Resolving SICK microScan3 GSD Error 0x00010131 in STEP 7 V5.5

The SICK microScan3 PROFINET safety laser scanner ships with a GSDML (General Station Description Markup Language) file that, in its 2017 release GSDML-V2.31-SICK-microScan3-20170901.xml, violates a PROFIsafe GSDML schema rule. When that file is installed in SIMATIC STEP 7 V5.5 SP4 HF11 (and several adjacent hotfixes), the integrated GSD checker rejects the file with eight GSD_RT_Error messages of category TypeSpecific, check numbers 0x00010131_3 and 0x00010131_4. The device never appears in the PROFINET device catalog and downstream HW Config operations such as drag-and-drop into the PROFIsafe slot cannot proceed. This article explains the root cause at schema level, walks through the diagnostic steps, and provides verified resolution paths.

1. Problem Overview

An automation engineer is integrating a SICK microScan3 Core or Pro variant (firmware families PS2v61 and PS2v4) into a SIMATIC S7-300/S7-400 PROFINET network. The integration sequence is:

1. Download the GSD file from the SICK product portal.
2. Open SIMATIC Manager and choose Options > Install GSD File (in STEP 7 V5.5 HF11 the menu reads Options > Manage General Station Description Files (GSD)).
3. Browse to the unpacked GSDML-V2.31-SICK-microScan3-20170901.xml.
4. Trigger the import.
5. Observe an “Error while verifying GSD file” status and a logfile dump.

The catalog entry never registers. No microScan3 device tree is added under PROFINET IO > Additional Field Devices > Sensors > SICK AG > microScan3. The HW Config drag-and-drop is unavailable.

2. Symptoms and Error Log

The GSD checker writes a structured report. For the affected 2017 GSDML the relevant excerpt is:

Check of GSD 'E:\GSDMLFile_...\GSDML-V2.31-SICK-microScan3-20170901.xml' fails:
errors (8), warnings (0), information items (0)
***** Report - GSD_RT_Error *****
Category_001: 'TypeSpecific' CheckNumber: '0x00010131_3'
Message: 'A maximum size of 64 booleans for input data must not be passed,
         if the attribute 'PROFIsafeSupported' of the '(Virtual)SubmoduleItem'
         element is set to 'true'.'
SourceXPath: '//ModuleItem[@ID='IDM_MS3PN_12_PS2v61']/
              VirtualSubmoduleList/VirtualSubmoduleItem[@ID='IDS_MS3PN_12_PS2v61']'
***** Report - GSD_RT_Error *****
Category_001: 'TypeSpecific' CheckNumber: '0x00010131_4'
Message: 'A maximum size of 64 booleans for output data must not be passed,
         if the attribute 'PROFIsafeSupported' of the '(Virtual)SubmoduleItem'
         element is set to 'true'.'

Three properties are notable in the log:

• CheckNumber family. Both errors share the family 0x00010131. The trailing _3 and _4 differentiate input vs. output direction. The base check 0x00010131 is the PROFIsafe GSDML schema rule “boolean length must not exceed 64 if PROFIsafe is supported”.
• Category. TypeSpecific rules belong to the profile-specific PROFIsafe checks that supplement the generic GSDML-V2.31 schema.
• SourceXPath. Eight distinct paths are listed, all located inside ModuleItem/VirtualSubmoduleList/VirtualSubmoduleItem. These identify the four offending module/variant combinations and their iPar server counterparts.

3. Affected Module and Submodule Identifiers

The 2017 GSDML file declares four logical modules, each split into a process-data virtual submodule and an iPar server virtual submodule. All eight combinations fail.

Each of the four process-data virtual submodules declares PROFIsafeSupported="true" while the consolidated bit-area exceeds 64 booleans. The two _iPar rows carry the same declaration on the parameter-server channel, so they fail identically even though they have no IO data of their own.

4. Root Cause – The PROFIsafe 64-Boolean Rule

The GSDML-V2.31 schema, ratified by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), introduces a profile-specific constraint under the PROFIsafe profile (order number 3.192). The rule states:

If a (Virtual)SubmoduleItem has the attribute PROFIsafeSupported="true", the sum of all input bit-lengths in the contained IO descriptor must be ≤ 64 booleans; the same constraint applies to the output side.

