TP270 ProSave MPI Backup: Resolving CP5512 Connection Issues

The SIMATIC TP270 10" Touch CSTN is a Windows CE based HMI panel that uses MPI/PROFIBUS for engineering transfer when an Ethernet port is not present on the unit. The most common field failure when performing a ProSave backup on this panel is a timeout or "no connection" symptom caused by address or baud-rate mismatch between the programming device (PC/PG) and the TP270, or by using a PC adapter that the TP270 firmware does not enumerate over MPI. This article documents the validated procedure using a CP5512 PCMCIA card, sets the parameter values that have proven reliable in service, and explains how to confirm that a CF-card backup is a complete, restorable image.

1. System Overview and Hardware Identification

The TP270 10" Touch (CSTN) belongs to the SIMATIC 270 series, which is engineered for use with WinCC flexible and ProTool/Pro. Key hardware parameters relevant to backup and restore are summarized below.

The TP270 10" CSTN Touch variant is documented in the Siemens operating instructions SIMATIC HMI Operator Panel TP 270, OP 270, MP 270B (BA_Bediengeraet_xp270_s.pdf). Product catalog information for the stainless-steel front spare-part variant is available from Siemens Industry Online Support entry 6AV6545-8CC10-0AA0.

2. Failure Symptoms Reported in the Field

The following symptoms have been reproduced in service on TP270 10" CSTN panels and are addressed by the procedure documented in this article:

1. ProSave reports "Cannot connect to device" or "Timeout" when starting a backup or restore over the MPI/PROFIBUS port.
2. Standard SIMATIC PC Adapter (USB or RS-232) connected to the TP270 DP/MPI socket shows no illuminated LEDs (no POWER, no MPI activity).
3. Hardware Configuration in STEP 7 does not list the TP270 on the PROFIBUS segment, even though the TP270 is functional on the operator side and is wired as a DP slave with two connectors (in/out).
4. The same PC adapter that fails on the TP270 succeeds on an S7-300 CPU at the same bus segment, indicating the panel firmware is not enumerating the adapter on its MPI channel.
5. A CF-card backup written through Control Panel > Backup/Restore produces a folder set that the user is unsure is complete or restorable.

3. Root Cause Analysis

Three root-cause families explain the failure mode and are addressed in order.

3.1 Adapter enumeration on the TP270 MPI channel

TP270 firmware restricts which programming adapters are accepted on its MPI/DP socket. A generic SIMATIC PC Adapter (the RS-232 to MPI unit used for S7-300/400) does not always enumerate on the TP270 10" CSTN, even though the same adapter works flawlessly on an S7-300 CPU. The panel is sensitive to the bus termination, baud rate, and the adapter's own MPI address presentation. A CP5512 PCMCIA card driven by STEP 7 / ProSave is the validated combination for this unit.

3.2 MPI address and baud-rate mismatch

The TP270 is factory-shipped with a default MPI address of 1 and a default baud rate of 187.5 kbps. ProSave on the PC must use the same bus parameters. If ProSave is left at the default search range or set to a different baud (1.5 Mbps is common for DP), the connection times out. The bus parameters are read and modified on the panel under:

Control Panel > OP > Device > MPI/DP Settings

The Transfer channel must be enabled (checkbox MPI/PROFIBUS on) under Control Panel > OP > Transfer. Both Remote Control and the channel-specific checkbox must be ticked for ProSave to attach.

3.3 CF-card backup completeness

A backup written through Control Panel > Backup/Restore to memory card places the runtime image and registry into a structured directory on the CF card. The expected layout is a top-level Flash folder (typically around 2.8 MB on a TP270 10"), a Simatic subfolder, and a Regfile.bin. This is the complete backup. The Flash folder carries the panel image and the Simatic folder carries the project. The Regfile.bin holds the Control Panel configuration (network, regional, transfer). If all three are present, the backup is valid and can be restored through Control Panel > Backup/Restore > Restore, or equivalently by ProSave pointing at the same CF card.

4. Prerequisites

• TP270 10" CSTN Touch panel, powered, with a working HMI project loaded.
• PG/PC with STEP 7 and ProSave installed (matching the panel firmware generation; ProTool/Pro for older projects, WinCC flexible for newer).
• Siemens CP5512 PCMCIA card (Type II) installed in the PG, with the CP5512 driver and firmware loaded via the SIMATIC NET configuration tool.
• Siemens MPI cable between CP5512 and the TP270 DP/MPI socket (PROFIBUS connector with integrated terminator, or an external terminator on the far end).
• CompactFlash card, formatted FAT16, capacity compatible with the panel (typically up to 2 GB on early TP270 firmware).
• Administrator rights on the PG to run ProSave and to configure PC interface in Set PG/PC Interface.

