Resolving CP5511 PCMCIA Passthrough Failure on VMware Workstation

Problem Description

Engineers who built their STEP 7 commissioning environment around a Siemens CP5511 PCMCIA cardbus adapter frequently encounter a hard failure when they migrate the development workstation to Windows 7 (64-bit) and run STEP 7 inside a Windows XP VMware Workstation guest. The CP5511 is recognized normally by the Windows XP host operating system on bare metal, but once the same Windows XP image is executed inside VMware Workstation 6.x/7.x/8.x on a Windows 7 host, the MPI/PROFIBUS adapter disappears from the SIMATIC Manager "Set PG/PC Interface" dialog. The error is not a driver problem and is not solved by reinstalling the CP5511 driver package or by re-inserting the PCMCIA card.

Symptom summary observed on affected systems:

• SIMATIC Manager → Options → Set PG/PC Interface shows no CP5511 entry.
• Windows Device Manager inside the XP guest shows no PCMCIA or CardBus controller node at all.
• The CP5511 is correctly listed in Windows 7 Device Manager on the host (Siemens PC Card driver, version depends on SIMATIC NET release).
• STEP 7 → "Accessible Nodes" returns nothing or returns only TCP/IP nodes when routing through the host network.
• Online operations (Download, Upload, Go Online, Monitor/Modify) fail with error 0x031F "Connection to target PLC could not be established" or with 0x0F00 from the S7 online functions.

Root Cause Analysis

The CP5511 (Siemens order number 6GK1551-1AA00) is a Type II PCMCIA CardBus adapter that implements the MPI and PROFIBUS physical layers at up to 12 Mbit/s. It is functionally a PCI device exposed through the CardBus-to-PCI bridge on the laptop PCMCIA slot.

VMware Workstation uses a virtualized hardware model for every guest machine. The supported passthrough device classes are intentionally narrow:

The CP5511 is therefore structurally invisible to any operating system running inside a VMware guest. Even though Windows 7 detects the PCMCIA bridge and loads the Siemens PC Card driver, VMware does not enumerate or virtualize the bridge, so the XP guest has no CardBus controller to attach to. This limitation is documented by VMware in the Workstation "Device Connection" documentation and is not configurable through .vmx parameters on Workstation Pro.

Affected Components and Versions

Note that VMware Workstation 25H2 (the Broadcom-rebranded release) introduced additional regressions for older guests running Windows XP/Vista/7, but the CP5511 visibility issue is independent of those emulation problems – the CardBus restriction predates Workstation 25H2 by more than a decade.

Solution Overview

Three engineering paths exist. Each is presented with its prerequisites and result.

Solution A – Keep CP5511 on the host, run STEP 7 on the host (recommended for small fleets)

Stop running STEP 7 inside the virtual machine. Install STEP 7 V5.4 SP5 / V5.5 directly on Windows 7 32-bit (or in a Windows 7 64-bit VM with STEP 7 V5.5 SP3 + SIMATIC NET V8.x). The CP5511 is then attached to the same OS instance that runs the SIMATIC Manager, which is its native environment.

Solution B – Replace CP5511 with a USB PC Adapter

Siemens PC Adapter USB (catalog number 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0) and the newer CP5711 (USB V2.0, order code 6GK1571-1AA00) are USB-attached MPI/PROFIBUS adapters that are fully compatible with the VMware USB passthrough feature. They work transparently inside the Windows XP guest.

Solution C – Replace CP5511 with an Ethernet-to-MPI/PROFIBUS gateway

Gateways such as the Helmholz NetLink Pro (also marketed as Siemens-compatible NetLink) terminate MPI/PROFIBUS on an Ethernet cable that the VM already sees. The STEP 7 side uses the standard TCP/IP "ISO-on-TCP" or proprietary RFC1006 driver instead of the CP5511 driver.

Solution B – Implementation (CP5511 → CP5711 / PC Adapter USB)

Prerequisites

• Siemens CP5711 USB V2.0 (6GK1571-1AA00) or PC Adapter USB (6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0).
• USB-A port available on the host (USB 2.0 high-power root port recommended; some laptop ports cannot deliver the 500 mA required by CP5711).
• SIMATIC NET PC Software V8.2 SP1 or newer (or STEP 7 V5.5 SP3 with SIMATIC NET V7.1 as minimum for CP5711 on XP guest).
• VMware Workstation USB Arbitration Service running on the host (default state).

