Simadyn D Struc v4.2.4 Memory Backup: Resolving v4.2.7 Mismatch

Problem Context: Simadyn D Struc Tool Version Mismatch

Simadyn D is the Siemens multiprocessor control system used to implement high-dynamic performance technological and closed-loop drive controls, documented in the Outline of the SIMADYN D components manual (Siemens Support ID 8765106). The configuration tool for this platform is Struc (also referenced as STRUC), a CFC-style function-block editor that compiles the project into loadable memory images for the Simadyn D processor modules (PM5, PM6, ES907).

The field symptom this article addresses is a recurring condition in plants that still operate Simadyn D controls:

• The system was originally programmed with Struc v4.2.4.
• Only Struc v4.2.7 is currently available on the maintenance workstation.
• When the engineer attempts to open the archived project and re-compile, the tool reports "Some blocks not available in Struc v4.2.7" and the build aborts before a memory image is produced.
• Compiled binary *.mem, *.bin, or flash image files are present in the archive, but no working tool version exists to regenerate them after a CPU or MM4 memory-card failure.

This is a real risk: a single MM4 (Multi-Memory Module) failure on an active Simadyn D rack can disable a paper machine, winder, rolling mill, or turbine governor if the compiled backup images cannot be regenerated.

Why the Mismatch Produces "Block Not Available" Errors

Struc maintains a project tree of function blocks (FB), connector blocks (CB), and technology blocks (TB). Between minor revisions, Siemens routinely re-issues the standard block library. The revision number embedded in the block header (e.g. @V4.2.4) is checked by the newer compiler. A block created in v4.2.4 may have been:

1. Renamed (older PI regulators reissued as PIR, CON as COC in later releases).
2. Removed from the standard library and replaced by a successor block with different connector pinouts.
3. Signature-changed in a way that v4.2.7 refuses to load because its code-generation tables do not match.

The v4.2.4 system files were distributed as a self-extracting install that included the matching standard library (stdlib42.4), the connector database (con_db42.4), and the post-processor for the target PMx. Re-installing the tool without these is why the upgraded workstation fails to find the original blocks.

Root Cause Classification

Solution Path A — Recover the Original v4.2.4 Tool Environment

The safest, most direct path is to rebuild a working Struc v4.2.4 workstation so the archived project can be re-compiled into memory images using the exact tool revision that produced them.

1. Locate the install media. Search the plant's engineering archive for the original CD or ZIP that contains setup.exe for Struc 4.2.4. The Siemens order number for the v4.2.x toolset is typically in the 6DD1 series; the v4.2.4 deliverable was 6DD1 805-0AE0 in many plants. Verify against the original delivery note.
2. Provision a compatible host. Use a Windows XP SP3 or Windows 2000 SP4 machine, or a Windows 7 32-bit virtual machine under VirtualBox/VMware. Allocate a parallel port or PCMCIA bridge for the SS52 download cable.
3. Install the full library set. Run the install and confirm that STRUC\LIB\STDLIB42.4, STRUC\LIB\CON_DB42.4, and the post-processor directory are populated. A partial install is the most common cause of the "block not available" symptom when the tool is later upgraded.
4. Apply the v4.2.4 service pack or hotfix that matches the plant's project. Even within v4.2.4, Siemens issued patch levels (e.g. v4.2.4.3) that altered the standard library; installing the wrong patch will reproduce the same mismatch symptom.
5. Open the project, compile, and generate. With the matching tool, Project > Open, then Project > Compile, then Project > Generate Memory Image. The output files (*.hex for PM5/PM6, or *.bin for the SS52 loader) are the actual backup.
6. Archive the output to at least two independent media: an MM4 card image and a file-system copy on a network share with a documented SHA-256 hash.

Solution Path B — Re-Compile the Project Under v4.2.7

If recovering v4.2.4 is not viable, the project must be migrated to v4.2.7. This is more involved and must be treated as a controlled engineering change, not a routine backup.

