powerflex 700 overvoltage fault troubleshooting
Staring at Fault 5 on your PowerFlex 700? This Overvoltage guide explains why the DC bus spikes, how to check braking resistors, and the parameters to adjust. If you are standing in front of an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700 and the HIM module is flashing Fault 5 (Overvoltage) , your drive is protecting itself from a surge of electrical energy. In simple terms, the "DC Bus"—the drive's internal reservoir of power—has become over-pressurized. For a standard 480V drive, this usually means the voltage has spiked above 810V DC . To prevent the capacitors from failing, the drive trips. Let’s look at how to find the source of that extra energy. Common Causes of Overvoltage in PowerFlex 700 When a PowerFlex 700 trips on Fault 5, it’s usually due to one of these three scenarios: Regeneration (Deceleration): This is the #1 cause. When you try to stop a heavy load (like a fan or a centrifuge) too fast, the motor turns into a generator and...