SINUMERIK HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2: Windows 7 Install & CP5622 Setup

Problem Overview

The SINUMERIK 840D sl / 840Di sl HMI Advanced runtime, catalog number 6FC5253-7BX40-6AG0 (software version 7.6 SP2), is delivered on CD as a full PC/PG installation package for the HMI Advanced operator interface. When the installation media is mounted on a Windows 7 workstation (x86 or x64) the setup either aborts silently, fails the prerequisite check, or completes but corrupts PROFIBUS/MPI services after the first reboot. The original installation target audience is Windows XP x86, and a number of platform-specific assumptions (DDE services, registry ACLs, and DP-RAM services) collide with Windows 7's UAC and driver-signing model.

This article documents the validated combination that supports HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 on a modern PC:

• Operating system: Windows 7 Professional 32-bit (x86), SP1
• Installation context: elevated administrator, default path, no path changes
• PROFIBUS/MPI interface: CP 5622 (6GK1562-2AA00), PCI Express X1
• Communication stack: SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1 or higher (delivers CP 5622 driver)

Affected Components and Catalog Numbers

Symptom Matrix

Root Cause Analysis

1. UAC, Installer Rights, and Path Constraints

The release notes for HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 (and subsequent hotfix HF9) state that installation under Windows 7 must be performed with administrator privileges, and that the default installation path must be retained. The setup wraps legacy MSI and InstallShield sequences that write into %ProgramFiles%, register DCOM components for OPC/DDE, and create the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\SINUMERIK registry hive. When UAC is left at default and the user double-clicks the CD autorun, the elevated phase is skipped, the registry writes are virtualised, and the HMI Advanced services fail to start on the first reboot.

The required behaviour is therefore:

1. Log in as a member of the local Administrators group.
2. Right-click Setup.exe → Run as administrator.
3. Accept the default install path (typically C:\Program Files\Siemens\SINUMERIK). Do not redirect to D:\ or a user profile.
4. Disable or whitelist antivirus real-time scanning for the duration of the install.

2. Windows 7 Edition Sensitivity

Installations on Windows 7 Ultimate x86 have produced the same binaries as Professional x86, but Group Policy objects applied to Ultimate (AppLocker, software-restriction policies) routinely block the legacy DP-RAM helper services. The validated install base is therefore Windows 7 Professional x86 with SP1, which is the only edition that matches the release-note test matrix. If the host ships with Ultimate, the documented workaround is to reinstall as Professional rather than to chase GPO exceptions.

3. 32-bit / 64-bit Architecture Mismatch

HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 is a 32-bit application. The setup runs on Windows 7 x64 because the WoW subsystem forwards to %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Siemens, but several internal services (DDE server, MCPProxy, NCU-Routing) expect 32-bit COM registration that conflicts with the 64-bit registry view. The CP 5622 driver is delivered as both x86 and x64; however, the HMI Advanced OPC bridge is 32-bit only, and on x64 hosts the bridge fails to enumerate the CP 5622 device instance under Simatic Net\CP5622. Net effect: install appears to succeed, but live connection to the NCU is not established.

4. CP 5622 Driver Absence

The HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 CD does not contain a signed Windows 7 driver for the CP 5622. The PROFIBUS CP 5622 (PCIe X1) was released with a driver package that was distributed exclusively through:

• SIMATIC NET PC Software V8.2 SP1 and higher (recommended)
• SIMATIC STEP 7 V5.6 DVD (alternative, ships the same driver tree)

Reference: Siemens KB 66012091 – Drivers for CP 5612 and CP 5622 and the SIMATIC NET V8.2 release notes at Siemens KB 63098071 – SIMATIC NET V8.2 release.

Resolution Procedure

Step 1 – Prepare the Host

1. Install Windows 7 Professional SP1 x86 (32-bit). Clean install preferred over in-place upgrade.
2. Join the workstation to a workgroup, not a domain with strict GPOs.
3. Disable UAC for the duration of the install: msconfig → Tools → Change UAC settings → Never notify.
4. Install the chipset driver for the PCIe slot, then seat the CP 5622 in a PCIe X1 slot; confirm it appears under Device Manager → Other devices → PCI Serial Port (or unknown) before installing the SIMATIC NET stack.

