RC7M Controller IPM Card Replacement

• Faulty IPM cards have a the possibility to generate any of the following errors. That said, they arent the only possible cause for the errors listed below so the errors may not be resolved by replacing the IPM card. If spare parts are available its easy to try and replace the specified joints IPM card to try to resolve the error. Presence of these errors can be reviewed in the Error Log 

  6111 J1 Excess error 6112 J2 Excess error  6113 J3 Excess error  6114 J4 Excess error  6115 J5 Excess error  6116 J6 Excess error  6117 J7 Excess error  6118 J8 Excess error  6141 J1 Power Module Failure 6142 J2 Power Module Failure  6143 J3 Power Module Failure  6144 J4 Power Module Failure  6145 J5 Power Module Failure  6146 J6 Power Module Failure  6147 J7 Power Module Failure  6148 J8 Power Module Failure  61B1 J1 Power Module Overload 61B2 J2 Power Module Overload  61B3 J3 Power Module Overload  61B4 J4 Power Module Overload  61B5 J5 Power Module Overload  61B6 J6 Power Module Overload  61B7 J7 Power Module Overload  61B8 J8 Power Module Overload 6121 J1 Overcurrent 6122 J2 Overcurrent  6123 J3 Overcurrent  6124 J4 Overcurrent  6125 J5 Overcurrent  6126 J6 Overcurrent  6127 J7 Overcurrent  6128 J8 Overcurrent 6149 J1 power module capacity failure 614A J2 power module capacity failure 614B J3 power module capacity failure 614C J4 power module capacity failure 614D J5 power module capacity failure 614E J6 power module capacity failure 614F J7 power module capacity failure 6150 J8 power module capacity failure

  61A9 J1 Motor Lock Overload 61AA J2 Motor Lock Overload 61AB J3 Motor Lock Overload 61AC J4 Motor Lock Overload 61AD J5 Motor Lock Overload 61AE J6 Motor Lock Overload 61AF J7 Motor Lock Overload 61B0 J8 Motor Lock Overload 61A9 J1 Motor Lock Overload 61AA J2 Motor Lock Overload 61AB J3 Motor Lock Overload 61AC J4 Motor Lock Overload 61AD J5 Motor Lock Overload 61AE J6 Motor Lock Overload 61AF J7 Motor Lock Overload 61B0 J8 Motor Lock Overload 6119 J1 Overcurrent 611A J2 Overcurrent  611B J3 Overcurrent  611C J4 Overcurrent  611D J5 Overcurrent  611E J6 Overcurrent  611F J7 Overcurrent  6120 J8 Overcurrent  6129 J1 overcurrent (software) 612A J2 overcurrent (software) 612B J3 overcurrent (software) 612C J4 overcurrent (software) 612D J5 overcurrent (software) 612E J6 overcurrent (software) 612F J7 overcurrent (software) 6130 J8 overcurrent (software) 6139 Power Module Overheated 613A Power Module overheated 2C0E IPM Module Over Voltage 2C0F IPM Module Under Voltage 2C82 IPM Harness Board Overheated (B) 2CB3 Caution: IPM Board Overheated

• Errors relating to a bad IPM card may generate on controller bootup, when motor power is applied, or when a joint is moved. 
• Some RC7 controllers use multiple IPM cards of the same size. In the event a RC7 controller has multiple IPM cards of the same size, the cards can be swapped from one slot to another slot. If a controller is experiencing an error, its possible to identify IPM suspected to be bad by moving it to a different slot which uses the same size card. If a IPM card is responsible for the error being generated, the errors generated will change and “follow” the suspect card. 

   

  Ex. A RC7M controller configured for a VS068 series robot is experiencing a J1 power module failure. The card can be identified as the source of the error by powering down the controller and swapping the IPM card from slot 1 to slot 2. When the controller is powered back in, if the error generated is now J2 power module failure, the card has been identified as bad and will need to be replaced. 

   

  If a controller does not have 2 cards of the same size, a new IPM card must be used. 

   

  If the error doesn’t follow the card, the problem is likely deeper in the controller and a spare controller should be installed. 

   

  A cards size is noted on the label of the card as pictured below. 

