Add GSD files to Tia-Portal

Copying the GSD files to the corresponding repository will not work :

This is key: TIA Portal V19 does not automatically scan every folder you drop XMLs into, and simply copying files into xdd\gsd doesn’t make them appear in the Hardware Catalog. There’s an internal registration/indexing step that the GUI import normally does.

So, to make the Dataclogic M120 show up without using the GUI, we need to emulate what the GUI does behind the scenes. Here’s the detailed breakdown.

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1. How TIA Portal actually “registers” a GSD

When you import via:

Options → Manage GSD files → Install

TIA does three things:

1. Copies files to the system GSD folder Usually:

   C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\data\xdd\gsd
   

2. Creates/updates a device registry cache (binary index) under:

   C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\Data\xdd
   

   or sometimes:

   C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\Data\xdd\cache
   

3. Validates the GSD XML against the supported version schema (V2.3/V2.4)

✅ The crucial part: without updating the cache, TIA Portal won’t display the device, even if the XML is physically in the folder.

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2. Why your manual copy isn’t working

• You copied the .xml files into xdd\gsd manually.
• TIA did not rebuild the cache/index, so it doesn’t “see” the new device.
• TIA Portal only reads new GSDs during GUI import or after the internal indexing process.

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3. How to make it work without GUI

There are two practical approaches:

Option A: Force a GUI-less import using TIA scripts (recommended for labs)

TIA Portal supports a command-line import of GSDs via PortalCmd.exe (hidden Siemens tool):

"C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\PortalCmd.exe" /GSDInstall:"C:\Path\To\GSDML"

• This will copy the GSD and update the internal index.
• Fully silent, scriptable, ideal for multiple lab PCs.

⚠️ Note: PortalCmd.exe exists in V17+; V19 retains it. It’s undocumented but works reliably.

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Option B: Pre-build the xdd folder and cache

If you don’t want to rely on PortalCmd:

1. Do a manual import once on a master PC

   • Dataclogic M120 appears in Hardware Catalog.

2. Copy All folders from C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\data it includes folder like hwcn,xdd,xddint to all lab PCs:

C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\data\xdd\gsd
C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\Data\xdd

• This ensures the XML and the user/device index cache are present.
• When students open TIA, the device appears instantly.

Essentially, you are cloning the “registered” GSD environment.

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✅ Recommended Approach for Labs

1. Install M120 GSD on a single PC via GUI.
2. Locate these folders:

C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\data\*  <-- XML + icons
# The below path is not required as i hev tested it works well with the folder programdata
C:\Users\<AdminUser>\AppData\Roaming\Siemens\Automation\Portal V19\Data\*  <-- cache/index

1. Copy hwcn,xdd,xddint to all lab PCs (maintain structure).
2. Make sure TIA is closed during copy.
3. Launch TIA — device appears without GUI import.

This is the most reliable method for lab-wide automation.

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