Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 System Manual page 104

Device address (e.g., Ethernet address)
Device addresses are addresses of modules with interfaces to a subnet (e.g., IP address or
PROFIBUS address). They are required to address the various devices on a subnet, for
example, to download a user program.
Hardware identifier
STEP 7 automatically assigns a hardware identifier (HW identifier) for identification and
addressing of modules and submodules. The HW identifier is used, for example, for
diagnostics alarms or for instructions, to identify the faulty module or the addressed module.
In the "System constants" tab of the Inspector window, you will find all hardware identifiers
and their symbolic names (of the hardware identifier) for the selected module.
Figure 7-7
SIMATIC Drive Controller
System Manual, 11/2019, A5E46600094-AA
Automatic identification and addressing of modules and submodules in STEP 7
Configuring
7.6 Address assignment
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