Uploading SIMOREG 6RA70 Drive Parameters via S7-400 Routing

Overview

This reference documents the field-proven procedure for uploading (and downloading) a full parameter set between the DriveMonitor commissioning tool and a SIMOREG DC MASTER 6RA7018-6DS22 (drive firmware V3.2) located on a Profibus DP network, using S7 routing through an S7-400 CPU 412-2 DP and CP 443-1 (firmware V2.1) on a Windows 7 64-bit engineering station. The architecture consists of an engineering PG/PC on Industrial Ethernet, a CP 443-1 gateway module, an S7-400 backplane with the CPU's integrated DP master, and the SIMOREG 6RA70 with its CBP2 communications module on a Profibus DP segment. Drive ES Basic V5.5 SP3 (or Drive ES Basic Maintenance V5.6) supplies the device profile that lets DriveMonitor bind through S7 routing to the drive's parameter slot.

The phrase "upload via Ethernet" describes only the segment between the engineering PG/PC and the CP 443-1. The drive itself speaks Profibus DP through CBP2. DriveMonitor opens an S7 routed connection (Drive ES is mandatory) to traverse Ethernet → backplane → Profibus DP → SIMOREG. Without Drive ES and the matching Hardware Support Package (HSP), DriveMonitor has no path to the drive's parameter interface.

Prerequisites and Bill of Materials

Verify part numbers and firmware levels via the SIMATIC Manager module information screen and the SIMOREG operator-panel readout: r060 (firmware version), P060 (firmware version selector), r000 (drive type/nominal current), P918 (CBP2 DP address).

Software Stack and Windows 7 Compatibility

Windows 7 (64-bit) is supported as the host OS for SIMATIC Manager V5.5 SPx and Drive ES Basic V5.5 SP3 and later. Older Drive ES releases (V5.4 and lower) do not provide Win7 drivers and will not install under WOW64. Drive ES Basic Maintenance V5.6 is the preferred release for legacy 6RA70 fleets because it bundles newer HSPs and remains Win7-compatible.

Installation order matters:

1. Install SIMATIC Manager V5.5 with the latest Service Pack and Hotfix collection.
2. Reboot and verify the STEP 7 environment opens without errors.
3. Install Drive ES Basic V5.5 SP3 (or Drive ES Basic Maintenance V5.6) after STEP 7. The installer extends HW Config and NetPro with the Drive ES Object Manager.
4. Install the SIMOREG 6RA70 HSP using Start → SIMATIC → Drive ES → HSP Installation, or by double-clicking the supplied .exe from the HSP package.
5. Install DriveMonitor if it is not bundled with Drive ES. DriveMonitor registers itself under Start → SIMATIC → Drive ES → DriveMonitor.

Network Topology and S7 Routing Fundamentals

S7 routing lets a programming device reach any node reachable from the local S7 station, even when the target is on a foreign subnet. For DriveMonitor to talk to the SIMOREG, the routing path must be:

The engineering PG/PC is attached to the same Industrial Ethernet subnet as the CP 443-1. The CP 443-1 acts as the S7 routing entry point: STEP 7 uses ISO-on-TCP (port 102) to open a connection to the CPU. Once the connection is open, STEP 7 / Drive ES use the S7 routing record to push acyclic parameter read/write requests further down the chain. From the CPU's integrated DP master port the requests reach the CBP2 module in the 6RA70, where the parameter interface (P832 / P915) responds.

S7 routing handshake summary

1. PG sends an S7_CONNECTION_REQUEST via the local NIC (Ethernet).
2. CP 443-1 receives the connection (it is configured as the PG's "assigned" router).
3. CPU 412-2 DP continues the routed path. S7 routing does not require a configured "S7 connection" in NetPro for ad-hoc online use.
4. Drive ES Object Server reports the drive as online once it can read the slot's PPO type from CBP2.

If the CP 443-1 firmware is older than V2.1, the connection opens but the routing bit in the S7 header is dropped — the PG sees the CPU but cannot reach anything on the DP subnet. Always verify Online → Module Information → Firmware on the CP before troubleshooting deeper.

CP 443-1 Routing Configuration in NetPro

Open the SIMATIC project in NetPro and confirm:

• The CP 443-1 has a configured Ethernet subnet (typically the "Industrial Ethernet" subnet from SIMATIC Manager defaults).
• The CPU 412-2 DP shows the integrated DP master port with a Profibus subnet and the CBP2 node of the SIMOREG at the configured DP address (commonly 3 or 4).
• CP 443-1 Properties → General → Interface → Interface Assignment shows the "Enable S7 Routing" checkbox set.

For a quick test without reloading the project, place the PG/PC as a "PG/PC Station" in the same S7 project and assign it to the Industrial Ethernet subnet. Then in the Windows Control Panel, run "Set PG/PC Interface" and select TCP/IP (Auto) → <your NIC> matching the CP 443-1 subnet.

Drive ES HSP Installation

Install the SIMOREG 6RA70 Hardware Support Package before opening HW Config. The HSP supplies the device icons, parameter mapping, and slot templates that let DriveMonitor bind to the SIMOREG parameter interface. Procedure:

1. Obtain the HSP for SIMOREG 6RA70 (firmware V3.x) from the official Siemens SIOS portal.
2. Extract the archive to a local folder.
3. From the Windows Start menu, choose Start → SIMATIC → Drive ES → HSP Installation.
4. Browse to the extracted .exe and follow the wizard.
5. Restart SIMATIC Manager once the installer completes.