5. Step-by-Step: Establishing the ProSave Connection over MPI

1. Power on the TP270 and let it complete boot to the runtime project.
2. Open Control Panel on the panel. Touch OP, then Device. Record the values displayed under MPI (address and baud rate). The factory defaults are address 1 and baud rate 187.5 kbps.
3. Open Control Panel > OP > Transfer. Confirm Remote Control is enabled and that the MPI/PROFIBUS channel checkbox is ticked. Save and exit.
4. On the PG, open Set PG/PC Interface. Select the access point S7ONLINE (or the ProSave access point, if a separate one is installed) and assign the CP5512 (MPI) interface. Set the CP5512 MPI address to a value that does not collide with the TP270 address; the typical engineering PG address is 0. Set the baud rate to 187.5 kbps to match the panel.
5. Insert the CP5512 into the PG, connect the MPI cable from CP5512 to the TP270 DP/MPI socket. The CP5512 will not be visible to the panel if the PC adapter is inserted into the PG-side slot of a chained PROFIBUS segment; it must be on a free bus segment or be the bus master with proper termination.
6. Launch SIMATIC ProSave. In the General tab, select TP270 as the device type, select MPI as the connection, and confirm the target address matches the panel address recorded in step 2.
7. Click Backup (or Restore) and select a destination folder on the PG. The connection dialog should progress past address resolution and report Online within a few seconds.
8. After a successful connection, run the full backup. ProSave will read the panel image, the project, and the registry and write them to the destination directory as a folder set equivalent to the CF-card image described in Section 3.3.

6. Validating a CF-Card Backup

When the user backs up to a CF card through the panel's Control Panel, the resulting directory is the canonical image. The presence and approximate sizes of the following files confirm a complete backup:

If all three are present, the CF card is a valid backup. To restore, place the CF card in the panel, navigate to Control Panel > Backup/Restore > Restore, select the image, and confirm. The panel will reboot into the restored image. As an alternative, the same CF card can be used as the source for a ProSave Restore operation from the PG, which is useful when the panel image is corrupted and the Control Panel cannot boot to the restore menu.

7. Address and Baud-Rate Parameter Reference

Document the bus parameters in the maintenance record whenever a backup is performed. The values below are the validated working set for the TP270 10" CSTN.

Address collisions are the single most common cause of a "no connection" response from ProSave. Always enumerate every node on the segment and assign unique addresses before starting a backup.

8. Verification Procedure

After a successful backup or restore, perform the following checks before returning the panel to production.

1. In ProSave, after the transfer completes, click Verify to compare the source and destination images. The verify pass must report Identical for the panel image, the project, and the registry.
2. Reboot the panel and confirm the runtime project starts cleanly with the expected start screen.
3. Re-enter the Control Panel and confirm the transfer channel settings and the MPI address/baud rate match the values recorded in the maintenance log.
4. Test one operator action that exercises both the project and the panel image (for example, a screen change tied to a tag) to confirm the project is fully loaded and not a partial restore.
5. Store the CF card or the PG backup directory in the panel's documentation envelope with the date, the firmware version read from Control Panel > OP > Device > Version, and the operator who performed the backup.

9. Troubleshooting Matrix

10. Field-Proven Notes and Caveats

• On the TP270 10" CSTN, the MPI channel is the only transfer path on units without Ethernet. Any backup strategy must include the MPI cable and a CP5512-class adapter, not a generic USB PC adapter.
• The CP5512 is a Type II PCMCIA card. Newer laptops without a PCMCIA slot require a CP5611 (PCI) or CP5711 (USB) with the matching MPI cable. The CP5711 behaves similarly to the CP5512 in ProSave once configured.
• Default MPI address on the TP270 is 1. If the panel is integrated into a PROFIBUS DP segment, the address may have been changed. Always read the address from the panel itself rather than trusting the project file.
• Default baud rate on the TP270 is 187.5 kbps. PROFIBUS DP segments often run at 1.5 Mbps; in that case the TP270 must be on an MPI sub-network or the entire segment must be slowed. ProSave will not negotiate the baud rate automatically.
• The CF-card backup is a complete image and can be restored with ProSave on the PG, not only from the panel's Control Panel. This is the recommended recovery path when the panel image is corrupted and the Control Panel is unreachable.
• Document the panel firmware version (read from Control Panel > OP > Device > Version) with every backup. Restoring across major firmware generations is not supported and can leave the panel in a non-bootable state.

11. Frequently Asked Questions