Siemens TP177A ProSave V13 Backup: Cable & Connection Guide

Overview

Backing up and restoring a Siemens TP177A HMI panel (order number 6AV6642-0AA11-0AX1) using ProSave V13 is a routine service task, but selecting the correct PC-to-panel cable is the make-or-break step. Several cable types will physically fit the IF1B RS485 port on the TP177A, yet only a subset will establish a working connection with ProSave V13 for image transfer. This reference consolidates the working cable option, the alternate right-angle adapter approach, the IF1B pinout, and a complete backup and restore procedure that engineers can execute in the field.

Use this article if you are trying to:

• Read a backup image from a TP177A that may or may not be in a fault state.
• Push a recovery image to a TP177A that has lost its project.
• Verify the correct cable before opening a panel in a clean environment.
• Diagnose a "no connection established" error in ProSave V13.
• Document the standard transfer workflow for a TP177A service kit.

TP177A Hardware Identification

Before selecting a cable or starting ProSave, confirm the exact panel variant. The TP177A family includes both 6" monochrome and 6" color variants, and the interface configuration differs between order numbers. The 6AV6642-0AA11-0AX1 specifically is a 6" color panel, 320x240 pixels, 256 colors, with a single IF1B RS485 port that supports PPI and MPI protocols.

ProSave V13 Compatibility and Installation

ProSave is a standalone utility that ships with the WinCC flexible installation or with TIA Portal. Version 13 corresponds to the TIA Portal V13 release line. The TP177A is not a native TIA Portal target - it is reached only through an installed Hardware Support Package (HSP) for legacy panels. Engineers with a copy of WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 (the last classic release that natively supports the TP177A) can use the bundled ProSave 2008 SP3 instead.

If you are not sure which ProSave is installed, look in the Windows Programs and Features list. The entry will show either "ProSave 2008 SP3" or "ProSave V13". The cable selection logic described in this article is identical between the two, because both rely on the same Windows-side COM/USB drivers and the same IF1B protocol on the panel.

Cable Selection Matrix

TP177A panel communication is implemented through the IF1B port (Sub-D 9-pin male on the panel, PPI/MPI protocol over RS485). The PC side can be either legacy serial (COM port) or modern USB, but the conversion must use a Siemens-approved or Siemens-validated adapter. Third-party RS485-to-USB converters will not work because the panel uses the proprietary Siemens S7 bootstrap handshake when ProSave is in image-transfer mode, and the RS485 driver chip in the panel is not tolerant of non-standard line biasing.

Tested Working Configuration: USB/PPI Multi-Master Cable

Across multiple service cases on the TP177A 6AV6642-0AA11-0AX1, the USB/PPI Multi-Master Cable (6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0) is the only cable that consistently establishes a ProSave V13 connection on Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11 with the native Siemens USB driver. The 6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0 is a USB-A to RS485 adapter with integrated PPI protocol logic and bus termination. Setup steps:

1. Plug the USB/PPI cable into a USB-A port on the PC. Do not connect it to the panel yet.
2. Allow Windows to detect the new USB device. The driver is provided by ProSave (or WinCC flexible 2008 SP3). On first plug, point the driver wizard to C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\SIMATIC ProSave\Driver or the equivalent SIMATIC_NET location of your installation.
3. Confirm the virtual COM port: open Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT) and look for "USB Serial Port (COMx)" with the Siemens VID/PID. The x is the COM number ProSave V13 will use.
4. Power the TP177A panel. Plug the Sub-D 9 end of the USB/PPI cable into the panel's IF1B port. Torque the two screws to lock the connector.
5. On the panel, do not enter Transfer mode manually. ProSave V13 will trigger the transfer prompt on the panel automatically once the handshake completes.

Step-by-Step Backup (Read) Procedure

1. Install ProSave V13 (or use the version bundled with WinCC flexible 2008 SP3). Launch ProSave V13 from the Siemens Automation folder in the Start menu.
2. Set Device type to TP177A.
3. Set Connection to USB/PPI (or Serial, PPI if you are using a real COM port with the RS232/PPI Multi-Master Cable).
4. Set the COM port to match the one shown in Device Manager (for the USB/PPI cable, typically COM3, COM4, or higher).
5. Set Baud rate to 187.5 kbps (default for PPI multi-master). The TP177A IF1B in PPI mode uses 187.5 kbps unless the project overrides it. If the project set a custom baud, try 19.2, 93.75, 187.5, and 1.5 Mbps in that order.
6. Click Device > Select target > Read from device (Backup).
7. ProSave V13 will: open the COM port, send a PPI connection request to the panel, trigger the panel to display a "Transfer?" prompt if the panel's project has Transfer protection set (touch Yes on the panel screen), and begin streaming the image to the PC.
8. Specify a destination .pab file. A TP177A backup is typically 1-8 MB depending on project size.
9. Wait for the "Operation completed successfully" message. Do not unplug the cable until this dialog closes.

Step-by-Step Restore (Write) Procedure

1. In ProSave V13, set the same device type, connection, COM port, and baud rate as in the backup procedure.
2. Click Device > Restore > Transfer to device.
3. Browse to the source .pab backup file (or a compiled .img image built from WinCC flexible or TIA Portal V13).
4. ProSave will issue a "Transfer?" prompt on the panel. Touch Yes.
5. ProSave will display a progress bar. The TP177A flash programming takes 2-6 minutes for a full image.
6. When the panel reboots automatically, the new project is active. Verify the project name and version on the panel's Start Center or system info screen.

