Resolving KP300 TIA Portal V15.1 Migration Failure from V11/V13 Projects

The Siemens SIMATIC KP300 Basic mono PN (article number 6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0) is one of the most widely deployed 3.6-inch basic panels in factory automation. When an existing project originally engineered in TIA Portal V11 must be reopened, edited, or recompiled under TIA Portal V15.1, engineers routinely encounter a hard conversion error: the project upgrades cleanly through V13 and V14, but the V15.1 importer refuses the file. This reference documents the root cause, the canonical fix, the HMI device image requirements introduced in TIA V15, and a verified fallback path for engineers who only have V13 SP2 available.

1. Problem Description

Symptom chain reported in the field:

1. Project *.ap11 created in TIA Portal V11 with one or more SIMATIC KP300 Basic mono PN devices (article number 6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0).
2. Engineer opens the project in TIA Portal V13 and performs the standard migration. TIA Portal saves the result as *.ap13. The HMI device image inside the project still carries the V11 image revision tag.
3. Migration to TIA Portal V14 succeeds without operator intervention. Editing is possible.
4. Attempting to open or convert the V14 project in TIA Portal V15.1 produces a conversion error: TIA Portal V15.1 does not accept the embedded V11 HMI image of the KP300 and aborts the upgrade.

The error typically appears as a TIA Portal dialog stating that the HMI device version used in the project is not supported, followed by a message that the project cannot be converted. The same project can be opened without issue in V14 and in any earlier portal release.

2. Root Cause: HMI Device Image Version Mismatch

Every HMI device embedded in a TIA Portal project carries an internal device image version string. The image version governs which HMI runtime the panel will load and which TIA Portal release is permitted to compile the configuration. For the SIMATIC KP300 Basic mono PN, the relevant image versions are:

TIA Portal V15.1 requires that the HMI device image revision be V12.0.0.0 or higher. A project that was migrated V11 → V13 → V14 still carries the V11 image revision on the KP300 device, which V15.1 cannot accept. Direct upgrading of the project file is not supported; the image version must be incremented before the V15.1 importer is invoked.

The image version is not the same as the panel firmware version flashed on the physical KP300 hardware. The image version is a property of the project (stored in the device's HMI configuration); the firmware version is a property of the runtime loaded into the panel. They must be reconciled separately.

3. Prerequisites

Before starting the migration, verify that the following are available:

• Source project file in the most recent compatible release — typically *.ap13 or *.ap14. The original V11 *.ap11 file is also valid as a starting point.
• License key for TIA Portal V15.1 (or floating license) covering the WinCC Basic option for SIMATIC Basic Panels.
• TIA Portal V13 SP2 (or higher) installed on a separate engineering station if the V13/V14 path must be used. V13 SP2 Update 4 has been verified in the field as a stable intermediate release.
• WinCC Basic HMI device images for TIA V15.1. As of V15, Siemens no longer ships all legacy panel device images inside the default WinCC install. See HMI device images V15 and higher for the complete matrix.
• Article number of the panel — confirm 6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0 matches the physical hardware label on the rear of the KP300.

4. Step-by-Step Migration Procedure (V11/V13 → V15.1)

4.1 Open the project in the most recent TIA Portal release that accepts the V11 image

Open the *.ap13 or *.ap14 file in TIA Portal V14. Expand the project tree and right-click the KP300 device node. The HMI image version is displayed under the device properties; confirm it currently reports V11.0.0.0.

4.2 Increment the HMI image version to V12

1. In the project tree, select the KP300 device node.
2. Open Device View (double-click the device).
3. From the right-hand inspector, choose Properties → General → Device version.
4. Change the version from 11.0.0.0 to 12.0.0.0.
5. Confirm with OK. TIA Portal will prompt to recompile the HMI configuration; allow it.
6. Save the project with Project → Save As…, preserving the V14 file extension.

4.3 Open the project in TIA Portal V15.1

1. Launch TIA Portal V15.1.
2. Use Project → Open… and select the V14 project file with the V12 image revision.
3. TIA Portal prompts for confirmation to convert the project to the V15.1 schema. Accept.
4. After conversion, the project tree shows the KP300 with image version V12.0.0.0 embedded in the V15.1 container.
5. Save the project as a new *.ap15.1 file.

4.4 Install missing HMI device images if prompted

If V15.1 reports a missing image for the KP300:

1. Open the HMI Device Images manager (Options → HMI Device Image Management).
2. Locate the SIMATIC KP300 Basic mono PN entry. If the V12 image is unchecked, enable it.
3. If the image is not present at all, install the WinCC Basic HMI device image add-on for V15.1, available on the Siemens Industry Online Support portal under entry ID 109751706 (and the equivalent for V15.1 Update 7).

