SIMOREG 6RA70 F034 Fault: U103 Binector Diagnostic Procedure

1. Overview of the SIMOREG 6RA70 F034 Fault

The SIMOREG DC-MASTER 6RA70 series is a microprocessor-based converter platform used for the armature and field supply of DC motors in industrial drives from 6 kW to 2500 kW. Like every complex drive controller, the 6RA70 surfaces abnormal operating conditions through a structured fault and alarm number system. Fault F034 is a user-configurable fault that is not generated by a hard-wired hardware condition but by a freely selectable digital signal (a binector) routed into the S00 software block set. This configurability is intentional: it allows the drive programmer to assign a high-priority drive trip to any internal or external Boolean condition that the application logic considers critical.

When F034 trips, the drive inhibits the run command, removes the firing pulses, and the operator can only restart the equipment by acknowledging the fault via the parameterizing unit (PMU), the OP1S operator panel, DriveMonitor, or a fieldbus control word. The fault text visible on the panel always states: "Fault from S00 software, source signal binector see U103". Because the panel does not disclose which binector is currently active, the maintainer must decode the four indices U103.01, U103.02, U103.03, and U103.04 to identify the actual digital source.

2. Fault Numbering and the Free-Configurable Category

SIMOREG 6RA70 faults are grouped by origin. The drive distinguishes between:

• Hardware faults: power-section trips, overcurrent, overvoltage, encoder loss, thyristor diagnostics.
• Firmware faults: control-loop violations, speed/current monitoring, field-loss detection.
• Communication faults: PROFIBUS, Peer-to-Peer, SIMOLINK, USS, CBC (CBP/CB/TB board) timeouts.
• Application faults: free-configurable faults generated by the S00 software function blocks (this category includes F034).

F034 belongs to the application category. The fault condition is built from the four configurable binectors wired into the drive's free-function-block environment. The fault generator itself is S00 function block number 5, located in the function diagram on sheet B115. A positive edge (or steady 1 state, depending on configuration) on any of the four routed binectors drives the F034 output high and latches the drive trip.

3. Parameter U103 Structure and Indexing

Parameter U103 is the index address used to inspect or modify the four binector inputs of the F034 generator. The indices are:

A value of 0 means that the corresponding input is not connected. A non-zero value is the actual binector identifier, e.g. U103.01 = 3115 corresponds to binector B3115. Note that the 5 in "function block 5" and the 261 in "PI-controller 2 (block 261)" are ordinal numbers of S00 function blocks within the S00 software environment. They are not the same as the binector number; they are simply the sequential position of the block in the S00 chain (see sheet B101 for the block list).

4. The SIMOREG Binector and Connector Concept

SIMOREG 6RA70 signals are categorized as:

• Binectors (B): Boolean (1-bit) signals used as digital flags, control bits, and status bits. Examples: B3115 (CB word 1 bit 15), B9661 (PI controller 2 positive output limit), B0 (always 0), B1 (always 1).
• Connectors (K): Word (16-bit normalized) signals used as analog or multi-bit values. Examples: K9314 (PI controller 2 output), K0303 (actual speed), K0100 (control word 1).

For F034, only binectors are relevant because the fault generator evaluates Boolean inputs. To trace a fault, the maintainer must read the U103 indices, identify the binector number, and then locate the binector in the function diagram sheets (chapter 8 of the 6RA70 Compendium). The function diagram shows all places the binector is consumed, which reveals the upstream function block that sets it.

5. S00 Software Function Blocks and Their Ordinal Numbers

S00 is a Siemens term for the free programmable function block environment shipped with the 6RA70 firmware. Each S00 block receives an ordinal number when the project is compiled. Common S00 blocks used in center-winder, sectional, and torque-control applications include:

The "5" beside the F034 block on the function diagram is therefore not a wire count, not a fault priority, and not a binector number. It is the position of that block in the S00 chain. Sheet B101 in the manual lists every active S00 block in the firmware image; the maintainer should print this sheet to confirm the presence of block 5 (F034) and block 261 (PI-controller 2) for the specific firmware version running on the drive.

6. Step-by-Step Diagnostic Procedure for F034

The procedure below is derived from the standard 6RA70 troubleshooting workflow. It applies whether the drive is on-line or off-line via DriveMonitor.

