Problem Summary
A Siemens SIMATIC TP700 Comfort panel (typical catalog number 6AV2 124-1JC01-0AX0) responds on its configured Ethernet address (for example 192.168.100.5/24) and accepts ProSave backup/restore operations, yet the TIA Portal engineering station cannot establish a device connection to the same panel. The HMI is visible to ping and arp -a but TIA Portal reports "Device not found", "Connection to device failed", or hangs in the "Establishing connection" state.
This specific failure pattern — ProSave works, TIA Portal does not — almost always indicates a runtime / image version mismatch between the panel firmware and the WinCC Comfort project target. The recovery path is to refresh the panel's operating system (the runtime image) using ProSave, then re-attempt the TIA Portal transfer.
1030/tcp (Siemens S7ONLINE), which is more permissive than the TIA Portal "Online > Accessible nodes" discovery. If ProSave talks but TIA Portal does not, suspect the panel image, not the cable or the switch.Affected Hardware and Firmware Scope
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Panel family | SIMATIC HMI TP700 Comfort | 7" widescreen, touch, 16M colors |
| Typical MLFB | 6AV2 124-1JC01-0AX0 | Confirm against the rating label on the rear of the unit |
| Alternate MLFBs | 6AV2 124-1JC01-0AX1, 6AV2 124-1JC02-0AX0 | Same recovery procedure |
| Image version (pre-failure) | V14.0.0.0 to V16.0.0.0 commonly seen | Verify in panel menu: Control Panel > System > Device > Image Version |
| Image version (recovery target) | Match TIA Portal installation (e.g., V17, V18, V19) | Image must equal or exceed project target |
| Ethernet ports | 2 × RJ45 PROFINET, 10/100 Mbit/s | Port 1 (PN/IE) is default for engineering |
| Serial port | RS422/485 (MPI/PROFIBUS) | Used as fallback if Ethernet is unavailable |
| USB ports | 2 × USB 2.0 host | Accepts USB stick for ProSave OS image transfer |
Root Cause Analysis
The TP700 ships with a WinCC Comfort / TIA Portal runtime image stored on internal flash. Each TIA Portal version (V14, V15.1, V16, V17, V18, V19, V20) generates project files that target a specific runtime image version. When the panel's installed image is older than the project target — for example a V14 panel image is asked to load a V17 project — TIA Portal refuses the transfer with protocol errors such as:
-
0xE0FF0001— Firmware version mismatch -
0xE0FF0002— Incompatible configuration -
Connection interrupted (0xFFFEFEFE)— TLS / PG handshake abort
ProSave is unaffected because it operates on raw file transfer and does not validate the runtime compatibility the same way. This asymmetry is why ProSave downloads succeed while TIA Portal "Compile and download" hangs or fails.
Secondary Causes (Rule Out First)
- PG/PC interface in TIA Portal is set to a non-Ethernet access point (e.g., PC Adapter (MPI)) while the panel is on PROFINET.
-
Firewall on the engineering station blocking
102(ISO-TSAP),1030(S7ONLINE),1031(S7ONLINE TLS), or UDP broadcast discovery on34964. -
Different subnet: panel
192.168.100.5/24and PC192.168.0.10/24with no router in between. - Panel Control Panel > Transfer > "Enable transfer" is set to Manual or Off instead of Automatic.
- WinCC project device version in the TIA Portal device tree is pinned to an older image than the running TIA Portal.
Prerequisites
- ProSave V14 or later (shipped with each TIA Portal installation under
C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\Portal Vxx\Data\ProSave). Version must equal the TIA Portal version you want to deploy. - Matching panel image
.updfile located atC:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\Portal Vxx\Data\Hmi\Transfer\<image-version>or downloaded from Siemens Industry Online Support. - Ethernet cable from the PG/PC directly to the TP700 PROFINET port X1 (PN/IE) — bypass managed switches if possible to remove spanning-tree delay.
- Panel IP address and subnet mask known. Default is
192.168.100.5 / 255.255.255.0with no gateway. - Administrator rights on the engineering PC.
- Windows Firewall inbound rules permitting
Siemens.Automation.Portal.exeandProSave.exeon private networks.
