Read the fault before you clear it
When a PowerFlex 525 or 523 faults, the drive stops, the display flashes the fault number "Fxxx" and the FAULT indicator flashes red (520-UM001O pp. 62, 160). Press Esc to regain control of the display. This article covers the common codes other than F004, F005, F007 and F013 — those four have their own articles: fault F004 and faults F005, F007, F013.
Record these before clearing the fault (pp. 79, 144–146):
b007…b009,F604…F610[Fault x Code]: the last 10 faults,b007the most recent; a repeated fault is recorded only once.F611…F660: powered-up time, output frequency, output current and DC bus voltage at the fault.F661…F670[Status @ Fault x]: the drive status bits at the fault: running, forward, accelerating, decelerating and, on the 525, safety active (p. 146).
For the PowerFlex 523: the parameter list on p. 75 marks the fault 6–10 entries of F611…F670 as PowerFlex 525 only, while the parameter descriptions on pp. 144–146 label the whole F611…F670 group "PowerFlex 525 only". A PLC reading the drive over Modbus RS-485 gets the fault code from register 2101H (8449) (p. 211).
Type 1, Type 2 and how to clear
From p. 159:
- Type 1 "Auto-Reset/Run": if
A541[Auto Rstrt Tries] > 0, the drive resets the fault itself after theA542[Auto Rstrt Delay] time; if the cause has gone, the drive restarts. - Type 2 "Non-Resettable": may need drive or motor repair, or comes from wiring or programming errors. The cause must be corrected before the fault can be cleared; it is not reset automatically (p. 160).
Manual clearing, after the cause has been dealt with (p. 160):
- Press Stop, if
P045[Stop Mode] is set to 0…3. - Cycle drive power.
A551[Fault Clear] = 1 "Reset Fault", or 2 "Clear Buffer" — which also erases the fault history (p. 135).- Cycle a digital input set to 13 "Clear Fault".
A541 ranges 0…9, default 0; A542 defaults to 1.0 s (p. 134). F013 is auto-reset only once, regardless of A541 (p. 163).
Safety: resetting a fault — by hand, from an input, over the network or automatically — can restart the machine at once. Follow the plant's permit-to-work and lockout/tagout rules. Do not open the drive chassis (p. 159); before touching the power section, isolate the supply, wait three minutes and measure to confirm the voltage is gone (p. 13).
Fault code tables
Paraphrased from the fault table on pp. 161–163. "(525)" = the manual says the fault does not apply to PowerFlex 523.
Supply, current, temperature, load
| Code | Name | Type | Meaning | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F003 | Power Loss | 2 | Single-phase operation with excessive load | Line voltage, input fuses, reduce load |
| F006 | Motor Stalled | 1 | Cannot accelerate or decelerate the motor | Lengthen P041 [Accel Time 1] or reduce load so current does not sit at A484 [Current Limit 1] for too long; overhauling load |
| F008 | Heatsink OvrTmp | 1 | Heatsink over temperature | Dirty fins, ambient temperature, fan |
| F012 | HW OverCurrent | 2 | Current above the hardware limit | Programming, load, A530 [Boost Select], DC brake level too high |
| F063 | SW OverCurrent | 1 | Current above the Shear Pin level (A486) for longer than its time (A487) | Coupling, mechanical jam; level and time settings |
| F064 | Drive Overload | 2 | Drive overload rating exceeded | Reduce load or extend accel time |
| F015 (525) | Load Loss | 2 | Output torque current below A490 [Load Loss Level] for longer than A491 [Load Loss Time] | Connections between motor and load; level and time settings |
F064 is not F007: F007 protects the motor based on P033; F064 means the drive itself is overloaded. Heavy Duty allows 150 % for 60 s and 180 % for 3 s (p. 170). A495 [Drive OL Mode] lets the drive reduce current limit or PWM frequency before faulting; default 3 "Both-PWM 1st" (p. 127).
Output ground faults and shorts
| Code | Name | Type | Meaning | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F038 / F039 / F040 | Phase U / V / W to Gnd | 2 | One phase grounded between drive and motor | Drive–motor wiring, motor; replace drive if it cannot be cleared |
| F041 / F042 / F043 | Phase UV / UW / VW Short | 2 | Excessive current between two outputs | Output wiring and motor for a short; replace drive if it cannot be cleared |
External signals, safety, analog
| Code | Name | Type | Meaning | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F002 | Auxiliary Input | 1 | Input set to 12 "Aux Fault" has opened | Remote wiring; communications program faulting on purpose |
| F029 | Analog In Loss | 1 | Analog signal lost with t094/t097 = 1 "Fault (F29)" | Loose or broken wires; parameters |
| F059 (525) | Safety Open | 1 | Neither S1 nor S2 is energized | Safety circuit; without STO, the S1, S2, S+ jumper must be in place and tight |
| F111 (525) | Safety Hardware | 2 | Safety enable hardware malfunction | As F059; replace control module if it cannot be cleared |
- F002: the "Aux Fault" input is wired to a contact or signal from external equipment; the manual's example is a motor PTC (p. 45). Check that device before suspecting the drive.