5. Alternative Path: Direct Migration from TIA V13 SP2 Update 4

If a V14 station is not available, projects created in TIA Portal V13 SP2 Update 4 with a KP300 (6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0) migrate directly to TIA Portal V15.1 Update 7 without operator intervention, provided that the V13 SP2 Update 4 project was created from scratch (not migrated from V11). Field verification on a KP300 mono PN line at a European automotive tier-1 supplier confirmed the V13 SP2 U4 → V15.1 U7 path is clean when the project is native to V13.

This path is not a workaround for the V11 → V15.1 conversion problem: a V13 project that was itself migrated from V11 still carries the V11 image revision and must be treated as a V11-origin project for migration purposes.

6. Firmware and Image Compatibility Matrix

All first-generation Basic Panels share the same V12 floor. The 2nd generation (KTP400 2nd gen, KTP700 2nd gen, KTP900 2nd gen, KTP1200 2nd gen, KTP1200 2nd gen DP) require V14 or V15 image revisions and are outside the scope of this V11-origin migration path.

7. Verification After Migration

After the V15.1 conversion, perform the following checks before recompiling or downloading to the panel:

1. Project tree integrity: Expand every HMI node and confirm the device images are flagged as compatible (no red marker, no warning icon).
2. Compile check: Right-click the HMI station → Compile → Software (rebuild all). The compile must complete without errors. Warnings about obsolete tags or panel-internal bit memory are expected on V11-origin projects and are non-fatal.
3. Cross-reference integrity: Open the PLC tag table referenced by the HMI and run Go to → Cross-references. Any tag marked with a red X indicates a broken HMI pointer; fix before downloading.
4. HMI image presence in build: In the project tree, open Languages & Resources → HMI Device Images. Confirm the V12 image for the KP300 is selected and included in the build output.
5. Panel firmware match: On the physical KP300, navigate to Control Panel → OP Properties → Version. The reported firmware must be V12.0.0.0 or higher. If the panel is still on V11 firmware, flash the V12 firmware using ProSave before downloading the new configuration; otherwise the panel will reject the V12-image configuration.

8. Downloading the Migrated Configuration to the KP300

1. Connect the engineering station to the KP300's PROFINET port directly (point-to-point) or via the project PROFINET network.
2. Assign the engineering station an IP address in the KP300's subnet (default panel IP: 192.168.0.1 / mask 255.255.255.0).
3. In TIA Portal V15.1, select the KP300 device and choose Online → Extended Download to Device.
4. Select the PG/PC interface type as PN/IE and the correct network adapter.
5. Confirm the connection dialog shows the KP300 with article number 6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0 and firmware V12.0.x or higher.
6. Tick Overwrite target system to force a full download (this wipes the V11 runtime and replaces it with V12).
7. Click Load. The transfer typically completes in 30 to 90 seconds for a KP300 mono configuration under 1 MB.
8. Restart the panel when prompted.

9. Troubleshooting Matrix

10. Why TIA V15 Removed Legacy HMI Device Images

Starting with TIA Portal V15, Siemens restructured the WinCC installation media to exclude HMI device images for panels that are no longer in active production. The reduction in install size is significant — the V15.1 media is approximately 12 GB smaller than V14 — but it means that any project targeting a 1st generation Basic Panel (including the KP300 mono PN) requires an explicit image install. The complete device image policy is documented in the Siemens TIA Portal Help under HMI device images V15 and higher. For V15.1 the relevant image package is the WinCC Basic V15.1 HMI device images add-on, available on the Siemens Industry Online Support portal under the entry ID family 109751706. Install the package, restart TIA Portal, and the legacy images appear in the Device Image Manager.

11. Field-Proven Sequence (Summary)

The complete, verified sequence for migrating a KP300 (6AV6 647-0AH11-3AX0) project from TIA V11 origin to TIA V15.1 runtime is:

1. V11 → V13 → V14 (or V13 SP2 U4 → V14 if a V14 station is available).
2. Open V14 project → select KP300 → Properties → change device version from 11.0.0.0 to 12.0.0.0 → save.
3. Install WinCC Basic V15.1 HMI device image add-on for the KP300.
4. Open the V14 project in V15.1, accept the conversion, save as *.ap15.1.
5. Recompile, run cross-reference audit.
6. Verify physical KP300 firmware is V12.0.0.0 or higher (flash with ProSave if not).
7. Download configuration with Overwrite target system enabled.
8. Restart panel, verify screen, test operator interaction.

FAQ