SIMATIC IPC577C Backup, Restore, and Project Download Field Guide

The SIMATIC IPC577C is a panel PC in the SIMATIC HMI IPC family. It is fundamentally different from a SIMATIC Comfort or Basic Panel: it is a Windows-based industrial computer, not a dedicated HMI device with built-in runtime. Every operation that is standard on a Comfort Panel (project download via ProSave, automatic backup, transfer over MPI/PROFIBUS) must be re-evaluated against the Windows environment of the IPC. This guide consolidates the supported procedures for project transfer, system backup, image creation, PROFIBUS connectivity, and network troubleshooting on an IPC577C (order number 6AV7885-0AK10-0AA1) running WinCC flexible or WinCC in the TIA Portal.

1. Product Identification and Hardware Variants

The order number 6AV7885-0AK10-0AA1 identifies a SIMATIC IPC577C in the 15-inch touch variant. The full MLFB structure is:

Check the device label and the delivery documents. The 6th and 7th position (operating system) and the 8th position (software bundle) determine whether a runtime is present. If the IPC is delivered without software, the user must install WinCC flexible 2008 SP5 (or later), WinCC Comfort/Advanced/Professional in the TIA Portal, or a third-party SCADA package before a project can be downloaded.

2. Architectural Difference: IPC vs. SIMATIC HMI Panel

A Comfort Panel such as the TP700 contains a Siemens runtime that boots directly into the HMI process. The HMI image is the entire firmware; it is loaded with ProSave over MPI/PROFIBUS/USB/Ethernet. The IPC577C contains a full x86 PC with a Windows operating system, device drivers, optional HMI runtime, and customer applications. The operating system, runtime, and project are three independent layers.

Consequence: ProSave cannot be used to download a project to the IPC577C, because ProSave transfers data to a Siemens HMI runtime that is not present in a bare PC. ProSave also cannot back up or restore a Windows system image. This is the single most common point of confusion when commissioning a used or legacy IPC577C.

3. Identify the Installed Software Stack

Before any download or backup step, determine what is installed.

1. Log in to the IPC577C with administrator credentials.
2. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features (or Settings → Apps on Windows 10 IoT).
3. Search the list for the following strings:
   • SIMATIC WinCC flexible – indicates WinCC flexible 2004/2005/2007/2008 with HMI runtime.
   • WinCC Runtime Advanced or WinCC Runtime Professional – indicates TIA Portal runtime.
   • SIMATIC HMI IPC – indicates the SIMATIC IPC helper suite (KeyTools, IPC Diagnostics, etc.).
   • SIMATIC IPC Image & Partition Creator – the backup tool.
4. Note the build and service pack (e.g. WinCC flexible 2008 SP5).
5. Open services.msc and check whether CCAgent (WinCC flexible) or SIMATIC HMI services are present and started.

Record this information in a commissioning log. The project transfer mode (point-to-point transfer in WinCC flexible, integrated download in TIA Portal) is selected on the engineering station and must match the runtime installed on the IPC.

4. Project Download from TIA Portal to the IPC577C

If the IPC hosts a TIA Portal runtime (WinCC Runtime Advanced or Professional), the project is compiled and downloaded like for any other PC runtime.

4.1 Prerequisites

• TIA Portal V15.1 or later on the engineering station (the version on the engineering PC must be ≥ the version of the runtime installed on the IPC).
• WinCC Runtime Advanced or Professional installed and licensed on the IPC577C.
• Ethernet network between the engineering PC and the IPC, both on the same subnet.
• Windows firewall on the IPC: allow SuWINCCBExecRT.exe (Runtime Advanced) or the WinCC Professional services.

4.2 Procedure

1. Open the project in TIA Portal and select the HMI device whose target is the IPC.
2. Open Device Properties → Online & Diagnostics and confirm the configured IP address. If the IP is unknown, click Online → Accessible Nodes in the project tree to browse the subnet.
3. Right-click the HMI device → Download to Device (or Download in older TIA versions).
4. In the download dialog, select the PG/PC interface = Intel(R) Ethernet Connection ... TCP/IP and the target IP address.
5. Click Search. The IPC should appear if WinCC Runtime is started and the firewall rules are correct.
6. Select the target and confirm. The transfer uses TIA proprietary protocol over TCP port 1037 (RT Advanced) or 5001 / dynamic (RT Professional) – verify the firewall.
7. After the transfer, the runtime restarts automatically. Watch the IPC screen: it should transition to the configured start screen.