1. Capture the active fault state. Connect the OP1S or DriveMonitor to the X300 serial interface (RS485) or X501/X502 PROFIBUS. Navigate to parameter U103. The drive stores the binector that caused the last F034 trip; record all four indices U103.01 to U103.04.
2. Filter out inactive indices. Each index containing 0 is an unconnected input. A non-zero index is a real binector number that must be traced.
3. Convert indices to binector names. The numeric value is a binector identifier, e.g. U103.01 = 3115 → B3115, U103.02 = 9661 → B9661. Use the binector list in chapter 9 of the manual to confirm the symbol.
4. Identify the source function block. Search the function diagram sheets in chapter 8 for the binector symbol. The sheet that drives the binector high is the source. For instance, B9661 is set on sheet B181 (PI-controller 2 positive output limit). B3115 is the received bit 15 of word 1 on the first CB/TB communication board.
5. Read the driving signal. For the source block, read the live value of the input that drives the binector. For PI-controller 2 (sheet B181) read connector U530 (input to PI-controller 2) and connector K9314 (output of PI-controller 2). The PI-controller output hitting the positive limit (parameter n960 of the controller) sets B9661 active.
6. Apply the corrective action. Adjust the application-specific signal so that the binector releases. Typical actions: lower the setpoint, increase the limit, retune the controller (P-gain, integral time), or replace a faulty sensor feeding U530.
7. Acknowledge the fault. Use the PMU keypad, OP1S, or control-word bit (bit 7 of the control word 1 when configured) to acknowledge F034.
8. Verify normal operation. Run the drive through a no-load and a loaded cycle. Confirm that U103.01 through U103.04 are all 0 when the system is healthy and that F034 does not re-appear.

7. Reference Function Diagram Sheets for F034 Diagnosis

Sheet B115 of the SIMOREG 6RA70 function diagram compendium contains the F034 generator block. Sheet B181 contains PI-controller 2, and sheet B101 contains the S00 software block index. The following table summarizes the relevant sheets and the maintainer's expected reading on each:

8. Worked Example 1: F034 Triggered by Communication Board Bit

In a project where U103.01 = 3115, the binector is B3115. According to the 6RA70 binector list, B3115 is the value of bit 15 received in word 1 of the first communication board (CBP, CB, or TB). The host PLC sets this bit to 1 when a remote trip is required (for example, a downstream conveyor emergency stop, a web break, or a fieldbus watchdog timeout). The diagnostic actions are:

1. Check the fieldbus status. Verify that the CBP2 or CBC is in cyclic data exchange (no diagnostic LED error).
2. Read process data word 1 received from the PLC. Confirm whether bit 15 is actually 1.
3. Trace why the PLC asserts this bit. It may be a logic error in the PLC program, a permissive signal failing, or a stuck input module.
4. Clear the bit in the PLC, acknowledge F034, and restart the drive.

9. Worked Example 2: F034 Triggered by PI-Controller 2 Output Limit

This is the most common F034 case in center-winder and tension-control applications. A typical observed configuration is U103.01 = 9661 (binector B9661), which means the trip is wired to the PI-controller 2 positive output limit flag.

PI-controller 2 is a free-function-block controller used to regulate an auxiliary process variable (dancer position, web tension, pressure, flow, etc.). Its input is connector U530 and its output is connector K9314. Parameter P961 of the controller (n960) sets the positive saturation. When K9314 reaches that saturation, the controller asserts B9661, which in turn drives F034.

Root-cause possibilities:

• Sensor failure: The feedback signal feeding U530 has been lost, drifted out of range, or shows a frozen value. The controller integral term keeps winding up until the output saturates.
• Setpoint out of range: The operator or recipe has commanded a setpoint that the actuator cannot reach, e.g. tension above the dancer span or speed above the mechanical limit.
• Actuator fault: The motor, gearbox, or valve controlled by K9314 is jammed, hydraulically locked, or electrically open-circuited.
• Controller tuning: The P-gain is too high and the I-time is too short, causing output to slam into the positive limit on every transient.
• Wiring / connector inversion: A feedback polarity sign error that prevents the controller from ever reaching setpoint.

Corrective actions in priority order: validate the feedback signal at the input terminal, check mechanical free motion, verify the setpoint range, and only then retune P and I terms. Reset F034 by acknowledging once the controller output is no longer pinned to the limit.

10. Hardware Interfacing and Connection Topology

For the 6RA70 used as a center winder, the SIMOREG is typically connected as follows:

This topology explains the two most common F034 sources on winder drives: a host-issued bit (B3115) coming through the fieldbus, or a local controller saturation flag (B9661) generated inside the S00 chain.

11. Parameter Reference for F034 Investigation

12. Verification Checklist After F034 Resolution

1. Confirm that U103.01 through U103.04 are all 0 when the drive is in the ready state (control word bit 0 = 1, no run command).
2. Force the drive into a no-load run command and watch the U103 indices. They should remain at 0 for the entire ramp.
3. Apply a step in setpoint and watch K9314 and U530. K9314 should track without saturating at n960 for a properly tuned controller.
4. From the PLC, momentarily assert bit 15 of word 1 to the drive. F034 must trip and latch. Acknowledge and confirm that the drive returns to ready.
5. From the PLC, de-assert the bit. Acknowledge. Run the drive and confirm a clean 1-hour continuous run with no F034.
6. Save a DriveMonitor trace or OP1S screenshot of U103 and the controller signals for the maintenance log.

13. Documentation and Standards References

For project documentation, the following primary sources should be archived and cross-referenced:

• SIMOREG DC-MASTER 6RA70 Compendium, chapter 8 (Function diagrams), chapter 9 (Parameter list), chapter 10 (Fault and alarm messages).
• SIMOREG DC-MASTER Field Supply manual, available from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal.
• SIMOREG Centerwinder application notes for winder-specific S00 configurations.

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