1. Obtain the v4.2.4-format standard library and the user's project-specific user library. The user library contains the customer blocks that v4.2.4 references but the v4.2.7 standard library does not know. Without the source of these blocks, migration cannot proceed.
2. Request a v4.2.7-compiled version of the user library from the original vendor or from the in-house engineer who wrote the blocks. Each block in the user library must be re-compiled against the v4.2.7 con_db so that the connector signatures match.
3. Install the re-compiled user library into the v4.2.7 tool's LIB\USER directory and re-register it via Options > Libraries.
4. Open the v4.2.4 project in v4.2.7 and use Project > Match Version (sometimes Tools > Migrate depending on the localization). This walks the engineer through each block that needs manual remapping to its v4.2.7 successor.
5. Resolve every entry in the migration log. A typical cross-section:

6. Compile, generate, and download to a non-production rack for verification. Simadyn D loads are bit-exact; if the project compiled cleanly under v4.2.4, the v4.2.7 output should be functionally equivalent, but minor timing differences in the post-processor have been observed and must be checked by a controlled ramp test on the live process.

Solution Path C — Direct Memory-Image Backup (Bypass the Tool)

If neither v4.2.4 nor a full v4.2.7 migration is feasible, the last-resort option is to extract the binary memory image directly from the running Simadyn D hardware and store it as the backup. This does not require opening the project in Struc at all.

1. Use the SS52 service interface (or the more modern Ethernet-based TIA-Ethernet loader for Simadyn D) to Read Memory from each PM5/PM6 module. The tool will dump the contents of FLASH and, depending on configuration, the RAM-resident portions.
2. Use the STEP 7 add-on for Simadyn D (as described in the SIMADYN D system manual (PDF, 8776459)) to export the project tree, but note that this requires the tool to be installed; the memory image can be saved without it.
3. Store the dump files in pairs: one copy on the same MM4 form-factor (pre-loaded and verified), one copy on a managed network share. Verify each dump with a CRC-32 or SHA-256 sum logged in the plant's CMMS.

Solution Path D — Vendor / Service-Provider Route

For plants without internal Simadyn D expertise, several third-party service organizations still maintain legacy v4.2.x workstations. When engaging them:

• Provide the complete project archive (the *.sdf file, all user libraries, all referenced standard library versions, and the original *.mem/*.bin outputs).
• Specify the target PM5/PM6/ES907 hardware revision; post-processor output is hardware-specific.
• Require a controlled return: the service provider should deliver both the regenerated memory image and a v4.2.4-readable project, so the plant can store a tool-consistent backup.

Verification Procedure

After any of the four paths above, verify the backup is functionally identical to the running system:

1. Load the backup into a test rack (a spare PM5/PM6 set is the standard approach). A "load backup" action is non-destructive; the original continues running until the engineer explicitly commits to a switchover.
2. Compare connector lists using Struc > Compare Project between the loaded backup and a live project export.
3. Run a controlled I/O check: drive the inputs from a calibrated source and confirm the outputs match the live system within 0.1 % on analog channels and bit-exact on digital channels.
4. Execute a 24-hour soak test on the test rack if the controlled process is safety-relevant. Simadyn D drive controllers have been observed to drift slightly when the post-processor revision changes.
5. Document the SHA-256 of the final memory image and file it with the plant's engineering change record.

Preventive Measures for Plants Still on Struc v4.2.x

• Maintain a "golden" tool workstation with the exact Struc revision (including patch level) used to commission each system. Mirror the disk image to a second machine so a single hardware failure does not destroy the only working tool revision.
• Store the install media in two physical locations and verify readability annually. CD-ROM degradation is a documented cause of "the disc won't read" emergencies in plants 20+ years into their Simadyn D lifecycle.
• Export the project to STEP 7 whenever a major revision change occurs, even if the live system is not migrated. STEP 7 can read the Simadyn D project tree, providing a secondary engineering record.
• Schedule a 5-year refresh of the tool environment and capture the new revision's library; this is the only way to break the hard dependency on a tool version that Siemens no longer distributes.
• Document the user library provenance: for every customer block, store the author, the source files, the compilation revision, and the parent project. The most common reason migration fails is that the user library's source was never archived.

Troubleshooting Matrix for Struc v4.2.4 / v4.2.7 Migration

Standards and Reference Documentation

For any Simadyn D backup or migration task, the authoritative references are:

• Outline of the SIMADYN D components — Siemens Support ID 8765106, the entry document for the SIMADYN D system family.
• SIMADYN D system manual (PDF) — Siemens Support attachment 8776459, covering STEP 7 integration with SIMADYN D.
• Siemens Industry Online Support — product portal — entry point for searching additional SIMADYN D manuals, firmware notes, and FAQs by order number.

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