4.3 Verification

• On the IPC, open Start → Programs → Siemens Automation → Runtime → Start Runtime manually to confirm the project loads.
• Inspect the runtime log: C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles.
• Check the Windows event log under Applications and Services Logs → Siemens Automation for download confirmation.

5. Project Transfer with WinCC flexible

If the IPC577C hosts WinCC flexible 2008 SP5 (the last release for SIMATIC IPC), use the WinCC flexible Explorer or the integrated transfer on the engineering station.

5.1 Configure the PG/PC Interface

1. Open Control Panel → Set PG/PC Interface on the engineering PC.
2. Select S7ONLINE (STEP 7) → TCP/IP → <your NIC>.
3. Save and close.

5.2 Transfer Procedure

1. Open the WinCC flexible project.
2. Select Project → Transfer → Transfer Settings:
   • Mode: Ethernet (TCP/IP)
   • IP address: address of the IPC577C
   • Transfer mode: clear/overwrite or append
3. On the IPC, set the runtime to Transfer mode if it is running, or use the WinCC flexible runtime configuration to start in transfer mode automatically.
4. Click Transfer in the engineering station. The file *.fwx is uploaded through TCP port 1037 to the runtime.

5.3 WinCC flexible Explorer (point-to-point / file share)

When the IPC and engineering PC cannot establish a network (different subnets, firewall restrictions, no IP), use a removable storage medium:

1. Compile the project to a *.fwx file: Project → Compiler → Generate Runtime File.
2. Copy *.fwx to a USB stick.
3. Insert the USB stick into the IPC577C.
4. Open WinCC flexible Explorer on the IPC (Start → Programs → WinCC flexible → WinCC flexible Explorer).
5. Select File → Transfer and choose the *.fwx from the USB stick.

6. Backup and Restore with IPC Image & Partition Creator

ProSave does not back up the IPC577C because ProSave is designed for SIMATIC HMI panels only. The official tool for image-based backup and restore of SIMATIC IPCs is the SIMATIC IPC Image & Partition Creator. The tool documentation is published on Siemens Industry Online Support under entry ID 109587465 (see SIMATIC IPC Image & Partition Creator).

6.1 Functionality

• Creates a sector-by-sector image of the internal mass storage (HDD, SSD, or CompactFlash).
• Captures partition table, boot sector, OS image, and free space efficiently (used blocks only).
• Stores the image on an external USB drive or network share.
• Restores to identical or replacement storage of equal or larger capacity.
• Can shrink/expand partitions to fit smaller or larger target disks (limited by partition layout).

6.2 Supported Hardware

6.3 Creating an Image

1. Boot the IPC into the pre-installed IPC Image & Partition Creator environment (typically a hidden recovery partition or a USB boot stick created with the tool).
2. Select Image → Create Image.
3. Select the source disk (Disk 0) and the partitions to capture (typically System + Data).
4. Select the target medium:
   • External USB HDD/SSD: ideal for off-system storage.
   • Network share: \<server>ackup$\ipc577c\img01 – enter credentials.
5. Set compression (default: medium). Set encryption if required (AES-256, password-protected).
6. Start the process. A 64 GB CF card typically produces a 12–25 GB compressed image depending on used blocks.

6.4 Restoring an Image

1. Boot the IPC from the IPC Image & Partition Creator environment.
2. Select Image → Restore Image.
3. Choose the source image file (USB or share).
4. Select the target disk. If the target is larger, the tool can expand the last partition to fill the remaining space.
5. Confirm the warning that all data on the target disk will be overwritten.
6. Restore and reboot.

7. CompactFlash Imaging (CF-to-CF Cloning)

The IPC577C is available with a CompactFlash (CF) card as the boot medium. Cloning the CF card to a replacement or to multiple units is a common maintenance task.

7.1 Hardware-Based Cloning

1. Power down the IPC, open the service cover, and remove the CF card.
2. Use a USB CF card reader on a service PC.
3. Use a sector-clone tool such as dd (Linux), Win32DiskImager, or the IPC Image & Partition Creator in a Windows PE environment.

7.2 Linux dd Procedure

Restore with:

7.3 Windows Procedure with Win32DiskImager

1. Insert source CF card.
2. Open Win32DiskImager as administrator.
3. Select the device letter of the CF card.
4. Choose a destination .img file path.
5. Click Read. The tool creates a sector image.
6. Insert the target CF card (must be ≥ size of source).
7. Select the same .img file and click Write.

