Resolving CUVC 3.2 to 3.3/3.4 Parameter Download Error F104

1. Problem Overview

The Siemens SIMOVERT MASTERDRIVES VC family uses a CU (Control Unit) board to store and execute drive parameters. When the CU variant is the CUVC (Control Unit – Vector Control), firmware upgrades from V3.2 to V3.3 or V3.4 introduce a wider functional scope, including the Drive Tool (Control Panel) and additional technology functions for crane, hoist, and ship-handling drives. As a direct consequence, the parameter map is non-backward-compatible: parameters that did not exist on V3.2 acquire defaults on V3.3/3.4, and several parameter ranges are re-allocated, widened, or moved into read-only protection states until the access level is raised.

Field engineers migrating a replacement CUVC board (typically fitted to a crane hoist or bridge drive at a container terminal) commonly encounter the following sequence in DriveMonitor after issuing Download → Drive:

ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 71  [0]   [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 102 [255] [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 128 [255] [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 274 [255] [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 319 [255] [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 396 [255] [F-No.:104]
ERROR: Download ValueFailure  PNR 525 [255] [F-No.:104]

The drive powers up, accepts the on-line connection, and the converter firmware conversion dialog completes. The download is reported as finished, but the listed parameter numbers (PNRs) are silently rejected with fault number F-No. 104. When the operator then issues a raise command from the master controller, the motor only hums – no torque is produced, and no lift occurs.

2. CUVC Control Unit Architecture and Firmware Map

The CUVC is the parameter and closed-loop controller board for the MASTERDRIVES VC (Vector Control) and MC (Motion Control) platforms. Its parameter image is stored in two layers:

1. Firmware-resident parameter set – defined by the EPROM/Flash version loaded on the CUVC (3.2, 3.3, 3.4, etc.).
2. Operator / project parameter set – the user values stored in the EEPROM that DriveMonitor downloads, uploads, and compares.

Firmware V3.3 and V3.4 add the following blocks that do not exist in V3.2:

• Drive Tool (Control Panel) parameter block (PNR ≥ 500 series additions).
• Enhanced torque proving and load-side monitoring for hoist applications.
• Extended PROFIBUS-DP / USS diagnostics (status word 2, warning word 2).
• New safety-related PNR range for Safe Stop on SIMOVERT VC ≥ 3.3.

Because of these additions, the binary parameter file from a V3.2 CUVC cannot be downloaded byte-for-byte onto a V3.3 / V3.4 CUVC. DriveMonitor performs a firmware conversion, but only for the PNRs whose indices and meaning did not change. The remaining PNRs surface as F-No. 104 – Download Value Failure.

Official reference: DriveMonitor V5.4 SP2 – Siemens Industry Online Support entry ID 11769381.

3. Decoding F-No. 104 – Download Value Failure

DriveMonitor assigns a per-error fault number to every download rejection. F-No. 104 means the converter received the parameter index, accepted the address, but refused the value. The reasons it does so cluster into three families:

When the failure list includes PNR 71, the third sub-cause is almost always active because P070 (paradigm) was not adjusted before the download. P070 changes the meaning of multiple indices; DriveMonitor cannot perform this substitution, so it rejects the cascade with F-No. 104.

4. The Affected Parameter Numbers

The seven PNRs flagged in the failure log fall into three functional groups. Values shown are typical ranges; consult the firmware-specific parameter list for the exact scaling.

The placeholder value [255] reported by DriveMonitor indicates that the parameter index is known on the target firmware but DriveMonitor had no source value to translate, hence the failure rather than a silent default.

5. Root Cause Analysis

Three independent issues conspire to produce the symptom:

1. P070 paradigm mismatch. P070 selects between several motor-control paradigms (asynchronous, synchronous, torque-mode without encoder, etc.). If P070 is left at the V3.2 default, the meaning of subsequent PNRs on V3.3 / 3.4 is undefined and the converter rejects write attempts.
2. P060 access level. Several drive/motor parameters (the very ones in the failure list) are writable only when P060 = 5 (drives-setting). DriveMonitor defaults to P060 = 2 (service) for download operations; the firmware conversion wizard does not raise it.
3. Firmware-version binary incompatibility. PNR 396 and PNR 525 are new on V3.3 / 3.4. They do not appear in any V3.2 export; DriveMonitor flags them with [255] and aborts.

The root fix is therefore to (a) set P070 explicitly before the download, (b) raise P060 to 5 before the download, and (c) accept that PNR 396 and PNR 525 must be set manually after the download completes.

6. Pre-Download Preparation Procedure

Perform the following sequence on the V3.3 / V3.4 CUVC before issuing any DriveMonitor download.

1. Connect DriveMonitor (V5.2.2 or later; V5.4 SP2 is recommended for V3.4 firmware) to the CUVC via RS232 / USS or PROFIBUS.
2. Go on-line and read the firmware version with r060 (firmware version) and r061 (firmware build) to confirm the target.
3. Open the parameter tree and verify the inverter is in ready state: r000 must equal 010 (ready to switch on, pulses inhibited). If pulses are enabled, issue OFF1 from the master controller and wait.
4. Set the access level: navigate to P060 and enter 5 (drives-setting). Acknowledge with P. Press the parameter set confirm key (the green tick on the OP1S operator panel) so the value latches into EEPROM.
5. Set the paradigm: navigate to P070 and select the value matching the motor type from the table below.

