Ultra5000 fault codes: E05, E10, E20, E34 explained

How to read E codes on the Ultra5000 seven-segment display, the half-circle display, address settings 96/97/99, the DeviceNet LEDs, common codes (E04, E05, E09, E10, E20, E34, E37, E58…), what to check and how to plan the replacement.

An Ultra5000 intelligent positioning drive (Bulletin 2098-IPD) reports a fault on its seven-segment Status LED display: it flashes an E, then the two-digit error code one digit at a time, and repeats until the problem is cleared (2098-IN001E-EN-P, p. 5-2). E, 3, 4 means E34. Without any code, the same display also shows when the drive is ready, when it is in boot mode and when its firmware needs an upgrade (p. 4-4). The full code list is in chapter 5, "Maintaining Your Ultra5000" (pp. 5-2 to 5-6), followed by DeviceNet troubleshooting up to p. 5-10. The end-of-life pages show the 2098-IPD drives discontinued in 2013 with no replacement catalog number named by Rockwell; see for example 2098-IPD-010.

What the display tells you first

With the Logic Power (PWR) LED on (pp. 4-4, 5-2):

Status display	Meaning	What to do
Segments cycling in a full circle	Drive ready	Nothing
Half circle, address switches at MSD = 9, LSD = 9	Boot mode	Set the address switches back to a normal address (p. 4-2)
Half circle, address switches at a normal address	Firmware requires an upgrade	In Ultraware: File > Upgrade Firmware (p. 4-5)
Flashing E and two digits	Drive has an error	Read the code below

Symptoms without a code (pp. 5-2 to 5-3):

PWR off: no AC power or auxiliary logic power; check the AC supply or the auxiliary +5 V logic power. If power is present, the internal power supply has failed: call your Allen-Bradley representative.
Seven-segment display not cycling: firmware corrupt. Set the node address to 99 and reload the firmware.
Small segment cycling: the node address is set to 99, or the firmware is corrupt (set 99, reload firmware, then cycle power).
Motor jumps when first enabled: motor wiring error or wrong motor selected.
Digital I/O not working: I/O connections, I/O power source and I/O type (sinking or sourcing).

The serial address switches (MSD and LSD) have special settings read at power-up: 96 stops user programs from running, useful when a program causes a communication loss; 97 resets all firmware objects, including those created by a user program, to factory defaults; 99 is boot mode, where the only action is a firmware upgrade with Ultraware. Settings 1 to 63 are for normal operation. Cycle power after changing a switch (p. 4-2).

Common error codes

Code	Name in the manual	Usual causes	What to check
E04	Motor Overtemperature	Motor thermostat trips: high motor ambient or excessive current; motor wiring; wrong motor selected	Continuous torque rating at ambient (40 °C max), motor cooling, wiring, motor selection (p. 5-3)
E05	IPM Fault	Shorted motor cable or winding, drive too hot, above continuous power rating, bad IPM output, short circuit or overcurrent	Cable continuity, turn the motor by hand, vents, fan and space around the drive, reduce acceleration (p. 5-3)
E09	Bus Undervoltage	Low AC line or AC power input	Incoming AC level, glitches or line drops; a UPS on the AC input (p. 5-3)
E10	Bus Overvoltage	Excessive regeneration, including a motor driven by an external mechanical source; AC input too high; output short circuit; shorted motor cable or winding	Deceleration or motion profile, larger system, resistive shunt, input voltage within specification (p. 5-4)
E11	Illegal Hall State	Incorrect phasing or bad connections	Hall phasing and wiring, 5 V supply to the encoder (p. 5-4)
E14	DeviceNet Comm Fault	Drive lost communication with the DeviceNet interface	DeviceNet LEDs and network, below (p. 5-4)
E17 / E26	User-Specified Current Fault / User-Specified Velocity Fault	User-set average current or velocity level exceeded	Use a less restrictive setting (pp. 5-4, 5-5)
E18	Overspeed Fault	Motor above 125 % of maximum rated speed	Cable noise, tuning (p. 5-4)
E19	Excess Position Error	Position error limit exceeded	Feed forward gain, following error limit or time, position loop tuning (p. 5-4)
E20	Motor Encoder State Error	Illegal encoder transition, or bad encoder	Shielded twisted-pair cable, routing away from noise, system grounds; replace the motor or encoder (p. 5-4)
E21	Auxiliary Encoder state error	Illegal transition on the auxiliary encoder	Shielded twisted-pair cable, routing, ground connections; replace a bad encoder (p. 5-5)
E22	Motor Thermal Protection Fault	Internal filter protecting the motor from overheating tripped	Acceleration, duty cycle, time allowed for motion, larger drive and motor, tuning (p. 5-5)
E23	IPM Thermal Protection Fault	Internal filter protecting the drive tripped	Same checks as E22 (p. 5-5)
E24	Excess Velocity Error	Velocity error limit exceeded	Time or size of allowed error, acceleration, tuning (p. 5-5)
E29	Encoder Output Frequency Exceeded	Encoder output above the user maximum (encoder output mode set to software only)	Output Encoder Limit and encoder output divider parameters (p. 5-5)
E34	Ground Fault	Wiring error, motor internal ground short, internal malfunction	Motor power wiring; test with the motor cable removed (p. 5-5)
E35	Precharge Fault	Low AC input voltage	AC voltage on all phases (p. 5-5)
E36	Power Circuitry Overtemperature	Excessive heat in the power circuitry	Same checks as E22 (p. 5-5)
E37	AC Line Loss	One or more AC input phases missing	AC voltage on all phases (p. 5-6)
E39	Self-sensing Commutation Startup Error	Motion needed for self-sensing startup obstructed	Hard limits at startup, self-sensing current, motor or encoder wiring with wiring diagnostics (p. 5-6)
E58	Excess CPU Load	User functions in the sequencer take too much time	Remove the user function from the sequencer or make it smaller (p. 5-6)

For E04: the drive faults when the motor thermostat input opens. A motor without a thermostat signal can be set in software so the drive ignores the input (p. 2-27). Codes listed as Reserved (for example 01 to 03, 06 to 08, 40 to 57 and 59 to 99) mean: call your Allen-Bradley representative (pp. 5-3 to 5-6).

