Question

Is it possible to somehow use 6ES7 137-6EA00-0BA0 (CAN Module) with simatic AX.

0

I’m currently trying to migrate my project from TIA Portal to SIMATIC AX. While doing this, I noticed that a specific hardware module (6ES7 137-6EA00-0BA0) is not available or supported in the AX hardware catalog. Because of that, I assume it’s not possible to generate a corresponding .hwl file for this module in AX.My main requirement is CAN Transparent communication. Although I can see some CANopen-related modules in the AX catalog, they are not relevant to my use case.Based on this, it seems that using SIMATIC AX as a complete end-to-end solution (hardware + software) may not be feasible in my case. As an alternative, I’m considering configuring the hardware in TIA Portal and handling the software development in AX.This leads to my main question:For the CAN module 6ES7 137-6EA00-0BA0 (ET200SP CAN), I can configure everything in TIA Portal (e.g., setting it to CAN Transparent mode, defining send/receive messages, which generates the required tags and data blocks).However, in TIA Portal, Siemens provides the ET200SPCM_CANConfig function block as part of a library, which uses the generated hardware configuration DB. (while for the message bytes which are represented in terms of tags is something I can just use them in AX)So how can I achieve the same in SIMATIC AX?Where can I find or how can I use the equivalent of the ET200SPCM_CANConfig block in AX?How do I link or use the hardware configuration (DB generated in TIA Portal) within AX?

asked 2026-04-22

Shubham Patayane

1 answers

Gurumoorthy J · Answer 1 · 2026-05-13

Hi Shubham Patayane

Your analysis is correct. The 6ES7 137-6EA00-0BA0 (CM CAN) has no .hwl template in the AX hardware catalog, so a pure AX end-to-end workflow is not possible. The TIA Portal + AX hybrid is your only viable path.

The CM CAN module (6ES7 137-6EA00-0BA0) is not supported in SIMATIC AX's hardware catalog, so you can't configure it fully in AX alone. The recommended approach is a hybrid: configure the hardware in TIA Portal, and write your application logic in AX.

Here's how it works in 3 simple steps:

Step 1 — Configure hardware in TIA Portal (as usual)

Set the CM CAN module to Transparent mode, define your send/receive messages, and compile. TIA Portal will auto-generate tags with physical addresses like %IB10, %QB20 etc. Note these addresses down from the PLC Tags table.

Step 2 — Bind those addresses in AX

In your AX project, open configuration.st and declare variables that point to those exact same addresses:

CONFIGURATION MyConfig

VAR_GLOBAL

CAN_RxMsg1 AT %IB10 : ARRAY[0..7] OF BYTE; // receive bytes

CAN_TxMsg1 AT %QB20 : ARRAY[0..7] OF BYTE; // transmit bytes

END_VAR

END_CONFIGURATION

Think of AT %IB10 as saying: "this variable lives at address IB10" — the same address TIA Portal assigned to that CAN message.

Step 3 — Use them in your program normally

```

myVar := CAN_RxMsg1[0]; // read incoming CAN byte

CAN_TxMsg1[0] := 16#FF; // write outgoing CAN byte

```

What about ET200SPCM_CANConfig?

This function block only exists in TIA Portal — there is no AX equivalent. You don't need to port it. Just keep calling it in TIA Portal. It configures the module at startup. After that, AX takes over and handles the data.

Download order matters:

1. Download hardware config from TIA Portal first

2. Download your application from AX second (it only touches the software, not the hardware config)

Hope that clears it up!