Sinumerik 810D CCU: Reloading NC.arc and PLC.arc Files

Overview

The Sinumerik 810D is a compact CNC control that integrates an HMI panel (MMC/PCU), a numerical kernel (NC), and a SIMATIC S7-300 PLC inside a single CCU (Compact Control Unit) module. System backup, restoration, and cloning are handled through two proprietary archive files: NC.arc (NCK data, machine data, tool tables, compensation tables, R parameters, and compensation data blocks) and PLC.arc (the complete S7-300 PLC project archived from STEP 7). When a CCU is replaced, when the SRAM/Flash memory is corrupted, or when the machine builder is unavailable, the only way to bring the system back to life is to reload these two archive files from an external source.

This reference documents the three field-proven procedures for reloading NC.arc and PLC.arc on a CCU810D (MLFB 6FC5410-0AY01-0AA0, SW 7.4) where the HMI is not a stock Siemens panel. The procedures are valid for the entire 810D/840D CCU1/CCU2/CCU3 family running SINUMERIK Operate or HMI-Advanced on MMC100/MMC103/PCU20/PCU50.

System Architecture and Signal Flow

The CCU810D exposes three external communication channels that the field engineer must understand before any archive reload is attempted:

Critical architectural fact: the PLC program lives inside the CCU as an S7-300 CPU315-DP, not on the MMC/PCU hard disk. The PLC.arc file is therefore transferred to the CCU over MPI, while the NC.arc is pushed over RS232 from the HMI side (or written directly to the PCMCIA card and cold-booted).

Identifying the HMI Type and Backup Storage Location

Before choosing a transfer method, the engineer must determine which HMI is connected. The storage location of the backups differs by HMI class:

For MMC103 and PCU50, the operator can access the Service menu on the HMI using the password SUNRISE (case-insensitive, all caps), navigate to Services → Archive → Load Archive, and pull the archive from the local hard disk. This is the easiest path and requires no external PC. The password is the same for all SINUMERIK HMI-Advanced and SINUMERIK Operate versions through SW 4.x.

Prerequisites

1. Backup copies of NC.arc and PLC.arc on CD-ROM, USB stick, or laptop hard disk.
2. Original backup is a Siemens PG/PC or a service laptop with the appropriate Siemens hardware key (CP5512, CP5611, or PC Adapter USB-A2) if STEP 7 is used.
3. Siemens SIMATIC STEP 7 V5.4 or V5.5 (STEP 7 Professional / TIA Portal V13 or later is supported for S7-300 but not for NC.arc).
4. Siemens WinPCIN tool (free, ships with the SINUMERIK HMI toolbox) for serial archive transfer.
5. One 9-pin RS232 null-modem cable (2× female, pins 2-3 crossed, 4-5-6-20 straight, 7 bonded) for HMI ↔ PC serial transfer.
6. One MPI cable (6ES7901-0BF00-0AA0) or a SIMATIC PC Adapter USB (6GK1571-1AA00) for PLC programming.
7. For PCMCIA cold boot: one PCMCIA flash card ≤ 4 GB, formatted as FFS using SINUCOPY-FFS on a Windows XP/7 PC equipped with a PCMCIA Type II slot driver (CSM PCJB compatible).

Method 1 - Loading NC.arc and PLC.arc from the HMI Service Menu (Sunrise Password)

This is the fastest method and applies when the HMI is a genuine Siemens MMC103 or PCU50 with a working HDD.

1. Power on the cabinet. Wait until the SINUMERIK HMI-Advanced main menu appears.
2. Press the softkey Services (or Start-up → Password on older HMI-Advanced versions).
3. Enter password SUNRISE and confirm with OK.
4. Select Archive → Load Archive from the dropdown.
5. Navigate to the directory holding the backup (e.g., D:\dh\arc.dir or USB stick USB:\).
6. Select NC.arc first and press Load. Confirm the warning "NCK Reset" by pressing OK. The NC will perform a controlled restart.
7. When the NC comes back up, repeat steps 2-5 and load PLC.arc.
8. Confirm with OK on the "PLC Reset" dialog. The PLC performs an OB100 warm restart.
9. Cycle control power to verify both archives loaded without follow-up errors.

Method 2 - Loading NC.arc via RS232 and WinPCIN (MMC100 / PCU20 / third-party HMI)

Use this method when the HMI has no HDD (MMC100.2, PCU20) or is a non-Siemens panel that exposes only RS232 to the CCU.

1. Wire a null-modem RS232 cable between the PC COM port and the CCU X2 (COM1) or the HMI COM1 - whichever port is wired to the CCU bus. On MMC100/PCU20 the cable plugs into the operator panel X6 connector, not the CCU directly.
2. Launch WinPCIN on the PC. Set COM port, 19200 8N1, no handshake, no protocol (binary mode).
3. On the HMI, navigate to Services → Archive → RS-232 → Receive. (If no HMI, the PLC inside the CCU can be triggered via STEP 7 to put the NC in Ready to Receive state by setting MD 19200 = 0, then power cycling.)
4. In WinPCIN, select Send File and choose NC.arc. Transmission runs at ~2-4 KB/s and typically takes 5-25 minutes for a 4-12 MB archive.
5. On the HMI, confirm the CRC prompt. The NC will restart and apply the archive.
6. To load PLC.arc the same way, repeat the procedure selecting PLC archive on the HMI. Wait for the "PLC Reset" confirmation.