The reasoning is architectural. PROFIsafe telegrams wrap the safe payload in a PROFIsafe container that uses a 6-byte (48-bit) safety payload field in profile V2.4/V2.6, plus a CRC. Larger payloads require the multi-message extension PROFIsafe over PROFINet with >12 byte payload, which is only permissible for non-virtual submodules and was not standardized in 2017. The microScan3 2017 GSDML places the entire safe status word, warning field, contamination vector, and the legacy 2-byte process image into a single virtual submodule, producing roughly 96 booleans on the input side and 80 on the output side.

STEP 7 V5.5 SP4 HF11 ships the GSD checker for GSDML-V2.3x from the relevant Siemens HSP. The checker performs the 0x00010131 validation against the profile ruleset and rejects the file. The failure is therefore not a STEP 7 bug but a correct enforcement of the PROFIsafe profile constraint.

5. Affected STEP 7 Versions and Validation Behavior

The HF11 threshold is the inflection point. Engineers who have updated STEP 7 through Windows Update or via the Siemens Automation License Manager between mid-2023 and early-2024 commonly cross this threshold without realizing it, which is why the error appears “suddenly” on a previously working configuration.

6. Resolution Path Selection

There are three viable paths. The right choice depends on the project constraints (regulatory, hardware, customer standards).

1. Apply the corrected SICK GSDML (recommended). SICK republished the GSD with split virtual submodules: a small PROFIsafe sub-module (40 booleans in / 32 booleans out) plus a separate non-PROFIsafe sub-module carrying the legacy status bits. The corrected file is GSDML-V2.32 (released 2018) and subsequent updates.
2. Use a GSDML checker version that does not enforce 0x00010131 on virtual submodules. This is a downgrade path; not acceptable for new safety projects.
3. Migrate the engineering to TIA Portal V17 or later. TIA Portal's checker accepts the legacy 2017 GSDML with a yellow warning (not a red error) because the profile rule is enforced as a profile warning, not a fatal violation. For new builds this is the strategic path.

7. Recommended Solution — Apply the Corrected SICK GSDML

7.1 Obtain the corrected GSD

Fetch the latest SICK microScan3 PROFINET GSDML bundle from the SICK product support portal. The package contains:

• GSDML-V2.32-SICK-microScan3-<release>.xml (corrected for PROFIsafe profile rules)
• Bitmap folder with revised DAP icons
• Module reference microscan3_pnio_step7_readme.txt
• technical_information_microscan3_profinet_simatic_step7.pdf (SICK operating instructions IM0097036)

Verify the SHA-256 of the download against the value published on the SICK support page before deploying. SICK signs their GSD packages and the hash is the integrity root.

7.2 Remove the old GSD first

STEP 7 V5.5 keeps the bad XML in the catalog cache even after a failed import. Before installing the corrected file:

1. Close SIMATIC Manager.
2. Open Options > Manage General Station Description Files (GSD).
3. Switch to the Installed GSDs tab.
4. Filter by source path SICK and select every GSDML-V2.31-SICK-microScan3-… entry.
5. Click Remove.
6. Confirm the dialog. The list must be empty.
7. Close the GSD manager.

7.3 Install the corrected GSD

Reopen the GSD manager, switch to the Path of the GSD files tab, and browse to the directory holding the corrected XML. Highlight the file and click Install. The status line should now report Installed successfully with zero errors and zero warnings.

Repeat the read-write cycle if multiple STEP 7 instances share an installation. Siemens caches GSDs at %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\SIMATIC Manager\S7DATA\GSD on the local drive and does not synchronize between stations.

7.4 Validate the corrected GSD

Open a test STEP 7 project, drag the new microScan3 device into HW Config and confirm:

• The PROFINET interface slot shows 100 Mbit / full-duplex.
• Slot 1 carries the PS2 v6.1 sub-module family with the green PROFIsafe flag in the slot dialog.
• Slot 2 carries the iPar server sub-module.
• The device name microScan3-xxxxxxxx can be assigned via the topology editor or via Assign PROFINET device name.