Procedure — Restore TP700 Image via ProSave
-
Confirm connectivity. Open a command prompt and run
ping 192.168.100.5 -t. Expect reply within < 1 ms on a direct link. If no reply, validate the cable and panel power. - Open ProSave with elevated rights: Start > Siemens Automation > ProSave, right-click → Run as administrator.
- Set device type to Operator panel → TP700 Comfort. ProSave auto-populates the correct transfer parameters.
-
Set connection parameters:
- Connection: Ethernet (TCP/IP)
- IP address:
192.168.100.5 - MAC address: leave blank (ProSave will resolve)
-
Backup current state first: select tab Backup, click Start Backup, store the
*.psbarchive on a local SSD. This is your rollback path if the new image misbehaves. -
Update the operating system:
- Tab Update operating system
- Image path: browse to the
.updmatching your TIA Portal (for exampleTP700_V17_Upd1.upd) - Click Update OS
- Acknowledge the dialog: "All data on the panel will be deleted" — confirm only if backup completed
- Wait for the panel reboot. The TP700 display will go blank, the LED bar pulses, and within 60 – 180 seconds the WinCC start screen returns. Do not power-cycle during this window.
- Verify image version on the panel: Control Panel > System > Device > Image Version. It should now match the TIA Portal you intend to use (e.g., V17.0.0.1).
- Re-enable Transfer: Control Panel > Transfer > Channel: Ethernet > Mode: Automatic. Press Apply.
Configure TIA Portal for Ethernet Connection
Set PG/PC Interface
- In TIA Portal: Menu > Online > Accessible devices does not require pre-configuration but uses Windows network adapters.
- For project downloads: Menu > Online > Options > Set PG/PC interface.
- Select S7ONLINE (STEP 7) -> TCP/IP -> <your Ethernet NIC>. Do not select PC Adapter (MPI/DP), TCP/IP (Auto), or ISO Ind. when talking to a PROFINET TP700.
- Click Diagnostics → confirm the panel responds in the node list with its MAC and IP.
Compile and Download the WinCC Project
- In the project tree, right-click the TP700 → Compile > Software (rebuild all). Resolve any warnings — a yellow icon in the lower-right indicates image-version mismatches.
- Right-click TP700 → Download to device > All.
- In the dialog Extended download to device:
- PG/PC interface: same selection as above
- Connection to target: PN/IE
- Target IP:
192.168.100.5 - Slot: leave default
- Click Search. The TP700 appears in the list with its MAC. Select it → Download.
- Accept the certificate prompt if TLS is enabled (TIA V17+ default).
- Monitor progress in the "Load preview" window. Typical transfer: 4 – 12 MB project, 30 – 90 seconds on 100 Mbit/s.
Verification
| Check | Procedure | Pass Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Image version parity | Panel Control Panel > System > Device vs. TIA Portal project properties | Equal major.minor versions |
| PG/PC interface reachability | Set PG/PC interface → Diagnostics → Broadcast search | Panel listed with correct MAC |
| Active transfer channel | Panel Transfer settings | Ethernet / Automatic |
| Compile status | Project tree → TP700 → no red error icons | Green check, 0 errors |
| Runtime startup | After download, observe panel screen | Configured start screen appears within 30 s |
| Tag test | Online > Go online > Monitor tags | Real PLC values visible on HMI |
| Ping under load | Continuous ping during HMI runtime | Reply time < 10 ms, 0% loss |
Troubleshooting Matrix
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ProSave works, TIA Portal "Device not found" | Stale panel image | Re-flash OS via ProSave (this article) |
| Neither ProSave nor TIA Portal connects | Subnet mismatch / wrong cable | Verify IP, mask, switch port, crossover if needed |
| TIA Portal freezes at "Establishing connection" | Firewall or wrong PG/PC interface | Set interface to TCP/IP on correct NIC; allow 1030/tcp, 1031/tcp, UDP 34964 |
| Download starts then aborts with 0xE0FF0001 | Firmware / image mismatch | Update panel image to match TIA Portal |
| Download succeeds but panel shows white screen | Wrong project device version | Right-click TP700 → Change device → select matching MLFB and firmware version |
| Panel reboot loop after image update | Power dip during flash | Reflash via USB stick (Control Panel → Service → USB image) |
| "Enable transfer" greyed out | Runtime is in a user level that locks transfer | Log in as administrator or perform a clean OS update |
| Works over MPI but not Ethernet | Port X1 disabled or PROFINET name missing | Assign PROFINET device name; verify Port 1 enabled |
Alternate Recovery: USB Stick Image Load
If the panel is unreachable over Ethernet after a failed flash, or if ProSave is unstable, the TP700 also supports OS recovery from a USB stick formatted FAT32 containing the .upd file. Procedure:
- Power off the panel.
