Troubleshooting CUVC 6SE7090 FW 2.2 Drivemonitor Detection

1. Problem Overview

A field service engineer reports that a SIMOVERT MASTERDRIVES vector control unit — Siemens part number 6SE7090-0XX84-6AB5 — carries a CUVC control card stamped with firmware version V2.2. When the engineer attempts to bring the drive online through DriveMonitor V5.5 over a USS link, the application identifies that a CUVC is present on the bus but rejects the connection with a "database not available" error. The text "versions supported by DriveMonitor for CUVC starts at 3.0" appears in the dialog because the bundled MDVV (parameter database) files begin at firmware index 030.

As a workaround, the engineer copied the MDVV_30.* files and renamed them to MDVV_22.*. DriveMonitor then opens the drive, but every write/download operation terminates with a checksum or firmware-version fault. In addition, executing the factory-reset function drives parameter P60 to 0 and locks it there — DriveMonitor returns "parameter is illegal" when any other value is selected.

This article dissects the root cause, walks through the safe recovery procedure, and documents the verification checks required before the drive can be put back into service.

2. Hardware Identification: The CUVC Card

The CUVC is the vector-control electronics board used in the SIMOVERT MASTERDRIVES 6SE70/6SE71 family. It executes the closed-loop current, speed, and torque control for induction and synchronous motors, and exposes the USS, PROFIBUS (via CBP) and peer-to-peer interfaces through the backplane connector strip X100.

Two pieces of evidence must agree before firmware 2.2 is treated as authoritative:

1. The handwritten firmware index on the CUVC sticker.
2. The value read from parameter r060.0 (firmware version) on a known-good DriveMonitor connection.

If the two disagree, the card has been re-flashed and the sticker is the historical label, not the running firmware. This is a common cause of "wrong generation" errors.

3. Root Cause Analysis

3.1 DriveMonitor MDVV database

DriveMonitor 5.5 ships with a per-firmware-index parameter database. The relevant file pattern is:

\DriveMonitor\Bin\MDVV030.*   ← index 030 = firmware V3.0
\DriveMonitor\Bin\MDVVF030    ← function set
\DriveMonitor\Bin\MDVVM030    ← menu tree
\DriveMonitor\Bin\MDVVE030    ← English language

DriveMonitor looks up the firmware index reported by the drive through USS parameter r060.0 and tries to load the matching MDVV<index>.* set. If no match is found, it logs the error "no database for this firmware version" and refuses to open the project.

3.2 Why firmware V2.2 has no native database

Siemens never shipped a public DriveMonitor release that carried a MDVV_22.* set. The V2.2 firmware line was commissioned with SIMOVIS, a DOS-based tool long since discontinued. There is no clean back-port of the V2.2 parameter tree into DriveMonitor 5.5. The only path is to remap a V3.0 (or later) database onto a V2.2 target, which produces correct read access but mismatched write checksums because the parameter scaling, default values, and BICO interconnections differ between firmware generations.

3.3 Why parameter P60 is locked at 0

In SIMOVERT MASTERDRIVES the parameter P060 selects the active parameter set / menu level:

A factory reset writes P060 = 0 as part of the default initialization. If the engineer is also routed through a renamed MDVV_22 database that internally still expects a V3.0 menu structure, DriveMonitor may refuse the write because the parameter "does not exist" in the V3.0 tree at that index, returning "parameter is illegal." The drive is therefore not actually locking the parameter — the tool is rejecting the write because the parameter-set descriptor in the surrogate database does not match the V2.2 firmware layout.

4. DriveMonitor 5.5 Communication Setup

Before any database trick is attempted, DriveMonitor must establish a clean USS handshake with the CUVC. Use the automatic card-sensing mode rather than manual selection.

1. Close every project in DriveMonitor.
2. From the menu, select File → Set up a USS Online connection…
3. Choose the correct COM port (typically COM1 or the USB-to-RS485 adapter COM number).
4. Set the baud rate to the value configured in the drive's P701 / P702 (default 9600, 19200 if the drive has been reconfigured).
5. Set the USS address to 0 first, then sweep 1…31 if the address is unknown.
6. Click "Identify drive on the bus" (the "sniffer" mode). DriveMonitor queries each address and reads r060.0 to determine the firmware index automatically.
7. If the firmware is identified as V3.0 or higher, the standard MDVV_30.* files load and full read/write is available.
8. If the firmware is identified as V2.2, DriveMonitor returns the "no database for this firmware version" message — proceed to Section 5.

5. Renaming the MDVV Files (Read-Only Workaround)

The following procedure recovers read access to the parameter tree when no V2.2 database is available. It is intended for diagnostics and parameter documentation only — do not use it to download parameter sets back to the drive.

1. Close DriveMonitor completely.
2. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Siemens\DriveMonitor\Bin\ (or the installation path chosen during setup).
3. Make a full backup copy of every existing MDVV* file into a separate folder.
4. For each of the 19 source files (per the discussion thread) starting with MDVV_30, MDVVF030, MDVVM030 and the language variants (English at minimum), create a copy named with the V2.2 index, e.g. MDVV_22.*, MDVVF022, MDVVM022, MDVVE022.
5. Open the binary header of each renamed file in a hex editor and update the firmware-index field (typically the first 16-bit word after the signature) from 0x1E (30 decimal) to 0x16 (22 decimal). Skip this step if the firmware index is referenced by file name only — modern DriveMonitor builds (5.5 SPx) use the filename suffix, not the binary header.
6. Restart DriveMonitor and connect. The drive will now open and the parameter tree will be visible.

6. Recovering P60 / P060 Access

When P060 is stuck at 0 because the surrogate database rejected the write, the recovery path is to issue the parameter change from a tool that uses a V2.2-correct tree. The two practical options are listed below.

