SINUMERIK 840D sl Alarm 17224: Resolving Tool Type 200 Errors

Problem Overview

On SINUMERIK 840D sl turning machines, operators routinely encounter alarm 17224 when they attempt to create a new drilling tool with type 200 in the tool list:

17224 Block 2 Tool T/D=00001/01 - tool type 200 not permitted

The same class of alarm is raised for centering tools (type 220) when the control has not been licensed or configured to permit drilling/centering operations on a lathe. The root cause is rarely a corrupted tool entry — it is a missing combination of:

• A configured C axis on the main spindle
• An enabled live-tool turret (driven-tool attachment)
• The correct value in MD17540 $MN_TOOL_MANAGEMENT_MASK
• A tool list ($TC_TP*) whose magazine permits type 200/220

This article walks through the alarm in detail, explains the tool-type taxonomy for turning, and provides a verified procedure to bring drilling and centering tools online on a 840D sl lathe.

Alarm 17224 — Channel, Reactions, and Reset Behavior

Alarm 17224 is raised by the NCK when a tool with an unsupported tool type is loaded into the spindle or referenced by a tool-change call (T/D number pair). The standard attributes are:

The %4 placeholder is the tool type taken from the first tool-doubling word ($TC_DP1 of the magazine entry) of the offending D-offset. For drilling it is 200; for centering it is 220. The control rejects the type because at least one of the following checks fails:

1. The tool type requires a function (e.g., live tool, C axis, tap cycle) that is not enabled in the option set.
2. The current spindle mode (SP / SPOS / C axis) does not match the tool requirement.
3. The magazine definition or tool management mask excludes the type.

Tool-Type Taxonomy for Turning

Siemens distinguishes tool types by the geometry that the control expects when calculating length compensation, cutting-edge position, and approach motion. The relevant groups on a turning controller are listed below.

Root Cause Analysis for Alarm 17224 on a Lathe

For a standard 2-axis turning machine (X, Z) the NCK has no native support for drilling into a face or a cylindrical surface. Three prerequisites must be satisfied before the controller will accept type 200/220 tools:

1. Mechanical: the turret must carry a live-tool spindle (driven-tool attachment) OR the main spindle must be configured as a C axis so the workpiece can be indexed.
2. Commissioning: the spindle set-point chain must include the C axis branch and MD parameters must reflect this.
3. Tool data: the tool list and magazine allow-list must not block the type.

If any link in the chain is missing the controller suppresses the tool type at creation time, and the operator sees 17224 when the part program is started.

Machine Data Required for Drilling and Centering

Four families of machine data have to be examined. Each is available on the SINUMERIK Operate HMI under Setup → Machine data, or via the classic commissioning menu.

MD17540 $MN_TOOL_MANAGEMENT_MASK

This MD switches individual tool-management features on or off. Bit 11 controls whether the magazine allows drilling tools to be loaded:

If bit 11 = 0 the tool list editor rejects drilling/centering tools even if the magazine is otherwise valid.

MD20150 $MC_GCODE_DEFAULT_VALUES (channel-specific)

Drilling cycles (CYCLE81, CYCLE82, CYCLE83, CYCLE84 tapping) operate in the active plane. On a turning controller, the default plane at reset is G18 (X/Z). Drilling into a face therefore requires the part program to switch to G17 (X/Y) for the live-tool cycle, or the controller must be configured so that SETMS / plane-switch macros fire automatically.

MD20050 $MC_AXCONF_GEOAX_ASSIGN_TAB

This 3-element array assigns the channel geometry axes. The third entry is the polar axis. For drilling with a live tool, the polar axis must be the C axis. A typical turning-machine assignment is:

MD20050[0] = 1   ; Geo axis 1 = machine axis 1 (X)
MD20050[1] = 3   ; Geo axis 2 = machine axis 3 (Z)
MD20050[2] = 4   ; Geo axis 3 = machine axis 4 (C, live tool)

Confirm by screenshot of the HMI display page. A missing C axis in this array is the most common reason alarm 17224 appears immediately after creating tool T=1 D=1.

MD35040 $MA_SPIND_ASSIGN_TO_MACHAX

Assigns a logical spindle number to the machine axis used as the spindle/C axis. If this MD points to a different axis from the one in MD20050, the controller treats the spindle as SP-only and refuses type 200 tools.

Spindle Configuration: SP vs C Axis vs Live Tool

The order of priority is:

1. Spindle only (SP) — speed-controlled, no position control, no C axis. Drilling/centering rejected.
2. Spindle with C axis — position-controlled spindle can be indexed (SPOS). Used when the workpiece must be oriented for cross-drilling. Centering is possible only with a live tool OR with a stationary tool and a rotating/inching spindle.
3. Live tool (driven-tool attachment) — an additional motor in the turret disk. The tool rotates while the main spindle holds the workpiece. Required for productive drilling/tapping on a turning machine.