DeviceNet status LEDs (-DN drives)

On 2098-IPD-xxx-DN and -HVxxx-DN drives (pp. 5-6 to 5-7):

LED	State	Meaning and action
Module Status	Flashing red	Recoverable fault: power cycle or reset the drive
Module Status	Steady red	Unrecoverable fault: check for a power-up error; replace the drive
Network Status	Off	Not powered or not on-line: check the Module Status LED, other nodes and the data rate
Network Status	Flashing red	I/O connection timed out: re-initiate I/O messaging from the master, reduce traffic or errors
Network Status	Steady red	Duplicate MAC ID or bus-off: unique addresses, media installation, same data rate on every node

The DeviceNet node address is set with the MSD and LSD rotary switches (00 to 63, or PGM) and the data rate with its own switch (125, 250 or 500 kbit/s, AUTO or PGM); an address above 63 makes the drive use a value stored in non-volatile memory (p. 3-13). For a node that keeps going bus-off, the manual's order is: data rate, another node address, the tee tap, topology, then power noise with an oscilloscope (p. 5-8).

Checks, step by step

Record before any reset: the code, the catalog number (-DN, HV or neither), the LED states and the address switch setting.
Power faults (E09, E35, E37): measure the incoming AC at the drive, on all phases for E35 and E37 (pp. 5-5, 5-6); for E09 also check the supply for glitches or line drops, or fit a UPS (p. 5-3).
E05 and E10: with all power and motor connections removed, check continuity from the DC bus to U, V and W. If there is continuity, look for wire fibers between the terminals or send the drive for repair (pp. 5-3, 5-4). For E10, also disconnect the motor power cables from the drive: if the faults stop, replace the cable (p. 5-4).
E34: disconnect the motor power cable from the drive and enable with the current limit set to 0. If the fault clears, the cause is wiring or the motor; if it remains, call your Allen-Bradley representative (p. 5-5).
Encoder faults (E11, E20, E21): shield and twisted pairs, routing away from noise, grounds, Hall wiring.
Program-related faults (E17, E26, E29, E58): the user settings or user program. If a running program blocks communication, address setting 96 stops it from starting at power-up (p. 4-2).

Clearing faults safely

Find and correct the cause first; the error display repeats until the problem is cleared (p. 5-2). Before working on the drive, measure the DC bus voltage or wait the full time on the warning label on the front of the drive (p. 5-1). When first applying power during commissioning, the manual says to disconnect any load so the motor is free of all linkages (p. 4-3); do the same when powering a repaired or replaced drive for the first time. Clearing a fault can restart the machine: follow the plant's permit and lockout rules.

When it is hardware

PWR off with power present: internal power supply malfunction (p. 5-2).
Display not cycling and a firmware reload at address 99 does not help: the manual's next action is to call your Allen-Bradley representative (p. 5-2).
E05 or E10 with continuity from the DC bus to U, V or W and no wire fibers: send the drive for repair (pp. 5-3, 5-4).
E34 that remains with the motor cable removed and the current limit at 0 (p. 5-5).
Steady red Module Status LED on a -DN drive: replace the drive (p. 5-6).

Planning the replacement

The Ultra5000 runs a user program written in a compiled ANSI C subset with a library of motion functions, in 512 Kbytes of user program memory (p. A-6). Any replacement means moving that program as well as the drive, so keep a copy of the program and the Ultraware configuration now. The end-of-life page of each 2098-IPD catalog number gives the Rockwell lifecycle status, and the current Kinetix families for Kinetix 300/350/6000 and Ultra3000 drives (not the Ultra5000) are compared in Kinetix servo drive migration. For an engineer on site: breakdown support.

Frequently asked questions

How do I read an Ultra5000 error code?

The seven-segment Status LED flashes an E, then the two-digit code one digit at a time, and repeats until the problem is cleared (2098-IN001E-EN-P, p. 5-2). E, 3, 4 means E34.

What does a half circle on the Ultra5000 display mean?

With the address switches at 99, the drive is in boot mode: set the switches back to a normal address. With a normal address, the firmware requires an upgrade, done in Ultraware with File > Upgrade Firmware (pp. 4-2, 4-4, 4-5).

What is E34 Ground Fault on an Ultra5000?

A wiring error, a motor internal ground short or an internal malfunction. Disconnect the motor power cable from the drive and enable with the current limit set to 0: if the fault clears, the cause is wiring or the motor; if it remains, call your Allen-Bradley representative (p. 5-5).

What does E10 Bus Overvoltage mean on an Ultra5000?

Too much regenerated energy, AC input too high, or a short circuit at the output or in the motor cable or winding. Check the deceleration profile and the shunt; for a short, remove all power and check continuity from the DC bus to U, V and W (p. 5-4).

Sources

Rockwell Automation, 2098-IN001E-EN-P, Ultra5000 Intelligent Positioning Drives Installation Manual, 04/2002 — pp. 2-27, 3-13, 4-2 to 4-5, chapter 5 "Maintaining Your Ultra5000" (pp. 5-1 to 5-10), p. A-6

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.