Step 2 – Install SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1

1. Insert the SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1 DVD (6GK1704-1CW08-2AA0 or current MLFB).
2. Run Setup.exe as administrator.
3. Select installation mode PC station (not STEP 7 add-on only).
4. On the component list, enable CP 5622 in the "Communication processors" group.
5. Complete the install and reboot.
6. After reboot, open SIMATIC NET Configuration Console → Modules and verify the CP 5622 is listed with a valid PROFIBUS address and bus profile.

Expected state: CP 5622 appears in Device Manager → Network adapters → Siemens CP 5622 (PROFIBUS/MPI) with no yellow bang. The Windows driver binary should resolve to cp5622x86.sys in %WINDIR%\System32\drivers.

Step 3 – Install HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2

1. Log in as local administrator.
2. Insert the HMI Advanced CD or mount the ISO (do not run the autorun).
3. Browse to the setup root, right-click Setup.exe → Run as administrator.
4. When the prerequisite wizard appears, accept the licence, the Siemens root certificate, and the Windows Firewall exception for mcp.exe, hmisl.exe, and opcda.exe.
5. Accept the default path. Do not modify \Program Files\Siemens\SINUMERIK or \Siemens\SINUMERIK.
6. When prompted for the CP 5622 interface, point to the station created by SIMATIC NET (default PC station_1).
7. Reboot.

Step 4 – Alternative: STEP 7 V5.6 for the CP 5622 Driver

If SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1 is not licensed on the site, the CP 5622 driver can be installed from the STEP 7 V5.6 DVD (6ES7810-4CC12-0YA7). The driver tree under CD_3\Drivers\CP5622 contains:

To install manually, point Device Manager at the CP5622 folder and approve the signed driver. HMI Advanced then binds to the CP 5622 instance through the same registry keys, but lacks the Configuration Console tooling. STEP 7 V5.6 is therefore a driver delivery mechanism, not a full SIMATIC NET replacement.

VMware Virtualisation Considerations

HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 can run inside a VMware Workstation or ESXi guest if the guest OS is Windows XP x86 or Windows 7 Professional x86. The CP 5622 is a real PCIe device and cannot be passed through to a guest without:

• VT-d or AMD-Vi IOMMU enabled in the host BIOS
• Direct device assignment (DDA / VMDirectPath) on ESXi 5.x or later
• The CP 5622 wired to an isolated PCIe root complex

If the host has no IOMMU, the HMI Advanced guest can still operate in development / simulation mode using the SIMATIC NET "softnet" PROFIBUS interface over a virtual network. The NCU connection is then lost, but operator panel, HMI Pro sl, and the run myScreens / Run-Time-Environment can be exercised offline.

For production deployment to a real machine, do not virtualise. The HMI Advanced → CP 5622 → NCU path is a hard real-time PROFIBUS DP link and is not validated over virtual NICs.

Network Topology (Inline SVG)

Verification Steps

1. Open Start → Siemens Automation → HMI Advanced. The launcher should display the machine panel, not a "Server not running" banner.
2. Run SIMATIC NET Configuration Console → Diagnostic → CP 5622 → Bus statistics. Expect a green status with token frames counted.
3. From the HMI Advanced channel menu, select Commissioning → NC/PLC connection. Set the bus address of the NCU and click Establish connection. A green status with the active NCU software version confirms end-to-end success.
4. Execute a small jog command from the HMI. If the axis moves, the CP 5622 ↔ NCU link is live and HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 is correctly installed.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Service and Support

For RMA or contractual questions on the CP 5622 (6GK1562-2AA00), reference the Siemens Industry Online Support portal. Driver change logs are tracked under SIMATIC NET V8.2 SP1 / SP2 / SP3, with CP 5622 hotfix KBAs published against the SIMATIC NET base. The HMI Advanced 7.6 SP2 HF9 release note (linked above) supersedes earlier hotfixes HF1 through HF8 for the PC/PG build.

FAQ