Schneider Electric fault record

USF: Undervoltage / Supply Loss Fault

The Altivar drive reports USF at power-up, drops ready state, trips after a run command, or shows undervoltage when the plant supply or line contactor changes state.

Deep technician fault route14 min read

Scope of this technical record

ATV61 / ATV71 USF route for users deciding whether an undervoltage fault comes from incoming supply, fuses, contactor timing, line sag, precharge, DC-link charging, undervoltage-management settings or internal measurement hardware.

Safety boundary

USF does not prove the drive is safe to touch. The DC bus can remain charged after an undervoltage event. Follow lockout, verify discharge and use qualified measurement procedure before input, precharge or DC-link inspection.

USF DC-link undervoltage route

1Input
2Fuses / contactor
3Precharge
4DC bus
5Measurement path

USF starts with measured input and charging evidence before any control-board conclusion.

ATV61 / ATV71 USF undervoltage evidence image

Schneider ATV61 ATV71 USF undervoltage route through input phases fuses contactor precharge and DC bus
The image starts USF at measured input and DC-bus charge evidence before board conclusions.

USF service decision matrix

USF needs a low-bus split before a board decision: incoming line, contactor/fuse, precharge, DC-link storage or bus measurement.

Observed situationDecision neededEvidence to collect
USF at power-upInput/precharge boundaryL1/L2/L3, fuses, contactor and bus-rise evidence
USF under loadSupply sag or line pathVoltage under load and upstream event timing
USF with stable inputInternal charge or measurement pathPrecharge, rectifier, capacitor and bus feedback evidence

USF begins with measured energy, not guesswork

USF indicates that the ATV61 / ATV71 DC bus has fallen below the undervoltage boundary. Schneider guidance points the technician to incoming line measurements, mains-voltage monitoring and DC-bus measurement. That means the first page objective is to prove whether the problem is outside the drive, in the charging path, or in internal sensing.

Many USF cases are field problems: weak supply, a contactor dropping out, a fuse or disconnect issue, line sag when another load starts, or a voltage-class/parameter mismatch. The drive electronics become suspect only after the input and DC-link evidence is coherent.

Separate power-up USF from running USF

A power-up USF and a running-load USF do not have the same first boundary. Power-up USF points toward the input path, contactor, fuses, precharge sequence and DC-link charge. Running USF points toward supply sag, upstream protection, line contactor behavior or load-related bus collapse. Intermittent USF may require event timing, plant-load correlation and terminal inspection rather than an immediate board decision.

USF timing map

USF timingLikely first boundaryEvidence to collect
At power-upInput path and prechargeL1/L2/L3 at drive, fuse/contactor state, bus rise
After run commandSupply sag under loadLine voltage under load, current demand, upstream contactor/fuse condition
After line contactor transitionUndervoltage timeout and contactor timingContactor timing, menu monitoring, event order
Intermittent plant-wideIncoming utility or generator instabilityVoltage trend, other load events, transformer tap condition
After previous repairCharging or sensing pathPrecharge evidence, DC-link measurement point, repair history

Measurements that make a USF case actionable

A useful USF request states where the voltage was measured. Upstream panel voltage alone is not enough. The drive terminals may see a different condition because of fuses, disconnects, contactor poles, wiring heat, line reactors or loose terminals. The DC bus measurement must also be collected only under a qualified safe procedure.

Thresholds and undervoltage timing can be parameterized in the fault-management area, but parameters should not be used to hide a real power problem. A timeout change can be appropriate for contactor sequencing; it is not a substitute for proving the line supply and charging path.

  • Measure L1-L2, L2-L3 and L1-L3 at the drive terminals under the relevant condition
  • Compare measured line voltage with the drive voltage class and monitoring menu reading
  • Record DC-bus voltage at PA(+)/PC(-) only when the procedure is qualified and safe
  • Inspect fuses, disconnect, contactor poles, wiring heat and loose terminals
  • Record whether USF follows plant load starts, generator transfer or contactor sequencing

When USF becomes a drive-side repair case

If the incoming line is stable at the drive terminals and USF remains repeatable, the investigation moves inward: precharge path, rectifier, DC-link capacitors, bus feedback, measurement scaling and auxiliary supply interaction. That is a different evidence package from an output-stage fault and should not be routed to an IGBT replacement by default.

The strongest support request includes type code, voltage class, first fault, line measurements, DC-bus evidence, contactor/fuse photos and a short description of the machine state. With those facts, the next step can be field correction, precharge/DC-link repair, control measurement investigation or replacement planning.

Field record checklist

  • USF timing
  • Line measurements at drive terminals
  • DC-bus evidence
  • Fuse/contactor/precharge evidence
  • Menu monitoring comparison
  • Plant-load correlation

Technical basis and reference documents

This is an independent editorial technical reference. Original manufacturer documentation remains controlling for installation, repair and commissioning decisions.

ATV61 / ATV71 OSF overvoltage levelSchneider Electric FAQ FA233615

Used to anchor OSF around DC-bus over-supply detection during capacitor charging and PWM-deactivated states.

USF fault on ATV61 / ATV71Schneider Electric FAQ FA237689

Used to anchor USF around low DC-bus voltage and field measurements on L1/L2/L3 and PA(+)/PC(-).

Causes of USF fault on ATV61 / ATV71Schneider Electric FAQ FA239974

Used to anchor undervoltage thresholds, incoming line checks, monitoring menu comparison and undervoltage-management timing.

Altivar 61 / 71 Programming ManualSchneider Electric technical documentation

Used for family-level fault-management and drive-parameter context; public pages avoid reproducing proprietary tables.

Diagnostic workflow

Evidence intake

Turn this record into a qualified service request

A repair decision is much more reliable when the request includes the exact identity of the drive, the first fault evidence and the machine condition when the symptom appeared.

  • Complete drive type code / MLFB or nameplate model
  • Fault code, fault value and first event before reset
  • When the event appears: power-up, enable, ramp, run, decel or stop
  • Motor/cable connected or isolated during the symptom
  • Visible board, option-card, module and connector identifiers
  • Previous repair history, replacement parts and repeat-failure pattern
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