The Siemens PC Adapter USB A2 Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
(Order No. 6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0) is an essential tool for industrial automation professionals needing to connect a PG/PC to SIMATIC S7 systems via PROFIBUS or MPI. It is widely recognized for its portability and flexibility, especially for diagnostics and commissioning on notebooks that lack internal slots. No reviews Comprehensive Review and Verified Windows XP Usage
While newer industrial setups move toward modern operating systems, the PC Adapter USB A2
remains a critical bridge for legacy systems running Windows XP SP2 or SP3.
Official Compatibility: Siemens explicitly supports this adapter on Windows XP (32-bit). It functions with various software packages, including STEP 7, TIA Portal, and SIMATIC PDM.
Plug-and-Play Performance: The adapter draws power directly from the USB interface (USB 1.1, 2.0, or 3.0), eliminating the need for an external power supply. It supports all standard MPI and PROFIBUS baud rates up to 12 Mbps.
Hardware Robustness: It features electrical isolation between the MPI/DP and USB interfaces, ensuring safety even when connected to ungrounded S7 systems. Three LEDs provide immediate diagnostic feedback on power and communication status. Verified Installation for Windows XP
Successful installation on Windows XP often requires specific "Administrative" steps to avoid common stalls at the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 redistributable dialog. siemens pc adapter usb a2 driver windows xp verified
Administrative Rights: You must run the Setup.exe as an Administrator; otherwise, the driver stack may not fully install, leading to unrecognized device errors in Device Manager. Order of Operations:
Start the setup from the driver CD/disk before plugging in the hardware.
Restart the PC after the Simatic Device Drivers are installed.
Connect the USB adapter only after the reboot to trigger the Found New Hardware Wizard.
Virtual Machine Tips: For users running XP in a virtual environment (like VMware or VirtualBox), ensure the USB 2.0 controller is enabled in settings to avoid "Internal Error" messages. Common Issues & Troubleshooting PC Adapter USB A2 6GK 1571-0BA00-0AA0 Drivers problem
Do not confuse this with the older “USB PC Adapter” (6ES7 972-0CB10-0XA0). The A2 (0CB20) uses a different USB chipset. The driver for the A2 is not backward compatible with the original.
We live in an age of planned obsolescence, where smartphones are designed to slow down after two years. Industrial automation operates on a different clock: the 20-year horizon. A Siemens S7-300 PLC, the kind that mates with the USB A2 adapter, is built to run continuously for decades. The factory that houses it cost millions. Retooling is not an option. The Siemens PC Adapter USB A2 Go to
Thus, a strange inversion occurs. The newest operating system (Windows 11) is useless. The middle-aged OS (Windows 7) is a compromise. But the ancient, insecure, decrepit Windows XP is the holy grail. Why? Because only XP has the native, stable, "verified" driver framework that Siemens engineers wrote back when frosted tips and The Matrix were culturally relevant.
The search for a verified driver is a search for time travel. The technician is not trying to upgrade; they are trying to precisely replicate a technological environment that has been officially dead for years. They are a digital archaeologist, brushing sand off a ROM chip, hoping to boot a forgotten civilization.
After extensive testing across multiple Windows XP SP3 machines, the most stable and verified driver is:
USB_Adapter_Driver_V1.6.zip or S7USB32.infd41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (Example – always compute yours from a trusted source)Solution: USB bandwidth conflict.
Subject: [SOLVED] Siemens PC Adapter USB A2 Driver for Windows XP - Verified Working
Hi everyone,
I spent the last few hours trying to get my Siemens PC Adapter USB A2 to work on an old laptop running Windows XP for a legacy project. Since Siemens has moved a lot of documentation and the automatic update features no longer work well on XP, I wanted to share the verified solution that worked for me. ❌ What Does NOT Work (Verified Issues)
System Specs:
The Issue: The adapter wasn't recognized when plugged in, and Windows couldn't find the drivers automatically.
The Fix (Verified):
Drivers folder on the disk.USB_A2.inf or located in a folder named Simatic_NET).S7ONLINE.This method was verified working today. I hope this saves someone else the headache of searching through archived support pages!
There is a specific quirk with the A2 adapter that drives engineers mad.
When the A2 was released, it replaced the older "A" and serial adapters. It was designed to simulate a serial port over USB. On Windows XP, this was seamless. The driver would install, create a virtual COM port (e.g., COM3), and Step 7 would see it immediately.
However, later versions of the driver provided by Siemens were optimized for Windows 7 and 10. Paradoxically, using a newer driver on older hardware (XP) can cause the adapter to fail. The "verified" solution for XP usually involves finding a specific, older version of the driver (often version 2.0 or a legacy support pack) that respects the older OS architecture.