SIMATIC CP 1613 A2 Compatibility, Drivers, and Hardware Replacement in PCS 7 V6.1 and V6.2

Yes, the SIMATIC CP 1613 A2 (order number 6GK1161-3AA01) is fully compatible with SIMATIC PCS 7 V6.1 and V6.2. It serves as the direct, 100% pin-compatible successor to the legacy CP 1613 (6GK1161-3AA00) for PCI-based Engineering Stations and OS Servers. Under Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional, the CP 1613 A2 operates seamlessly using the existing SIMATIC NET PC Software drivers bundled with PCS 7 V6.1 and V6.2 without requiring changes to HW Config or S7 connection definitions in NetPro, provided the Hardnet-IE S7-1613 license is present.

Hardware Evolution: CP 1613 vs CP 1613 A2 Architecture

In legacy SIMATIC PCS 7 process control installations (such as PCS 7 V6.0, V6.1, and V6.2), high-availability Plant Bus communication between OS Servers, Engineering Stations, and S7-400 AS controllers relies on dedicated Industrial Ethernet communications processors. The original CP 1613 (6GK1161-3AA00) was engineered as a 5-volt 32-bit PCI card running an onboard microprocessor (ARM/AMD core) to execute ISO transport and S7 communication protocols autonomously, offloading the host PC's CPU.

As PC motherboard architectures evolved to support universal PCI slots (3.3V and 5V signaling, 66 MHz bus frequency), Siemens introduced the CP 1613 A2 (6GK1161-3AA01). The CP 1613 A2 is a direct drop-in replacement that features lower power consumption, universal PCI keyed connectors, and identical protocol firmware.

Operating System and PCS 7 Release Compatibility Matrix

According to the official Siemens Released Modules bulletin (SIOS Entry ID: 21406213 and 39709060):

PCS 7 V6.1 SP1 / SP2 / SP3 / SP4: Fully supports CP 1613 A2 under Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional SP2, and Windows Server 2003.
PCS 7 V6.2: Fully supports CP 1613 A2 under Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional.
SIMATIC NET Integration: The driver stack for CP 1613 A2 is included in SIMATIC NET PC Software V6.2, V6.3, and V6.4 delivered directly on the PCS 7 installation media. No standalone driver downloads or third-party INF files are required.

Driver Installation and SIMATIC NET Hardware Binding

When installing or swapping a CP 1613 A2 card into an existing PCS 7 V6.1/V6.2 IPC:

Physical Slot Requirements: Install the card into a standard 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot (supports 33 MHz or 66 MHz, 3.3V or 5V keying). Ensure the slot provides adequate cooling airflow.
Plug-and-Play Detection: Upon booting Windows, the operating system detects the hardware as a 'SIMATIC NET CP 1613 A2'. Windows automatically binds the pre-installed Siemens NDIS and Hardnet drivers.
Setting the Communication Profile: In Windows Control Panel, open Set PG/PC Interface. Ensure the access point S7ONLINE or CP_H1_1: is bound to CP1613(ISO) or CP1613(RFC1006). Verify that the MAC address or IP address matches the station's original hardware assignment.

Spare Part Replacement Procedure Without Engineering Reconfiguration

A significant advantage of the CP 1613 A2 is that it is 100% compatible with the original CP 1613 at the software level:

No HW Config Changes: In SIMATIC Manager HW Config, the station can remain configured with the catalog object 'CP 1613'. You do not need to delete or update the module in HW Config.
No NetPro Recompilation: S7 connections, connection IDs, and routing tables remain completely unchanged.
MAC Address Adaptation: If the existing Plant Bus network uses ISO transport referencing the hardware MAC address printed on the card label, simply update the MAC address in HW Config or configure a locally administered MAC address in SIMATIC NET settings matching the defective card to avoid re-downloading NetPro.

CP 1613 Family Hardware Comparison

The following table compares the physical and architectural specifications of the CP 1613 product line:

Hardware ModelOrder Number (MLFB)PCI Bus InterfaceTransfer RatePCS 7 V6.1 / V6.2 StatusCP 1613 (Original)6GK1161-3AA00PCI 32-bit 5V only (33 MHz)10/100 Mbit/s (RJ45 / AUI)Certified (Legacy original)CP 1613 A26GK1161-3AA01Universal PCI (3.3V / 5V, 66 MHz)10/100 Mbit/s (RJ45 auto-crossover)Fully Certified (Drop-in replacement)CP 16236GK1162-3AA00PCI Express x1 (PCIe)10/100/1000 Mbit/s (Gigabit)Not released for V6.1/V6.2 (Requires V7.1+)CP 16286GK1162-8AA00PCI Express with Security Firewall10/100/1000 Mbit/sModern PCS 7 only (V8.0+)

Verification

Verify the CP 1613 A2 operation through the following steps:

Open Windows Device Manager. Under SIMATIC NET, confirm that CP 1613 A2 is recognized without yellow exclamation marks.
Open Communication Settings (or 'Set PG/PC Interface'). Select CP 1613 A2 > Diagnostics. Click Test and verify that the firmware status and MAC address reply OK.
In SIMATIC Manager, select PLC > View Accessible Nodes via CP1613(ISO). Verify that all AS 400 controllers on the Plant Bus appear in the node list.
Activate WinCC Runtime on the OS Server. Confirm that communication channel tags (Named Connections) establish connection state 'OK' and process values update normally.

Commercial Accuracy Disclaimer: Software order numbers (MLFBs), package structures, and hardware capacity prerequisites vary across PCS 7 versions and hardware platforms. System integrators must confirm exact software entitlements and licensing requirements against the official Siemens Catalog CA 01 and obtain an authorized Siemens distributor quotation prior to purchasing.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Consider these operational rules when maintaining legacy communications processors:

Modern PCIe Incompatibility: The CP 1613 A2 uses a conventional legacy PCI connector. Modern industrial PCs (such as SIMATIC IPC647D/E or IPC847D/E) often provide only PCI Express (PCIe) slots. For PCIe motherboards, the newer CP 1623 must be used, which requires upgrading to at least PCS 7 V7.1.
License Prerequisites: The CP 1613 A2 requires the runtime license SIMATIC NET Hardnet-IE S7-1613 installed in Automation License Manager (ALM); without this license, communication terminates after a trial grace period.
Firmware Compatibility: Do not flash firmware intended for CP 1623 onto a CP 1613 A2, as this will permanently damage the onboard EEPROM.

Engineer FAQ

What is the difference between CP 1613 and CP 1613 A2?

The original CP 1613 was a 5V-only 33 MHz PCI card, whereas the CP 1613 A2 is a universal PCI card supporting both 3.3V and 5V signaling at up to 66 MHz with lower power consumption.

Can CP 1613 A2 operate in redundant Plant Bus rings?

Yes, CP 1613 A2 fully supports redundant S7 communication (fault-tolerant S7 connections) to S7-400H controllers over optical or electrical ring topologies.