After installation, the SIMOREG folder appears under the HW Config catalog: PROFIBUS-DP → Drives → SIMOREG → 6RA70. Selecting the profile shows the supported PPO types (PPO1 and PPO2 are typical for 6RA70 CBP2).

Drive Profile Insertion in HW Config

This is the critical step that Drive ES relies on: the drive must be inserted using the Drive ES profile, not the standard GSD.

1. Open the S7-400 station in HW Config.
2. Select the CPU 412-2 DP's integrated DP master port. Double-click to open the network view.
3. Drag a SIMOREG DC MASTER 6RA70 from the catalog: PROFIBUS-DP → Drives → SIMOREG → 6RA70 → Drive ES version (NOT the GSD variant).
4. Assign the Profibus address consistent with the CBP2 DIP switches and the operator-panel readout P918.
5. Open the drive's DP Slave Properties → Parameter Assignment and confirm the PPO type. PPO1 provides two parameter words (PKW/PKE) plus eight PZD words; PPO2 omits parameter words and is reserved for fast cyclic data exchange only. DriveMonitor needs PPO1.
6. Save and compile HW Config (Station → Save and Compile).

DriveMonitor Connection over S7 Routing

1. Launch DriveMonitor (Start → SIMATIC → Drive ES → DriveMonitor).
2. Choose Project → Online → Connect to Target System (Ctrl+T).
3. Set the routing path: PG → IE → CP 443-1 → CPU 412-2 DP → DP subnet → SIMOREG. DriveMonitor derives the path automatically when the S7 project is open and the right station is selected; otherwise build the path manually:

4. Click Online. DriveMonitor should report the drive in Online state. The SIMOREG device firmware version V3.2 and the connected CBP2 firmware version appear at the top of the tree. See the SIMOREG DC MASTER 6RA70 Operating Instructions for slot and parameter reference.

Parameter Upload Procedure

DriveMonitor's upload (read) and download (write) of the parameter set use the "RAM upload → EEPROM transfer" workflow. To capture the live parameter set from the 6RA70:

1. In the DriveMonitor tree, right-click the drive. Choose "Load from Drive to PG/PC" to upload (F5), or "Load from PG/PC to Drive" to download.
2. For a full upload, select Load from Drive to PG/PC (F5). The tool reads every parameter from U000…U999 in sequence.
3. DriveMonitor displays a transfer progress bar. The status codes used during the transfer include:

• 0x0001 — transfer started
• 0x0010 — parameter block acknowledged
• 0x0080 — transfer complete (drive to PG)
• 0x0100 — transfer failed (timeout or fault; see Troubleshooting matrix)

4. Save the DriveMonitor project (.dvm) once the upload completes. DriveMonitor writes the captured parameter set into the active project.

To persist the parameters to the SIMOREG's non-volatile store after a download:

1. Set P052 = 1 (non-volatile save enable).
2. Trigger "Copy RAM → EEPROM" either from DriveMonitor or from the operator panel (P052 → "Save").
3. Return P052 = 0 when the save sequence completes to avoid accidental writes during cyclic operation.

Verification and Commissioning

1. From DriveMonitor, open Parameters and read the following critical values to confirm a healthy routing session:

2. Trigger a connection test from DriveMonitor: Tools → Online → Refresh. Each successful parameter read confirms that the routed path is healthy.
3. Stop the drive via the operator panel before requesting a full parameter download from DriveMonitor. The SIMOREG rejects parameter writes while in RUN state (Status word bit 0 = 1). Acknowledge any active fault first (P083 = 1 to reset fault, P086 for fault history).
4. After a successful download, perform a controlled power cycle. Verify that the U parameters match the values uploaded to DriveMonitor (read once online with the operator panel or DriveMonitor and compare).

Troubleshooting Matrix

Limitations and Operational Constraints

• Throughput: A full parameter upload of approximately 1000 entries takes 8–15 s on Profibus at 1.5 Mbit/s. Higher DP speeds (12 Mbit/s) drop this to 3–5 s but require a clean DP network with terminators and minimal reflections.
• Single session: Drive ES does not support simultaneous online sessions through the same CP 443-1 to the same CPU. Reserve the routed connection or coordinate access between engineering tools.
• No firmware flash over DP: The 6RA70 firmware upgrade path uses the PST (Parameterization) tool over the X300 serial service port. DriveMonitor over Profibus does not perform firmware updates. See SIMOREG DC MASTER Operating Instructions for service-pinout detail.
• Faulty DP segments: Routing does not bypass faulty DP segments. If the CPU sees CBP2 with diagnostics interrupts, the drive appears online but parameter reads return 0x0100 permanently. Check CBP2 diagnostics buffer (r047…r078) before retrying.
• Hot-swap: S7-400 supports hot-swap only on some UR / CR chassis. CP 443-1 replacement requires the new CP to inherit the same MAC or STEP 7 will treat it as a foreign node.
• Ethernet-only fails: DriveMonitor cannot reach the 6RA70 over native Industrial Ethernet / PROFINET because the converter does not have a PROFINET interface. Drive ES routing is the only network path.

Frequently Asked Questions