back-transfer. With the panel in transfer mode, run ProSave 13.x on the engineering PC, select Backup > Restore on PC, and choose the panel type MP370. The reverse-restore writes a *.PDB to the chosen directory. The recovered .PDB has anonymous tag names (e.g. DB100.DBD0) and no screen bitmaps, but it does contain the screen layout, alarm classes, and connection topology. Use this as a starting point to rebuild naming and graphics in WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3.
2. Ethernet transfer without source. The MP370 supports a serial/Ethernet transfer that does not require a source .PDB, but it produces only an RT image, not an editable .PDB. To edit the result, open WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 with the target set to MP370 and connect with Target > Upload to PG. The recovered WinCC .HMI still has anonymous tags and rebuilt screen text, so any original ProTool color/graphics choices are lost.

For an MP370 with a damaged flash and only the memory card backup files (the typical field case during a plant certification deadline), the practical recovery sequence is: restore the ProSave image to a fresh CF card > boot the panel > connect via ProSave v13.x > reverse-restore to a PC > migrate the recovered .PDB into WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 with a fresh connection. This sequence adds approximately 40 minutes per panel, mostly waiting for the CF write and the .PDB decompile.

OP7-Specific Procedures

The OP7 is a text-only Operator Panel and a frequent migration target because it is end-of-service and was widely deployed in machine-tool and OEM applications. ProTool 5.2 SP2 supports the OP7 directly, but WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 deprecates it. Migration produces a valid WinCC project for the OP7 target, but Runtime licenses are no longer issued, so the resulting project is typically re-targeted to a OP77B or KTP400 Basic mono for active use. The migration tool preserves OP7 system keys, the message structure (with reduced resolution from 4-line x 20-char to 8-line x 33-char when re-targeted), and the password list. Field experience shows OP7 projects with the optional Recipe View add-on frequently fail the consistency check on the recipe data block; the workaround is to delete the recipe in source and rebuild it in WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 against a fresh DB.

OPC and PLC Connection Handling

ProTool 5.2 SP2 communicates to S7 PLCs over MPI, PROFIBUS, and (in the OP27/MP370) Industrial Ethernet. WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 uses the same transports but introduces the symbolic connection model required for TIA Portal forward migration. During migration, the connection names are preserved and the S7 connection parameters (rack, slot, slot-in-CPU for S7-400) are translated. Two field caveats apply:

• If the source uses raw address mode (e.g. DB100.DBW0 literal everywhere), the migrator emits a warning per tag but still completes. Open the WinCC project and convert to symbolic addressing before forward-migrating to TIA Portal.
• If the source uses an OPC scope that points to a third-party OPC server, the migrator preserves the scope but cannot validate the server's tag namespace. Test the connection under WinCC Flexible Runtime before plant acceptance.

Recovery from ProSave-Only Backups

When no .PDB or .PBZ is available and a plant certification deadline is pending, use the following decision matrix:

Verification

1. Compile to RT. WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 must report 0 errors / 0 warnings. Warnings are non-fatal but indicate a tag rename or a dropped graphic; treat as a defect for plant acceptance.
2. Offline simulation. Start WinCC Flexible Runtime with the migrated project against the S7-PLCSIM instance. Verify every screen transitions, every alarm triggers, and every recipe loads.
3. Tag cross-check. Export the tag list from the source .PDB (ProTool 5.2 SP2: Project > Cross-reference) and the target WinCC project (Project > Cross-reference). The two lists must match in count and absolute address.
4. Live transfer to panel. Connect via MPI/PROFIBUS/Ethernet, perform a delta transfer, then cycle power on the panel and confirm it enters Run mode with the new project.
5. Operator acceptance test. Have the panel operator sign off on screen layout, alarm priorities, and password levels. OP7/OP17/OP27 migrations commonly reveal font-size differences on the new panel target.

Known Field Issues and Workarounds

Forward Migration Beyond WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3

WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 is the last release on this branch. For new projects or full conversions to TIA Portal, migrate the .HMI to TIA Portal V13/V14/V15 with the integrated converter, then re-target to a Comfort Panel (TP700, TP900, TP1200) or a Unified Panel. The WinCC Flexible 2008 SP3 .HMI is read-only once opened in TIA Portal's converter; keep a backup of the .HMI before forwarding. The forward converter preserves tag names, screens, alarms, and recipes, but the COM/OPC interface is replaced by the TIA Portal symbolic interface and the HMI tags must be re-assigned to DBs that are also re-imported into the TIA project.

FAQ