IF1B Pinout and Cable Assembly Reference

When building a custom or replacement cable, the TP177A IF1B (Sub-D 9 female on the panel, viewed from the panel side) follows the Siemens PPI/MPI pinout:

The USB/PPI Multi-Master Cable 6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0 wires pins 3, 4, 5, and 8 internally and supplies its own RS485 termination. Pin 6 is used by the cable to power the bus termination logic. Pins 2 and 7 are not used during a backup operation - they exist for interfacing to non-Siemens RS485 hardware such as S7-200/S7-300 PLCs at 24 V.

Right-Angle Adapter and RS232 Converter Approach

The Siemens 6AV6 671-8XA00-0AX0 is a 90 degree angle adapter that plugs into the panel's IF1B port and provides a 9-pin female connector at a right angle. The adapter includes an integrated RS422 to RS232 converter, which lets you connect a standard serial extension (DB9) from a PC COM port. This is useful in the following cases:

• The PC has a real COM port and you want a more rugged cable than the USB/PPI version.
• The panel is mounted in a tight enclosure where the cable would otherwise need a sharp bend.
• You want to extend the PC end of an existing RS232/PPI Multi-Master cable (6ES7 901-3DB30-0XA0).

Configuration in ProSave V13 with the right-angle adapter:

1. Select Connection = Serial, PPI.
2. Select the actual COM port number (e.g., COM1).
3. Set baud rate to 19.2 kbps for the RS232/PPI cable. The RS232/PPI Multi-Master cable is switchable between 9.6 and 19.2 kbps.
4. Proceed with the same backup or restore steps as described above.

Transfer Mode and Boot Menu Behavior

The TP177A supports two transfer entry paths. The first is Automatic Transfer, in which the panel polls the IF1B port for a ProSave connection and prompts the user to accept the transfer. The second is Manual Transfer, initiated from the panel's Start Center > Transfer menu, which forces the panel into slave mode on the IF1B port.

If the panel's project has Disable Transfer enabled, ProSave V13 will still be able to read from the panel but cannot write to it without a project-side override. To clear a stuck Disable Transfer state, enter the panel's service menu (hold the lower-right of the screen during power-up), select Transfer, then re-enable the IF1B.

If the panel firmware itself is corrupt (not just the project image), the boot loader will still respond on IF1B for ProSave V13 to push a fresh image, but at 19.2 kbps only. Set the baud to 19.2 kbps as the first attempt for any panel that will not respond at 187.5 kbps.

Verification After Backup or Restore

After a successful ProSave V13 operation, perform the following checks before returning the panel to service:

1. Reboot the TP177A from the panel's system menu. Verify the panel comes up into the configured start screen and not into the transfer prompt.
2. Open the panel's Start Center > Settings > Transfer / Device menu. Confirm the IF1B baud rate matches the project's expectation.
3. Touch a known live tag on the screen. If a connected PLC is talking to the panel, verify the value updates. This confirms the project is functional, not just that the image was written.
4. Compare the project version displayed on the panel (Start Center > System) against the version of the .pab file you stored.
5. Store the .pab file in a versioned folder with the project name, panel MLFB, firmware version, and date. This makes future restore operations unambiguous.

Troubleshooting Matrix

WinCC flexible and TIA Portal Integration

The TP177A can be programmed from either WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 or TIA Portal V13 (with the legacy HMI HSP). When you build a project in either environment, the same compiled output is what ProSave V13 sends to the panel. To generate a file ProSave can use from TIA Portal V13:

1. Open the TP177A project in TIA Portal V13.
2. Select the TP177A device in the project tree.
3. Right-click and choose Compile > Software (rebuild all).
4. From the panel folder, locate the *.img file generated for the TP177A.
5. Open ProSave V13 and use that .img as the source for a restore.

If you are working in WinCC flexible 2008 SP3, use Project > Compiler > Generate (Transfer to target device) to produce the file ProSave consumes. WinCC flexible also has a built-in Backup/Restore menu that calls ProSave directly - in that case, the ProSave UI never opens; the configuration is taken from the WinCC flexible project.

Safety and Power Notes

The TP177A runs on 24 V DC and draws approximately 0.5-0.8 A depending on the backlight level. Always de-energize the panel before plugging or unplugging the IF1B connector on units that use the same Sub-D port for an external PLC MPI link that supplies 24 V on pin 7. Hot-swapping under PLC backplane power can damage the panel's RS485 transceiver.

When performing a backup of a panel that is in active control of a machine, ensure the machine is in a safe state (drives off, gates closed, estops engaged). Pulling the IF1B cable from a panel that is the only HMI for a running machine will not stop the machine, but it will trigger a communication fault on the connected PLC, which may cause a stop reaction on safety-class systems.

Field-Ready Cable Kit Checklist

For engineers who keep a service kit ready for TP177A calls, the minimum kit should include:

• One USB/PPI Multi-Master Cable (6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0) - the verified working path.
• One RS232/PPI Multi-Master Cable (6ES7 901-3DB30-0XA0) as a backup for legacy COM-port laptops.
• One 90 Degree Right-Angle Adapter (6AV6 671-8XA00-0AX0) for tight enclosures.
• A USB 2.0 hub, to work around driver-loading issues on Windows 10/11 USB 3.0 ports.
• ProSave V13 installer (from the TIA Portal V13 media or downloaded from Siemens Industry Online Support).
• WinCC flexible 2008 SP3 installer, in case the legacy HMI HSP for TIA Portal V13 is not available on the service laptop.

Label the cables clearly. A USB/PPI cable that has been swapped with a USB/PROFIBUS PC Adapter by a previous technician is a common root cause of "no connection established" errors in ProSave V13.

FAQ