On machines with no live tool and no C axis, drilling and centering are mechanically possible only with a separate drill-press operation. The controller will continue to raise 17224 because the NCK cannot guarantee correct length compensation.

Tool Measurement Issues on Turning Machines

When the live tool and C axis are present, a second class of fault appears: the measured value lands in the wrong compensation memory. On a 2-axis lathe without a C axis, the operator is presented with length X and length Z; the drill has only one length, but the measuring cycle writes it to length Z because it cannot find an X reference face.

The drill length is stored as $TC_DP3 (length 1) for most turning tools and $TC_DP4 (length 2) for drilling tools oriented in the Y direction. Configure the tool entry as follows:

The measuring cycle used on SINUMERIK Operate for live tools is Measuring → Tool → Live tool → Length X / Length Z. If only the Z screen is offered, the control has not detected a C axis — return to the spindle-configuration section above.

Step-by-Step Resolution Procedure

1. Verify mechanical hardware: confirm the turret has a live-tool motor OR the main spindle has a C axis encoder.
2. Backup NC data: perform an NC card backup (Setup → Backup) before any MD change.
3. Set MD17540 bit 11: in Setup → Machine data → General MD, open MD17540 $MN_TOOL_MANAGEMENT_MASK and add bit 11 to the existing value. A typical setting for a lathe with live tool is 0x8000 + 0x0804 = 0x8804.
4. Configure geometry axes: set MD20050 so the C axis is the third geometry axis. NCK Reset.
5. Assign spindle: MD35040 $MA_SPIND_ASSIGN_TO_MACHAX must reference the C-axis machine axis.
6. Create the tool: in Tools → Tool list, add T=1 with type 200. Confirm the D-offset is created without alarm.
7. Configure the magazine: if a turret magazine is used, confirm that the location for the drill is enabled and the magazine allow-list permits type 200.
8. Measure the tool: run the live-tool measuring cycle in G17. Both X and Z fields should appear.
9. Program the cycle: insert CYCLE81 / CYCLE82 in the part program, preceded by G17 SPOS= if the live tool requires spindle orientation.
10. Dry-run test: execute in single block with feed-rate override at 10 percent. Confirm no 17224 and no software-limit-switch alarm.

Verification Checklist

Software Limit Switch Alarms During Drilling

When the tool measurement is incorrect, the first indication in production is often an alarm from the software limit switches:

• 10721 Software limit switch +
• 10722 Software limit switch −

These indicate that the programmed approach distance plus the (incorrectly measured) tool length exceeds the positive area limit. Re-measure the tool with the live-tool measuring cycle and re-run.

G17, G18, G19 — Plane Selection for Drilling

Drilling cycles are modal and operate in the active plane. On a turning machine:

Activate G17 explicitly before the drilling cycle and deactivate with G18 at the end of the operation:

G17            ; face plane for drilling
SPOS=0         ; orient live tool
CYCLE81(10,0,2,-30,)   ; drilling cycle
G18            ; back to turning plane

For automatic plane switching, configure the cycle start via a custom macro or use MD20150 to change the default plane for specific subprograms.

Programming Example — Drilling a Center Hole on a Live-Tool Lathe

; --- Setup ---
T="DRILL_5" D1          ; type 200, live tool
M06                       ; turret index
G17                       ; switch to face plane
SPOS=0                    ; orient live spindle
G0 X0 Z2                  ; rapid to start point
; --- Drilling cycle ---
CYCLE81(2,0,2,-15,0.5)   ; RTP=2, RFP=0, SDIS=2, DP=-15, DPR=0.5
G18                       ; restore turning plane
; --- Continue turning ---
G0 X100 Z100

Comment: the parameter list uses the conventional SINUMERIK 840D sl order — reference plane, retract plane, safety distance, drilling depth, drilling depth incremental.

Comparison: Live Tool vs Workpiece-Rotating Drilling

Fault-Code Matrix

Safety and Commissioning Notes

• Create an NC archive before changing MD17540.
• After changing MD20050, perform an NCK Reset (not just Reset on the HMI).
• Confirm option-bit set for "Drilling/centering on turning" — the option is included in most 840D sl turning packages but may be missing on retrofitted controls.

Reference Documentation

For complete parameter descriptions and option-bit maps, refer to the official SINUMERIK 840D sl Turning operating manual:

• SINUMERIK 840D sl Turning — Operating Manual (Siemens Support, 06/2019)
• Siemens Industry Online Support — SINUMERIK 840D sl portal

FAQ