Method 3 - Loading PLC.arc / STEP 7 Project via MPI

Transferring the PLC program is independent of NC.arc and can be done without loading PLC.arc. STEP 7 connects to the integrated S7-300 CPU315-DP inside the CCU over MPI. This requires either a Siemens PG with built-in MPI or a normal PC with one of:

• CP5512 PCMCIA card (6GK1551-2AA00) - older laptops
• CP5611 PCI card (6GK1561-1AA01) - desktop PCs
• SIMATIC PC Adapter USB-A2 (6GK1571-1AA00) - modern laptops, recommended
• SIM2000 Ethernet/MPI gateway - shop-floor Ethernet integration

1. Set the MPI address of the CCU PLC. Default is 2, visible on the HMI under Diagnostics → Bus.
2. In SIMATIC Manager, open the project (or create a new offline project). Set PG/PC interface to PC Adapter (MPI) or CP5611 (MPI) depending on hardware.
3. From the menu, choose PLC → Download. STEP 7 will stop the CPU, clear it, and download the blocks.
4. After download, choose PLC → Cold Restart to clear all remanent data, or Warm Restart to retain it.
5. Verify the project online with PLC → Monitor/Modify and confirm OB1, OB100, OB121, and FB/FC blocks match the machine builder documentation.

Method 4 - Cold-Booting NC.arc from a PCMCIA Card (SINUCOPY-FFS)

This is the only method that works when the system is completely dead: no HMI, no communication, blank screen, PLCSTOP, or CCU not booting. The archive is written directly to a PCMCIA flash card that the CCU reads at power-on.

1. Prepare a PC with Windows XP, Windows 7, or Windows NT 4.0. Install the PCMCIA Type II driver and the Siemens SINUCOPY-FFS tool.
2. Insert a flash card of capacity ≤ 4 GB into the PCMCIA slot.
3. Launch SINUCOPY-FFS. The tool mounts the FFS (Flash File System) partition of the card.
4. Copy the original NC.arc file and any supporting files (PLC.arc, *.ini, cycact.ini, language files) into the FFS partition. Do not delete any of the *.bin, *.exe, *.lib system files - these are the CCU boot image.
5. Unmount the card, eject, and insert it into the CCU front PCMCIA slot.
6. Set switch S3 = position 3 on the CCU (or the rotary switch on CCU2/CCU3 modules). This forces the CCU to boot from PCMCIA on the next power-on.
7. Power on the cabinet. The CCU will read the FFS image into DRAM, then load NC.arc automatically.
8. After the NC comes up, revert S3 to its normal position (typically 0 or 1) to prevent re-flashing on the next power cycle.

Switch S3 Configuration Reference

Verification Procedure

1. After any NC.arc load, navigate to Diagnostics → Service Display → Version. Verify NCK software version matches the backup.
2. Compare machine data MD 20150 [12] (G code defaults) and MD 20360 (tool offset block) against the machine builder's commissioning sheet.
3. Check Commissioning → Axis Data - all axes must show "Referenced" after a controlled homing run.
4. After PLC.arc load, in STEP 7 choose PLC → Module Information. Verify CPU firmware, serial number, and diagnostic buffer are clean (no SF / BF errors).
5. Run a safe test program: a dry-run G0 traverse of all axes with feed override at 0%, confirm no axis or drive faults.
6. Toggle every safety-relevant digital input (E-Stop, light curtain, doors) and confirm the PLC safety FB reacts correctly.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Key MLFB and Cable Reference

Field-Proven Notes and Safety Caveats

• Never use a generic Windows 7 PCMCIA driver with SINUCOPY-FFS. The Siemens PG driver is required for FFS access.
• SINUCOPY-FFS is not a public retail product. It is sold only through Siemens service or machine builder channels. Field engineers without access must rely on Method 1, 2, or 3.
• The HMI service password SUNRISE is shared industry-wide and has not changed since the 840D SW 1.x era. It is considered standard commissioning knowledge.
• When the HMI is a third-party OEM panel, contact the original machine builder. The cabinet builder often has the matching NC.arc/PLC.arc in their archive.
• Always keep two backups: one on the HMI HDD and one on a USB stick or CD-R. Field engineers have been stranded by both .arc files vanishing from a corrupted HDD.
• The 810D with SW 7.4 is a CCU1 generation. CCU2 (SW 2.6) and CCU3 (SW 4.4+) are not interchangeable; NC.arc cannot be migrated across generations without a STEP 7-style upgrade procedure.
• After every NC.arc or PLC.arc load, cycle control power and confirm a clean PLC OB100 execution. A dirty OB100 often indicates the archive is missing a mandatory block.

FAQ