6. Set the line voltage: P071 = nominal AC line-to-line voltage of the crane bus (commonly 400 V, 440 V, 480 V, or 690 V depending on the converter frame). Wrong P071 corrupts the DC-bus voltage model and is the most common cause of post-download humming.
7. Save with P (or Save to EEPROM on the OP1S).
8. Power-cycle the converter (24 V control supply OFF → ON) so that the paradigm change is recognised by the firmware on the next start.

7. DriveMonitor Download Procedure

With P060 = 5, P070 set, and P071 set, proceed with the parameter download.

1. In DriveMonitor, open the previously uploaded V3.2 parameter file (.dnx or .pdv depending on version).
2. Choose Drive → Download → All Parameters. When the firmware-version conversion dialog appears, click OK to proceed; DriveMonitor will mark new PNRs as undefined and retain the V3.2 values where compatible.
3. Monitor the message window. Expect F-No. 104 entries only for PNR 396 and PNR 525 (the genuinely new parameters). All other PNRs from the original failure list (71, 102, 128, 274, 319) should now download cleanly because the paradigm and access level are correct.
4. If F-No. 104 entries remain on the motor/control group, raise the operator panel access display with P060 = 5 once more (the download may have reset it to P060 = 2) and retry.

8. Manual Recovery of PNR 396 and PNR 525

DriveMonitor cannot supply these parameters from a V3.2 source because they did not exist. Set them manually through the OP1S operator panel or DriveMonitor's online parameter editor after the download.

1. Select P396 on the OP1S, enter the desired value, confirm with P.
2. Select P525, enter 0 (typical), confirm with P.
3. Press P + Up-arrow for three seconds to copy RAM to EEPROM.

9. Upload, Compare, and Audit Workflow

After the manual recovery, run an upload-and-compare cycle to confirm that every parameter from the original V3.2 source is now present on the V3.3 / 3.4 CUVC.

1. In DriveMonitor, choose Drive → Upload → All Parameters. Save the file as cuvc33_after_download.pdv in the project folder.
2. Choose File → Compare Parameter Sets and select the V3.2 source file (cuvc32_original.pdv) against the new file.
3. DriveMonitor will list every PNR whose value differs. Investigate each difference. Acceptable differences are limited to PNR 396, PNR 525 (expected to differ) and any explicit user adjustment for the new firmware.
4. Investigate any motor or control PNR differences by re-entering the values from the V3.2 file manually (the compare report gives the old and new values side-by-side).
5. Save the corrected file as the new project master.

10. Drive Commissioning and Verification

With the parameters restored, perform a controlled commissioning sequence before returning the drive to service.

1. Static check: On the OP1S, read r000 (operating state), r001 (speed setpoint), r002 (actual speed), r003 (DC-bus voltage), r004 (output voltage), r005 (output frequency), r006 (motor current). Confirm DC-bus is within ±10 % of nominal and no fault (r047 = 0) is present.
2. Motor identification: Issue P115 = 1 (motor-identification request) only with the motor de-coupled from the load (no ropes on the drum for hoist drives). The converter will inject the identification pulses; monitor r006 to confirm current is non-zero and within the motor nameplate rating.
3. Speed-controller optimisation: If the drive uses closed-loop vector control, run P236 = 1 (auto-tuning of the speed controller). The converter will sweep the speed setpoint and adjust P102 (Kp) and P103 (Tn) automatically.
4. No-load run: With the operator panel in local mode, give a small forward speed setpoint (e.g. 5 % of rated). Verify rotation matches the command. Increase to 50 % and observe current. The motor should accelerate without hunting.
5. Load test: Re-couple the hoist rope. Issue a slow-raise command from the master controller. Confirm the motor develops torque (r006 rises, motor no longer hums) and the load lifts smoothly.
6. Record baseline parameters: Upload the final parameter file one more time and store it as the as-commissioned baseline for the crane.

11. Related Fault: AFE F029

The reporter also mentions an AFE F029 issue on the same site. AFE (Active Front End) line-side converters on MASTERDRIVES use the firmware-state word and the line-voltage measurement to drive IGBT switching. Fault F029 on an AFE typically denotes line-side overcurrent or DC-bus overvoltage during pre-charge; it is often triggered when the CUVC on the line-side module has a different firmware version than the motor-side CUVC, or when P071 (line voltage) on the AFE does not match the bus voltage. After the motor-side CUVC migration described above, also align the AFE CUVC to the same firmware (3.3 or 3.4), then verify:

• P071 on the AFE matches the actual medium-voltage transformer secondary.
• Pre-charge resistors are intact (measure resistance; typical 50–200 Ω per string depending on frame).
• The DC-bus voltage on r003 of the AFE tracks the rectified line voltage within ±10 %.

12. Preventive Checklist for Future CUVC Replacements

• Always confirm the spare CUVC firmware version before installation; align motor-side and AFE-side firmware revisions.
• Document P060, P070, and P071 for every drive in the crane's electrical file.
• Keep the original V3.2 parameter file in a project archive, even after a successful V3.3 / 3.4 migration.
• Use DriveMonitor V5.4 SP2 (or the latest SP) for V3.4 firmware; older DriveMonitor builds may mis-interpret the new PNRs.
• After any firmware conversion, run the upload / compare / accept workflow before energising the motor.

FAQ