  
  

   
• Occasionally during a IPM card failure the fuse on the card will blow. If the Fuse on the IPM card blows DO NOT REPLACE THE FUSE ON THE IPM CARD. THE CARD MUST BE REPLACED IF THE FUSE BLOWS. The fuse is attached to the card to protect the controller from damage when a IPM card is bad. Replacing the fuse puts the power supply and engine board of the controller at risk. 

Possible Causes

IPM Cards can become damaged for many reasons. The most common are listed below. 

• Extended use / age. -  Like all electrical devices, the components on the IPM card will breakdown over time with regular use which will eventually result in component failure. 
• Heat buildup in the card -   Exceeding temperature thresholds on the components in the card can lead to premature failure. Thees events can occur due to blocked fan filters on incoming air, blocked exhaust vents, contamination in the controller, or a high temperature environment. 
• Overcurrent events - Excessive overcurrent events are hard on the IPM cards as they can pull higher current than the components on the IPM card can handle. The IPM cards are designed to withstand normal overcurrents by powering down and generating an "overcurrent error" however excessive overcurrents, or massive overcurrents can put the card at risk as they cause short spikes in current that can damage the card over time. 
• Motor failure (motor drag) - If a motor has started to fail due to bearing failure / brake failure etc it may still run however it will be difficult to spin. The additional power needed to spin a motor which is dragging will generate additional heat in the IPM card which will damage the card over time.  
• Motor failure (phase to phase short) - If a motor fails in a way where the motor phases are shorted together, the IPM card is likely to become damaged. 
• Harness failure - If the motor phase wires short together or short to ground the IPM card will be exposed to very high current which can damage the card before the overcurrent errors can generate which results in card failure. 
• Contamination - Contamination can buildup on the card which prevents cooling, and sometimes creates unwanted component to component shorts which can damage the components on the card. 

Solutions

Tools needed

• #2 + screwdriver
• Replacement IPM card
  • 410010-498* LL IPM Card 
  • 410010-499* L IPM Card
  • 410010-500* M IPM Card
  • 410010-501* S IPM Card
  • 410010-502* SS IPM Card
• Full sized teaching pendant

If one of the errors mentioned in the symptoms section above happens to generate, exchanging the IPM card may solve the issue. Please see guide below for instructions on swapping out the IPM Card. 

1. Backing up Projects This is strongly recommended both before performing any work on the controller.

Step 1 Identify what joint is experiencing the error by referencing the error code.  It is recommended to check the error log to get a better understanding of the error(s) generating.    Identify if a controller has multiple cards of the same size by referencing the chart to the left, or by checking the cover of the controller.
Step 2 Power down the controller and remove the power cable from the controller.
Step 3 Remove the top cover of the controller by removing 8 screws
Step 4 Remove the suspect card by removing 2 screws.
Step 5 Remove the card from the controller by grabbing the uppder aluminum heatsink and pulling straight out.  Replace with new card or exchange with card of the same size card from a different slot and secure with the original screws.
Step 6 Reattach controller cover and secure with the 8 original screws

Verification

Before powering the controller on, remove the covers on the robot and verify there is no harness damage. Verify the Motor Encoder cable between the arm and controller is not damaged. If the cable and arm appear to be damage free, connect power to the controller and power on. The card replacement can be verified by attempting to run the robot. If the errors are resolved, the card was the source. If the errors persist, the problem may be deeper in the controller. If the errors persist, it is recommended to either swap in a spare controller, or contact Denso for more support.

Additional Resources / Related errors

•  Not executable due to fatal error - 27A6 : Knowledge Base 

• RC7 Understanding the Error Log : Knowledge Base 

• For information related to outputting RC7 Robot error warning signal 
  • Download the 'RC7M' Manuals with the link below
    • manuals｜manuals｜download｜industrial robots｜DENSO WAVE 
  • Unzip the manual pack, and Open the rc7m_inter-e.pdf in the "English" folder
  • See section 3.2.6 "Robot Error (output)"

• For information related to outputting RC7 error codes to an attached PLC via Fieldbus IO card (Ethernet IP, DeviceNET, etc...)
  • Download the 'RC7M' Manuals with the link below
    • manuals｜manuals｜download｜industrial robots｜DENSO WAVE 
  • Unzip the manual pack, and Open the rc7m_inter-e.pdf in the "English" folder
  • See section 15.5.1 'Error Number Read'

Need More Help ?

• For additional assistance, contact support@densorobotics.com or visit our online contact form at https://www.densorobotics.com/contact/