6.1 Option A — DriveMonitor with a patched parameter set

1. Open DriveMonitor with the renamed V2.2 database active.
2. Navigate to P060 in the parameter list (it is in the "Parameter access" menu group).
3. Open the Signals / BICO tab to confirm that the parameter is in the firmware's recognized list — if it does not appear in the tree, the database is wrong and the write will be rejected.
4. Set P060 = 1 using the parameter change dialog, enable "RAM only" first, verify the change sticks, then commit to EEPROM.

6.2 Option B — Direct USS write from a terminal

If DriveMonitor continues to refuse the write, drive P060 over the USS bus from a raw terminal (e.g. PuTTY, Tera Term, or a SIMATIC PDM USS channel). The P060 write telegram has the structure:

STX  LGE  ADR  PKE  IND  PWE1  PWE2  BCC
0x02 0x08 0x01 0x403C 0x0000 0x0001 0x0000 0xXX

Decoded:

Calculate the BCC by XOR-ing bytes 2 through 7 of the frame (LGE…PWE2). The drive should respond within one telegram time (≈ 20 ms at 9600 baud) with an acknowledgement containing the same PKE and the new value echoed in PWE1/PWE2.

7. Factory Reset Behavior and Why P60 Settles to 0

The factory-reset function on a CUVC is invoked from the PMU operator panel by pressing the P key and the green "I" key simultaneously for > 3 s, or from DriveMonitor via Drive → Factory Reset. It performs the following actions:

1. Resets all writable parameters in the active parameter set to their firmware-default values.
2. Writes P060 = 0 (operation level, no write access for the operator panel).
3. Clears the fault memory and warning buffer.
4. Writes the result to the EEPROM only if the drive is in the "save to non-volatile" state.

After the reset the drive is in a safe, read-only state. To re-enable programming the engineer must first set P053 (parameter access enable) to a non-zero value, then set P060 to a value that exposes the desired menu. If the DriveMonitor tree in use does not contain P053 / P060 at the expected indices, the tool reports "parameter is illegal" even though the drive itself is correctly responding to the writes.

8. Alternative Software Options

9. Step-by-Step Recovery Procedure

The combined procedure brings a stuck CUVC V2.2 back to a fully programmable state using the most direct combination of tools.

1. Verify the sticker, part number 6SE7090-0XX84-6AB5, and firmware index V2.2 on the CUVC. Photograph the card for the service record.
2. Power down the drive, wait five minutes, verify DC bus is at 0 V, then seat the card in slot 2 if it was removed.
3. Connect a PC running DriveMonitor 5.5 to the drive's USS port X100 via a Siemens PC-to-drive cable.
4. Use File → Set up a USS Online connection and let DriveMonitor sniff the drive. Confirm the firmware index reported matches the sticker.
5. If DriveMonitor refuses to open, apply the MDVV rename procedure in Section 5 to obtain read access.
6. Read r060.0 and document the firmware index.
7. From the parameter tree, navigate to P053 and set it to enable parameter access (typically P053 = 0 for "no restriction" or a password-protected value per site policy).
8. Set P060 = 1 to expose the standard parameter set.
9. If the DriveMonitor write is rejected, fall back to the raw USS terminal write described in Section 6.2.
10. Back up the parameter set with File → Upload from drive and store the *.dnx file with a clear revision tag.
11. Do not download any V3.0 database back to the drive. Use the V2.2 source files (SIMOVIS archive or a verified backup) for any parameter write operation.

10. Verification and Commissioning Checks

Before returning the drive to production, run the following checks and record the results in the commissioning log.

11. Common Pitfalls and Field Notes

• Pitfall: A successful DriveMonitor connection via renamed MDVV files does not mean the database is correct. Treat it as a read-only diagnostic view, not a commissioning tool.
• Pitfall: Downloading a V3.0 parameter set to a V2.2 drive can corrupt the BICO routing on the analog and digital inputs, which is not always visible until a real process ramp is attempted.
• Pitfall: The "parameter is illegal" message on P060 is often a database mismatch, not a drive fault. Verify with a raw USS write before concluding that the drive is locked.
• Pitfall: CUVC cards are static-sensitive. Use an ESD wrist strap when handling the board and place it on a grounded conductive mat if it is out of the chassis for more than a few seconds.
• Pitfall: A factory reset does not always clear all parameters; certain OEM parameter sets (P35x series on a CUVC) survive the reset and must be cleared manually.
• Field tip: Keep a known-good, untouched CUVC of each firmware generation on the bench as a reference. Comparing r060, r061 and r062 between the suspect and reference cards quickly confirms whether a card has been re-flashed.
• Field tip: When the USS bus has multiple drives, connect them one at a time and verify each before paralleling. Mixing baud rates or address conflicts will mask the V2.2 identification problem.

12. Migration Path Off V2.2

Because DriveMonitor 5.5 and SIMATIC PDM do not support the V2.2 firmware, the long-term service plan should target one of the following moves:

1. Same-platform upgrade: Replace the CUVC V2.2 with a CUVC V3.x card of the same hardware revision (e.g. 6SE7090-0XX84-6DB0 or later). The pinout and slot location are identical. The new card will need a full parameter re-commissioning, but the motor and encoder wiring are retained.
2. Cross-platform migration: Move the application to a SINAMICS S120 (booksize or blocksize) or a SINAMICS G120 with a CU320-2 / CU250S-2 control unit. This requires a fresh commissioning and a new parameter set, but it brings the drive onto the current Siemens Drive Monitor (Startdrive) and ensures spare-parts availability for the next 10+ years.
3. Obsolescence mitigation: If neither option is possible, lock the existing V2.2 drive into a sealed configuration, document the renamed MDVV file set, and store a verified SIMOVIS image on a bootable DOS USB stick for emergency access.

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