- Insert USB stick containing only the matching
.updfile (no subfolders). - Hold the finger on the screen during power-on; when the "Boot from USB" prompt appears, confirm.
- Wait for the LED bar to complete its cycle (~5 minutes) and the panel to reboot into the new image.
- Remove the USB stick.
Network Topology Recommendation
Keep the engineering PC on the same subnet as the panel during commissioning. Avoid enterprise VLANs with IGMP/MLD snooping that strip Siemens discovery multicasts. Once commissioning is complete, integrate the panel into the production PROFINET network with a managed switch and proper topology file.
Preventive Measures
- Lock the image version: standardize on a single TIA Portal release across the engineering team. Document the panel image version inside the project properties so future upgrades trigger a deliberate OS update.
-
Pre-stage USB sticks with the correct
.updper cell. Field engineers can recover a mis-flashed panel without a PG. -
Use ProSave scripted mode for fleet maintenance:
ProSave.exe /cmd /restore /file:C:\backup\panel01.psb /type:TP700 /ip:192.168.100.5. Run from a batch file over SSH or scheduled task. - Enable transfer logging on the panel (Control Panel > Transfer > Trace) and archive the logs with each project revision.
-
Maintain an offline copy of every
.updfile on a versioned share. Siemens Support portal access is not guaranteed at commissioning sites.
Related Siemens References
- How do you transfer a WinCC (TIA Portal) configuration to an operator panel using Ethernet? — official Siemens Support entry with step-by-step transfer workflow.
- SIMATIC HMI TP700 Comfort operating instructions — physical port descriptions, control panel menus, transfer settings.
- ProSave — service tool for HMI panels — full command-line reference for ProSave and OS update workflow.
- Compatibility tool: TIA Portal versions vs. WinCC image versions — required when upgrading TIA Portal without re-flashing panels.
- Loading a panel image via USB — recovery procedure when Ethernet is unavailable.
FAQ
Why does ProSave connect to the TP700 but TIA Portal fails on the same cable?
ProSave uses a raw file transfer on port 1030/tcp and skips the runtime compatibility check that TIA Portal performs before downloading a WinCC project. A stale panel image will accept ProSave backups but reject a TIA Portal download because the project targets a newer WinCC image than the panel is running. Re-flash the panel image via ProSave to match your TIA Portal version.
Which TP700 image version do I need for TIA Portal V17?
TIA Portal V17 targets image version V17.0.x. The matching .upd is shipped with the TIA Portal installation under Data\Hmi\Transfer and is also published on Siemens Industry Online Support. Install the same major version as the engineering station, including the latest update (e.g., V17.0.0.3) for bug fixes.
Can I update the TP700 image without losing recipes?
No. An OS update wipes the internal flash including recipes, audit trails, and any runtime-loaded screens. Always perform a ProSave Backup of the panel to a .psb archive before updating, then restore that archive after the image flash completes if you need the historical data on the same unit.
What PG/PC interface should I select in TIA Portal for an Ethernet transfer?
Select S7ONLINE (STEP 7) → TCP/IP → <your Ethernet NIC>. Do not select PC Adapter (MPI/DP), TCP/IP (Auto), or any ISO entry. If multiple NICs are present, choose the one physically connected to the panel and confirm with the Diagnostics button before downloading.
The panel reboots in a loop after the image update — what now?
Power was likely interrupted during the flash. Reformat a USB stick as FAT32, copy the correct .upd onto the root, power off the TP700, insert the stick, then power on while holding the screen. The panel boots from USB and re-installs the image. This recovery works even when Ethernet and ProSave are unavailable.