8. Solution Path — Migrate to TIA Portal

If the project life-cycle allows, migrating to TIA Portal V17+ resolves the issue because the TIA GSD checker downgrades the 0x00010131 failure to a warning when the offending module is a virtual submodule. TIA Portal will accept the legacy 2017 file, but the engineering team should still plan to migrate to the corrected GSDML during the next maintenance window.

The TIA Portal GSD installation procedure is documented in the Siemens online help:

1. Open the TIA Portal project view.
2. Choose Options > Manage general station description files (GSD).
3. In the Installed GSDs tab, select the source directory.
4. Highlight the GSD and click Install.
5. Confirm the status line.

Reference: Installing the GSD file — TIA Portal V20 documentation.

9. Diagnostic Flow (Decision Tree)

Use the following flow to triage similar GSD import failures quickly:

[GSD import fails]
   |
   +-- Does the log contain 'GSD_RT_Error'?
   |       No  -> Check file integrity, re-download, verify XML well-formedness.
   |       Yes -> Continue.
   |
   +-- Are CheckNumbers in the 0x0001013x family?
   |       No  -> Generic schema violation; consult GSDML-V2.x spec.
   |       Yes -> PROFIsafe profile rule violated. Continue.
   |
   +-- Is the source XPath under VirtualSubmoduleList?
   |       No  -> Re-check DAP; PROFIsafe on physical sub-modules allowed up to 12 byte payload.
   |       Yes -> microScan3-style violation; replace GSD with corrected V2.32+.
   |
   +-- STEP 7 V5.5 SP4 HF11 or newer?
   |       No  -> Down-level checker; either accept silent import (legacy) or upgrade.
   |       Yes -> Apply the corrected GSD.

10. Verification Checklist

After applying the corrected GSD, complete the following verification before commissioning:

1. GSD status. GSD manager shows Installed successfully, errors: 0, warnings: 0.
2. Catalog presence. Device appears under PROFINET IO > Additional Field Devices > Sensors > SICK AG > microScan3.
3. HW Config drag-and-drop. Device drops into the PROFINET IO system without prompting.
4. Slot 0 (DAP). Identical revision as the device mainboard (visible in Safety Designer / SOPAS).
5. Slot 1. PS2 v6.1 sub-module is selected and shows the green PROFIsafe flag.
6. Slot 2. iPar server sub-module is selected.
7. F-CPU connection. PROFIsafe address 1..65535 is configured and matches the value stored in Safety Designer.
8. PROFINET device name. Assigned and matches the NameOfStation written into the scanner via the SICK CDS (Configuration & Diagnostic Software) or via TIA Assign PROFINET device name.
9. Online diagnostics. PROFINET IO > Online > Diagnostics shows module status OK, no diagnostic alarms pending.
10. Safe validation. Safety acceptance test per VDI/VDE 6190 or IEC 61508 SIL2 / PL d verification, depending on application class.

11. Common Pitfalls

Even after the GSD is corrected, several issues recur in field deployments:

12. Prevention and Best Practices

• Pin GSD versions in version control. Treat the GSD as a binary artifact; do not let Windows Update silently update STEP 7 HSPs on engineering workstations.
• Test GSDs in a sandbox project. Run the import against a throw-away STEP 7 project with the same HF level as production before rolling out.
• Subscribe to SICK product notifications. SICK publishes GSD revision notes on the product support portal; subscribe to the RSS feed for the microScan3 family.
• Document the catalog baseline. Record file name ↔ SHA-256 ↔ STEP 7 build in the project quality file so future audits can re-prove the configuration.
• Plan a TIA Portal migration. STEP 7 V5.5 mainstream support ends in line with Siemens' standard lifecycle. New safety projects should default to TIA Portal to avoid future GSD/STEP 7 mismatches.

13. Standards Reference

The validation rule is defined in the PROFIsafe profile specification published by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI). The rule also maps to:

• IEC 61784-3 (Industrial communication networks — Profiles — Part 3: Functional safety fieldbuses)
• IEC 61508 (Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems)
• ISO 13849-1 (Safety of machinery — Safety-related parts of control systems)

These documents are the authoritative reference; confirm the latest revision on the IEC and PI websites before any safety acceptance.