Simatic PC Adapter USB A2 (article number 6GK 1571-0BA00-0AA0 fully compatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and higher
. While modern Siemens software like STEP 7 V5.5 often includes these drivers automatically, older Windows XP setups typically require a manual installation using the PC Adapter USB A2 Driver Disk V1.0 Prerequisites & Hardware Operating System : Windows XP Professional (SP2 or SP3 recommended). Included Components
: The adapter should come with a 5m USB cable and a 0.3m MPI/DP cable.
: The device is powered directly via the USB interface; no external power supply is needed.
: It is strongly recommended to install a Siemens editor (such as S7 MicroWin S7 Classic TIA Portal attempting to install the standalone driver. Siemens SiePortal Step-by-Step Installation Guide
To ensure a successful installation on Windows XP, follow these steps precisely: Prepare the Environment : Close all active programs and background processes. Run with Administrative Rights : Insert the driver CD. Locate , right-click it, and select "Run as..." to choose the Administrator
account. Without admin rights, the installation often fails during the Visual C++ redistributable phase. Initial Driver Setup : The installer will first deploy the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Simatic Pc Adapter Usb A2 Driver Windows Xp
. Once completed, the "Simatic Device Drivers" installation will begin.
: You must restart your computer after the installer finishes to register the new system components. Connect Hardware
: After the reboot, plug the USB A2 Adapter into your PC. The Windows "Found New Hardware Wizard" should appear automatically. Finalize Hardware Wizard "Yes, this time only" for the Windows Update prompt and choose "Install the software automatically"
. Windows will link the connected device to the previously installed driver. Siemens SiePortal Configuration & Testing
Once installed, verify the connection through the following Siemens utilities: Device Manager : Check under "Simatic Net" . You should see Simatic PC Adapter USB A2 listed without any error icons. Set PG/PC Interface
: Open this utility (found in the Control Panel or Simatic Manager). Ensure " PC Adapter USB A2 " is visible in the interface list Interface Selection Simatic PC Adapter USB A2 (article number 6GK
: When connecting to a PLC, it is often more reliable to manually select PC Adapter USB A2 (MPI) "(Profibus)"
rather than using the "Auto" setting, which can be inconsistent on older systems. Diagnostics "Diagnostics"
button within the Set PG/PC Interface window to test the hardware communication path before attempting to upload or download PLC code. Siemens SiePortal Troubleshooting Common Issues Virtual Machine Issues : If running Windows XP via VirtualBox
, ensure the USB device is "passed through" directly to the VM and that the driver disk is mounted as a virtual drive rather than accessed via a shared folder. Installation Stops
: If the setup hangs at the "Visual C++ 2005" stage, it is almost always due to a lack of administrative permissions. Missing Drivers
: If the adapter is not appearing in the PG/PC list, try clicking Troubleshooting Trivia One of the most "interesting" aspects
It looks like you’re looking for a useful post about installing the Siemens SIMATIC PC Adapter USB A2 driver on Windows XP.
While Windows XP is long out of support, many industrial plants still run it for legacy PLC programming (e.g., STEP 7 V5.5). Here’s a concise, useful guide:
One of the most "interesting" aspects of this setup is the Baud Rate Guessing Game. The A2 driver on XP often defaults to trying to auto-negotiate the speed of the MPI network. If the PLC is old and the cable is long (common in factories), the auto-negotiation fails. The engineer has to manually dive into the "Set PG/PC Interface" control panel applet—a staple of Siemens software—and force the transmission rate down to 187.5 kbps or even 19.2 kbps to get a connection.
The driver is useless without setting the correct logical connection in STEP 7.
Options > Set PG/PC Interface.After the driver is installed:
PC_Adapter_USB_A2_Driver_V2_0.exe or similar)⚠️ Do not use Windows Update or third-party driver tools – they will install the wrong version.
Setting this up on XP is easier than modern OSs, but there is a specific order you must follow to avoid the dreaded "Driver Not Found" loop.
Step-by-Step Guide:
C:\Program Files\Siemens\Step7 directory if it asks for a location.PC Adapter (USB) in the "Interface Parameter Assignment" list.