Step-by-step procedure

1. Install SIMATIC NET on the guest. Mount SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1 ISO inside the XP guest and perform a complete installation including "PC Software / Communication Services".
2. Plug the CP5711 into a host USB port. Windows 7 enumerates the device and loads the Siemens USB driver (VID 0x0908 / PID depends on adapter).
3. Connect the adapter to the guest. In the VMware Workstation menu bar: VM → Removable Devices → Siemens [...] CP5711 → Connect (Disconnect from Host). The device disappears from the Windows 7 host Device Manager and reappears inside the XP guest.
4. Verify device visibility in the guest. Open XP Device Manager and confirm "Siemens CP5711" appears under "SIMATIC NET Communication".
5. Configure the PG/PC interface inside STEP 7. Open SIMATIC Manager → Options → Set PG/PC Interface. Select the access point S7ONLINE and the interface parameterization PC Adapter (MPI) or PC Adapter (PROFIBUS).
6. Set PROFIBUS/MPI bus parameters. Properties → PROFIBUS: address 0 (master), transmission rate Auto-detect (recommended) or 1.5 Mbit/s manual, highest station address 126. MPI: address 0, default 187.5 kbit/s.
7. Test online access. Right-click the S7 project → Accessible Nodes. The connected S7-300/S7-400 CPU should appear within ~3 seconds when PROFIBUS Auto is active.

Solution C – Implementation (CP5511 → Ethernet MPI/PROFIBUS gateway)

Prerequisites

• Helmholz NetLink Pro (article 700-900-1AA01) or equivalent Siemens-compatible Ethernet-MPI/PROFIBUS converter.
• Static IP configured on the gateway (default 192.168.0.222 / 255.255.255.0, NetLink Pro V4 firmware).
• Free 100 Mbit/s Ethernet port on the Windows 7 host or a routable network that the VMware guest can reach.
• STEP 7 V5.4 SP5 or later on the XP guest.

Step-by-step procedure

1. Connect NetLink Pro to MPI/PROFIBUS. Use the supplied 9-pin D-sub to PROFIBUS connector; set the PROFIBUS terminating switches to ON if NetLink Pro is the bus end node.
2. Assign a fixed IP address. Connect NetLink Pro directly to a PC, browse to http://192.168.0.222, log in with the default password, and assign a routable static IP. Save and reboot the device.
3. Connect to the production network. Plug the Ethernet cable from NetLink Pro into the same switch that the Windows 7 host uses, or into the host directly with a crossover (not needed for modern auto-MDI/MDIX ports).
4. Configure the VM network. Keep the XP guest on "Bridged" mode (or "NAT" only if the host and gateway share the same subnet). Bridged gives the guest a MAC-level presence on the switch and is required for low-latency MPI/PROFIBUS polling.
5. Test IP reachability from the XP guest. Open a command prompt and run ping 192.168.x.yyy (replace with the configured IP). Expect < 1 ms reply on a local switch.
6. Set PG/PC interface in STEP 7. SIMATIC Manager → Options → Set PG/PC Interface → select S7ONLINE → interface TCP/IP -> Network Card (RFC1006) or, for NetLink Pro, the dedicated Helmholz NetLink (MPI) parameterization if Helmholz's S7 driver is installed.
7. Insert TCP/IP node in the project. In NetPro, add a "PG/PC" station and an "Other Station" connected to Ethernet. In the S7 connection properties, select "TCP/IP" as the connection type and enter the IP of NetLink Pro.
8. Verify online connection. Accessible Nodes should display the S7-CPU's MPI/PROFIBUS address (e.g., MPI address 2) routed through NetLink Pro.

NetLink Pro supports MPI at 19.2 kbit/s, 187.5 kbit/s and 1.5 Mbit/s, and PROFIBUS up to 12 Mbit/s. Firmware V4 adds S7 routing, allowing access to downstream PROFIBUS slaves through a PROFIBUS master CPU.

Verification

After applying Solution B or C, run the following verification matrix inside the XP guest:

Migration from CP5511 to CP5711 – Cable and Driver Notes

The CP5711 is a strict drop-in functional replacement for the CP5511 in STEP 7 V5.x projects. The MPI cable pinout is identical (Siemens 6XV1 830-0EH10 or equivalent PROFIBUS cable). The driver name in the PG/PC Interface dialog changes from "CP5511" to "PC Adapter" or "CP5711" depending on the installed SIMATIC NET release. No S7 project edit is required.

Driver naming inside Set PG/PC Interface across SIMATIC NET versions:

Verify your CP5711 driver is present by checking %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\SIMATIC_NET\DRV\s7fw_x64.cat (or the x86 equivalent) on the guest after installation.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Long-Term Recommendation

Siemens has officially designated the CP5511 as a legacy / spare-part-only product. New development laptops for STEP 7 V5.5 and TIA Portal should use either:

• CP5711 – USB V2.0, 12 Mbit/s PROFIBUS, hot-pluggable, works inside VMs and on physical hosts.
• S7-1200 / S7-1500 built-in Ethernet port – direct TCP/IP access without any extra adapter.
• TIA Portal V16+ – TCP/IP-only programming for S7-1500 and ET 200 CPUs; the MPI/PROFIBUS legacy path is fully de-emphasized in current Siemens documentation.

If STEP 7 V5.5 must remain virtualized on Windows 7, run the VMware guest on Windows 10/11 (with Workstation 17.6.x or Player 17.x) and connect the CP5711 via USB passthrough. This configuration has been validated for S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200 (via MPI/PROFIBUS CM) and ET 200S.

FAQ