7.4 Verification After Cloning

• Insert the cloned CF card into the IPC and boot.
• Verify Windows boots to the same login screen as the original.
• Confirm the HMI runtime starts and the project loads.
• Check Computer Management → Disk Management for the partition layout. If the new CF is larger, use Extend Volume to grow the data partition.

8. CP5711 PROFIBUS Adapter

The CP5711 is a USB-to-PROFIBUS adapter. It is not a COM port device; it is a Siemens-specific PROFIBUS master/slave interface that requires a Siemens protocol stack. The CP5711 has no RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 pins. Common uses:

8.1 CP5711 Driver and Configuration

1. Install the Siemens PC Adapter driver (part of STEP 7 / TIA Portal setup or as a standalone package).
2. Plug the CP5711 into a USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 ports may cause issues on older CP5711 hardware revisions).
3. Open Set PG/PC Interface and select PC Adapter (CP5711) → PROFIBUS.
4. Set the PROFIBUS address and baud rate (default 1.5 Mbps).
5. Connect the CP5711 to the PROFIBUS segment with the 9-pin D-sub connector; ensure the bus termination is correct at the segment ends.

8.2 CP5711 LED Diagnostics

9. Network Configuration and IP Troubleshooting

The IPC577C has at least one Ethernet port (some variants have two). If a ping from the engineering PC to the IPC fails:

9.1 Check the IPC IP Configuration

1. On the IPC, open Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Ethernet → Properties → Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
2. Confirm a static IP in the same subnet as the engineering PC, for example:
   • Engineering PC: 192.168.0.10 / 255.255.255.0
   • IPC577C: 192.168.0.20 / 255.255.255.0
3. If the IP is obtained by DHCP, run ipconfig /all in a command prompt and read the assigned address.

9.2 Check the Firewall

Windows Firewall on Windows Embedded Standard 7 is configured to be very restrictive. The HMI runtime uses TCP port 1037 (WinCC flexible, WinCC Runtime Advanced). To unblock:

1. Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
2. Add an inbound rule for TCP port 1037 (and 5001, 5002 if WinCC Professional).
3. Scope the rule to the engineering PC subnet only.

9.3 Verify Link and Cable

• Confirm the link LED on the IPC NIC is on.
• Use a known-good Cat 5e / Cat 6 cable, ≤ 80 m.
• Avoid connecting both IPC Ethernet ports to the same switch without bonding – this creates a switching loop.

9.4 Ping Test Sequence

1. ping 127.0.0.1 on the IPC – loopback sanity check.
2. ping 192.168.0.20 on the engineering PC – reachability of the IPC.
3. tracert 192.168.0.20 – path inspection if a router is involved.

10. ProSave Limitations and What to Use Instead

ProSave is designed for SIMATIC Panel HMI devices (Basic Panels, Comfort Panels, Multi Panels, Mobile Panels). It performs three functions on those panels:

1. Operating system update (firmware).
2. Project download and upload.
3. Backup and restore of the panel's internal flash.

On the IPC577C none of these functions apply in the same way. The Windows operating system is updated through standard Windows mechanisms (WSUS, manual patches, or a full image restore). The HMI project is transferred through the engineering tool. The system image is captured with the IPC Image & Partition Creator. The official replacement flow is:

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

12. Spare-Part and Service Documentation

For the IPC577C, the operating instructions cover the key panel, hardware interfaces, and the IPC helper suite. Always keep the operating instructions accessible to maintenance staff. The official operating-instructions PDF is published on Siemens Industry Online Support (see SIMATIC HMI IPC577C Operating Instructions). For the backup/restore tool, the canonical Siemens support page is entry 109587465 (see SIMATIC IPC Image & Partition Creator). Other relevant Siemens support entries to consult when commissioning or restoring an IPC577C include the WinCC flexible documentation set, the TIA Portal help (integrated), and the Automation License Manager manual – all available under the main support portal at Siemens Industry Online Support.

13. Field-Proven Commissioning Checklist

1. Confirm the order number on the device label matches the project documentation.
2. Record the Windows product key, COA number, and any HMI runtime license keys.
3. Inventory the installed software stack and versions.
4. Configure a static IP on the IPC NIC.
5. Open TCP 1037 in Windows Firewall (and any other ports the runtime uses).
6. Transfer the project from TIA Portal or WinCC flexible.
7. Verify the runtime starts and connects to the PLC.
8. Run a smoke test of all HMI screens.
9. Create a full image with the IPC Image & Partition Creator and store it off-system.
10. Document the IP, hostname, license numbers, and image location in the maintenance binder.