Yaskawa fault record

VCE-PROTECT: IGBT VCE Protection / Fast OC-GF Trip

Yaskawa 616G3-style driver stage removes gate pulses quickly during a module overcurrent, short-circuit, weak gate drive or abnormal collector-emitter voltage event.

Component-level protection-circuit explainer12 min read

Scope of this technical record

Maps the Yaskawa 616G3-style discrete gate-drive and fast VCE protection behaviour into a public repair reference for OC/GF trips, weak gate drive and repeat module failure after board work.

Safety boundary

The protection path must not be bypassed. Treat it as evidence about module stress or driver weakness, not as a nuisance signal to silence.

616G3 VCE fast-protection route

1PWM command
2Gate-current drive
3VCE detection
4GF / OC feedback
5Root-cause boundary

Fast module protection may be acting correctly; the repair question is why VCE rises during an on-command.

616G3 VCE fast-protection image

Yaskawa 616G3 IGBT VCE detection and GF OC feedback route
The image makes the driver-level VCE protection route visible: PWM, gate current, module voltage drop and fast GF/OC feedback.

Searcher intent coverage

This is not a generic OC/GF page. It explains whether fast VCE protection is proving a true module stress or exposing weak gate-current drive.

Observed search situationDecision the user needsEvidence to collect
Instant OC/GFExternal short or fast protection eventOutput isolation, VCE detector state
PWM exists but module does not turn on hardDriver current capability is suspectGate waveform, positive/negative bias comparison
Protection was bypassed or modifiedStop and restore protection logicGF/OC feedback path and module condition

Why this page is more useful than a fault-code definition

A fault-code definition only says short circuit, ground fault or overcurrent. The 616G3 driver/protection case explains why the driver may cut the pulse before slower current feedback has time to react. That timing is exactly what a repair technician needs to understand before changing a module.

The core question is whether the IGBT failed to conduct properly because the external load current was abnormal, the module itself was damaged, or the driver could not deliver enough gate current. A weak driver can make the collector-emitter voltage rise during a commanded-on pulse and trigger fast protection even when the original root cause is in the driver path.

Protection-path interpretation

The discrete circuit is useful because it exposes the physical evidence that integrated driver ICs often hide.

VCE protection map

Circuit areaRepair meaningEvidence to compare
PWM optocouplerCommand is isolated from logic sideInput/output pulse presence
Push-pull gate stageProvides transient gate charge and discharge currentPositive pulse, sink ability, heating
Negative gate biasKeeps IGBT safely offOff-state gate voltage across phases
VCE detectionDetects high voltage drop during on-commandThreshold path and diode/transistor state
GF/OC feedbackReturns module-protection event to CPUFeedback optocoupler state and event timing

Field-to-bench handoff

The field record should state whether the event occurs with the motor disconnected, under load only, after a repair, or on one phase. The bench record should then compare all six channels for gate drive, negative bias and protection feedback.

A board that receives PWM but cannot source or sink gate current is not repaired because the logic pulse exists. The module is a capacitive gate load that demands current; the page makes that invisible requirement explicit.

Field record checklist

  • Trip timing
  • Output path condition
  • Positive and negative gate bias comparison
  • PWM-to-gate result
  • VCE/protection feedback evidence

Technical basis and reference documents

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

Yaskawa 616G3 driver/protection circuit notesIndustrialDriveData editorial reference

Used to transform discrete driver and VCE protection explanation into a public functional map.

Yaskawa public support materialYaskawa

Used for general drive safety and fault-context alignment.

Diagnostic workflow