- F059 or F111: if S1 opens and S2 follows within the discrepancy time, F059 occurs; if not, F111. The discrepancy time is 1 s on PowerFlex 525 firmware FRN 5.xxx and later, and 10 ms on FRN 4.xxx and earlier (p. 244).
- F059 is Type 1, so
A541> 0 can reset it automatically. On machines with a safety circuit, think carefully aboutA541.
Communications
| Code | Name | Type | Meaning | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F071 / F072 / F073 (525: F073) | DSI / Opt / EN Net Loss | 2 | Control lost over Modbus-DSI / option card / embedded EtherNet/IP | Cabling, settings, external network status |
| F081 | DSI Comm Loss | 2 | Communication lost between drive and Modbus/DSI master | Cabling, settings, C125; grounding terminals C1 and C2 may improve noise immunity |
| F082 / F083 (525: F083) | Opt / EN Comm Loss | 2 | Communication lost with the option card / embedded EtherNet/IP adapter | Reseat the card; Ethernet settings; replace wiring, switch, card or control module |
C125 [Comm Loss Action] sets the response to an RS-485 connection loss, default 0 "Fault"; C126 [Comm Loss Time] defaults to 5.0 s (p. 102). The embedded EtherNet/IP uses C143 [EN Comm Flt Actn], default "Fault" (p. 105). For intermittent network faults, look at the whole industrial network.
System and hardware
| Code | Name | Type | Meaning | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F033 | Auto Rstrt Tries | 2 | Auto reset failed for the number of tries in A541 | Find the original fault in the history, fix it, clear manually |
| F048 | Params Defaulted | 1 | Drive was commanded to write default values | Clear the fault; reprogram parameters |
| F100 | Parameter Chksum | 2 | Parameter storage corrupted | P053 [Reset To Defalts] = 2 "Factory Rset" (this returns all parameters to default, so re-enter the application settings afterwards) |
| F105 | C Connect Err | 2 | Control module removed while powered | Clear the fault, check parameters |
| F070 | Power Unit | 2 | Power section failure detected | Cycle power; ambient temperature; replace drive if it cannot be cleared |
| F122 | I/O Board Fail | 2 | Control and I/O section failure | Cycle power; replace drive or control module if it cannot be cleared |
| F126 | NonRecoverablErr | 2 | Nonrecoverable firmware or hardware error | As F122 |
When it is hardware
The fault table points to replacing the drive or a module only when the fault cannot be cleared: F038–F043, F070 (drive), F111 (control module), F122, F126 (drive or control module) (pp. 161–163). For F012, F064 and the external-signal faults, deal with load, parameters and external circuits first.
Before calling Rockwell or an authorized repair provider, have ready: catalog number, firmware from b029 [Control SW Ver] (p. 83), the 10 fault codes with the F6xx values, A541/A542, and what the machine was doing at the time. Need an engineer on site: request support.
Frequently asked questions
What is fault F059 Safety Open on a PowerFlex 525?
F059 means neither safety input S1 nor S2 is energized; it is a Type 1 fault and does not apply to PowerFlex 523 (520-UM001O p. 162). If STO is not used, check the S1, S2, S+ jumper.
What is fault F033 Auto Rstrt Tries?
F033 means the drive's automatic reset failed for the number of tries set in A541; it is a Type 2 fault (p. 161). Find the original fault in the history, fix it, then clear manually.
What is fault F081 on a PowerFlex 525?
F081 DSI Comm Loss means communication between the drive and the Modbus/DSI master was lost (p. 162). The response is set in C125 and the wait time in C126, default 5.0 s (p. 102).
How do I clear a fault on a PowerFlex 525?
After dealing with the cause: press Stop if P045 is set to 0…3, cycle power, set A551 to 1 or 2, or use a digital input set to "Clear Fault" (p. 160). A reset can restart the machine at once, so follow the plant's lockout/tagout rules.
Sources
- Rockwell Automation, 520-UM001O-EN-E, PowerFlex 520-Series Adjustable Frequency AC Drive User Manual, 09/2025 — chapter 4 pp. 159–163; parameters pp. 75, 79, 83, 102, 105, 127, 134–135, 144–146; pp. 13, 45, 62, 170, 211, 244
Read 6 November 2026. This article paraphrases the sources and does not quote them; read the original documents before designing or working on a system.