A Kinetix 3 servo drive (Bulletin 2071) shows an error on its status display by alternating a three-digit error code, such as E.022, with a short six-character text message, and repeats until the anomaly is cleared (
Read the display first
With the Main Power and Control Power indicators on (p. 114):
| Status display | Meaning |
|---|---|
rdy in the three right-hand characters |
Drive ready |
Pot or not |
Positive or negative overtravel: move off the limit switch in the opposite direction |
| A three-character warning | Drive working, with a warning (p. 115) |
| Three-digit code alternating with a text message | Error: see Table 35 (p. 116) |
The last eight errors are kept in monitor item 16, "Error History": the first digit is the position (1 = most recent), followed by the error code, for example 1-E004 (p. 83). Read it before cycling power, because the display only shows the current error.
Common error codes
| Code | Name in the manual | Usual causes | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.004 | Motor Overtemperature | Motor thermal switch trips: high ambient or excessive current, wiring, wrong motor | Continuous torque rating at ambient, cooling, motor wiring and selection (p. 116) |
| E.005 | IPM Error | Shorted motor cable or winding, operation above continuous rating, bad IPM output | Cable continuity, turn the motor by hand, ambient, acceleration (p. 116) |
| E.009 | Bus Undervoltage | Low AC input, or the drive enabled without main power | Incoming AC level and drops; apply main power before enabling (p. 116) |
| E.010 | Bus Overvoltage | Excessive regeneration or AC input too high | Shunt circuit, motion profile within the regenerative resistor range (p. 116) |
| E.012 | Home Search Failed | Homing did not finish within the Homing time limit ( |
Time limit; non-zero Homing Velocity ( |
| E.018 | Motor Overspeed | Motor speed above maximum | Encoder wiring, tuning, input gain of the external speed or torque command (p. 116) |
| E.019 | Excess Position Error | Position error above the permitted value | Following error limit, position loop tuning (p. 116) |
| E.022 | Motor Continuous Current Overload | Internal motor thermal filter tripped | Acceleration, duty cycle, motion time, size, tuning (p. 117) |
| E.023 | Drive Overload | Average drive current above rated capability | Same checks as E.022 (p. 117) |
| E.030 | Encoder Cable Open | No communication with an intelligent encoder, or Hall error | Motor selection, automatic identification, encoder wiring (p. 117) |
| E.036 | Drive Overtemperature | Excessive heat in the drive | Cooling fan on |
| E.037 | AC Line Loss | Poor power quality, enable without main power, missing phase, Fault Delay too short | Ride Through time, wiring of all phases, Fault Delay setting (p. 117) |
| E.075 | Shunt Overload Protection | Power at the regenerative resistor above its limit, or resistor disconnected or damaged | Motion profile, resistor connection and resistance (p. 118) |
| E.083 | Absolute Encoder Battery Error | Battery set as installed but missing, or battery below 2.7 V DC | Encoder Backup Battery setting, battery voltage and connection (p. 118) |
| E.101 | Motor Power Cable Open | Motor cable open | Power connection between motor and drive (p. 118) |
| E.102 | Motor Instantaneous Current Overload | Peak current required for too long, or current sensing fault | Motor wiring, accel/decel time, motor selection, phase currents (p. 118) |
| E.106 | Encoder Communication Error | Encoder wiring faulty or disconnected, or noise | Encoder wiring and noise (p. 118) |
| E.108 | Position Command Frequency Error | Pulse input frequency above its limit | Input hardware type, line driver instead of open collector, lower speed command, gearing (p. 118) |
| E.112 | Emergency Stop | E-STOP signal detected | Remove the emergency stop condition and clear E-STOP (p. 119) |
| E.114 | Motor Phase Over Current | At power-up: control or main power circuitry; while running: more than 300 % of rated motor current for more than 10 ms | Wiring and power, accel/decel time (p. 119) |
| E.027 | Axis Not Homed | Indexing attempted before homing was completed | Complete homing before indexing (p. 119) |
Fault outputs to the PLC
The I/O connector has the FAULT+/FAULT- servo alarm signal and three bits, FAULT1 to FAULT3, that give one of seven fault groups when decoded; all three ON means no fault (Table 20, p. 45). For example, group 1 holds the power-stage faults E.005, E.054, E.057, E.079 and E.114, and group 3 the encoder faults such as E.030 and E.106. Wiring these three bits to the PLC lets the HMI show the fault group without anyone reading the drive. FAULT1 to FAULT3 can be reassigned as extra digital outputs, so check the drive parameters before relying on them (p. 44).
Checks, step by step
- Record the code and the error history before resetting or cycling power.
- Power faults (E.009, E.037): measure AC at the drive; check that the drive is not enabled before main power is on. The interconnect notes require at least 1.0 second after main power is restored before enabling (p. 122).
- E.005 and E.114: for E.005, with all power and motor connections removed, check continuity from the DC bus to U, V and W (p. 116); for E.114, check wiring and power and the accel/decel time (p. 119).
- Encoder faults (E.030, E.106, E.083): encoder cable and connector, shield, motor selection; for absolute encoders, the battery.
- Regeneration (E.010, E.075, E.079): shunt resistor connection, resistance and the deceleration profile.
- Pulse command (E.108): the input type set in the drive must match the controller output (open collector or line driver).
Clearing faults safely
The Fault Reset input (A-RST) removes faults that can be cleared from the display (p. 40). Find and correct the cause before operating again; do not defeat the drive fault circuits. Before working on the drive, measure the DC bus voltage or wait the time on the drive warning label (p. 113). Clearing a fault can restart the machine: follow the plant's permit and lockout rules. Replacing the encoder battery loses the absolute position, so homing can be needed afterwards (p. 115).
When it is hardware
- E.054 Current Feedback Offset, E.057 PWM Hardware Error, E.060 Drive Initialization Error: replace the drive (pp. 117–118).
- E.056 Watchdog Timeout: verify wiring, grounding and bonding for noise; if the hardware is defective, replace the drive (p. 117).
- E.028 and E.031, encoder data errors: replace the motor (p. 117).
Planning the replacement
The Kinetix 3 is discontinued, so a hardware fault is a good moment to plan the move to a current drive. The replacement Rockwell lists for each 2071 catalog number is on its end-of-life page, and the options are compared in Kinetix servo drive migration. For an engineer on site: breakdown support.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read an error on a Kinetix 3 drive?
The status display alternates a three-digit error code, such as E.022, with a six-character text message, and repeats until the anomaly is cleared (
What does Pot or not mean on a Kinetix 3?
Positive or negative overtravel. Move the axis off the limit switch in the opposite direction (p. 114).
What is E.022 on a Kinetix 3?
E.022 Motor Continuous Current Overload means the drive's internal motor thermal filter has tripped. Reduce acceleration and duty cycle, allow more time for the move, check tuning or use a larger drive and motor (p. 117).
How do I see earlier Kinetix 3 errors?
Monitor item 16, "Error History", keeps the last eight errors, numbered 1 for the most recent to 8 for the oldest, for example 1-E004 (p. 83).
Sources
- Rockwell Automation,
2071-UM001E-EN-P , Kinetix 3 Component Servo Drives User Manual, 11/2013 — pp. 40, 44–45, 83, 122, chapter 9 "Maintain and Troubleshoot Your Kinetix 3 Servo Drive" (pp. 113–119)
Read 13 November 2026. This article paraphrases the sources and does not quote them; read the original documents before designing or working on a system. Links open the latest edition in Rockwell's literature library; page numbers refer to the edition cited.