Download writes the offline project from your PC into the drive, replacing what is there. In STARTER the command is Target device → Download to target device. The sequence is: open the correct offline project, connect to the target system, download, then run Copy RAM to ROM (p0971 = 1) so the settings survive a power cycle. Before downloading, confirm the control unit type and firmware match the backup — a parameter set from a CU240E-2 PN will not load correctly into a CU240B-2. And confirm the motor is stopped and safe to move, because the drive may be running when you start.
- Download is destructive. There is no undo — take an upload of the current drive first, even if you think it is faulty.
- Control unit type must match. Firmware should match; a close version usually works, a distant one often does not.
- A download without Copy RAM to ROM is lost at the next power cycle.
- On PROFINET, re-check the device name and IP after restoring — a backup carries the original drive's identity.
Download Overwrites — Check Before You Click
Downloading is the operation you will need on the worst day of a shift: a drive has failed, a replacement is on the panel, and the line is stopped. It is also the operation that can turn a single failed drive into two failed drives if the wrong project is open.
Build one habit. Before clicking download, read the project name in STARTER's title bar out loud and confirm it names the machine and drive in front of you. Engineers who work across several similar machines have almost always got at least one near-miss story that this habit would have prevented.
Second habit: upload the drive you are about to overwrite, even when you believe it is faulty and even when you are in a hurry. It costs two minutes and it is the only record of how that drive was actually configured. If the restore does not fix the problem, that upload is what tells you what changed.
Compatibility: What Must Match
| Item | Requirement | If it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Control unit type | Must match exactly — CU240E-2 PN to CU240E-2 PN | Download refused, or a partial load that leaves the drive in an undefined state |
| Control unit firmware | Should match; a minor version step usually works | Parameters that do not exist in the older firmware are rejected |
| Power module | Should match rating and type | The drive recalculates current limits; verify them after restoring |
| Motor | Same motor, or nameplate data re-entered | A restored parameter set describes the original motor, not the one now connected |
| Safety configuration | Handled separately on safety control units | Safety functions usually need their own acceptance procedure after a restore |
The motor row is the one that causes silent damage. A backup restored onto a drive feeding a different motor gives that motor another machine's nameplate data — wrong rated current, wrong rated speed, wrong protection thresholds. The drive will run and nothing will look wrong until the motor overheats.
Practise drive replacement before you need it
Hands-on STARTER training covering backup, restore and device replacement on live SINAMICS hardware — Pune or online.
The Download Sequence
| Step | Action | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm the motor is stopped and it is safe for the shaft to move | The drive may restart depending on the restored command source |
| 2 | Open the correct offline project and verify its name | Similar machines, similar filenames — read it carefully |
| 3 | Upload the current drive into a scratch project | Your only record of the pre-restore state |
| 4 | Reopen the backup project and Connect to target system | STARTER may warn that offline and online differ — that is expected |
| 5 | Target device → Download to target device | Choose to overwrite all parameters so no residual settings survive |
| 6 | Run Copy RAM to ROM (p0971 = 1) | Without this the restore is lost at power-off |
| 7 | Power-cycle and verify | The real test of whether the restore took |
Step 5 deserves attention. Choosing to overwrite all parameters clears anything left from the drive's previous configuration, including old macro settings and BICO interconnections. A partial download that leaves residue produces a drive that is part one machine and part another — behaviour that is very hard to diagnose afterwards.
Copy RAM to ROM — The Step People Miss
A download writes into the drive's working memory. Until it is copied to ROM it is temporary, and the drive reverts at the next power interruption.
This produces one of the most frustrating field symptoms there is: a replacement drive that works perfectly for the rest of the shift and comes back as a factory-default unit on Monday morning. The engineer who did the restore has left, the machine is down again, and nothing in the fault history explains it.
Run p0971 = 1 from the keypad, or use STARTER's Copy RAM to ROM button, and then prove it by power-cycling the drive and re-reading a parameter you know was restored. Do not accept "the download said it succeeded" as evidence.
Post-Restore Checklist
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Motor nameplate data against the physical motor | The backup describes the original motor, which may not be the one connected |
| Direction of rotation, on a slow jog | Cheap to check, expensive to discover under load |
| PROFINET device name and IP address | Restored from the backup — must match what the controller expects for this position |
Macro selection p0015 against the actual terminal wiring | A restored macro re-assigns every digital and analogue terminal |
| Ramp times and current limit | Confirm the drive does not current-limit on a normal start |
| Fault-free start and controlled stop | The only end-to-end proof that the restore worked |
| Take a fresh upload | Your new known-good backup, matching the drive now in service |
The device name check is specific to PROFINET and easily forgotten. Because the backup carries the original drive's identity, a restored replacement may come up with the right parameters and the wrong name — and the controller will report it as a station failure while the drive itself looks perfectly healthy.
Step-by-Step Lab: Restore a Drive from Backup
Hands-on- A G120 on a training rig that you are permitted to reset — never a production machine.
- A verified backup project taken from this same drive.
- The motor uncoupled or on a safe test load, since the shaft may turn during verification.
- Estimated time: 35 minutes.
Record a value you will be able to check
Note the current ramp-up time p1120, then change it to an obviously different value and save with p0971 = 1.
Factory reset to simulate a fresh replacement
Set p0010 = 30 then p0970 = 1 and wait for completion.
Open the backup and verify its name
Open the saved project and read the title bar. Confirm it names this machine and this drive.
Connect and download
Connect to target system, then Target device → Download to target device, choosing to overwrite all parameters.
Copy RAM to ROM, then power-cycle
Run p0971 = 1. Power the drive down completely, wait for the display to clear, and power it back up.
Deliberately skip the save, and watch it fail
Factory reset again, download again, but this time do not run p0971. Power-cycle and re-read p1120.
Work the post-restore checklist
Repeat the restore properly, then check motor data, direction on a slow jog, macro selection and — on a PROFINET drive — the device name.
The restore is complete only when the drive holds the backup's settings after a full power cycle and runs the motor correctly. If you skipped step 6, do it once anyway — the failure mode it demonstrates is the most common reason a "successful" drive replacement fails days later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between download and upload in STARTER?
Download writes your PC project into the drive and overwrites what is there. Upload, shown as "Load to PG", reads the drive into your project and changes nothing on the drive. Both names are from the PC's point of view.
Can I restore a backup onto a different control unit type?
No. The control unit type must match — a CU240E-2 PN parameter set will not load correctly into a CU240B-2. Firmware should also match, though a minor version difference usually works. Record both alongside every backup.
Why did my restored drive lose its settings after a power cycle?
Because Copy RAM to ROM was never run. A download writes into working memory only. Set p0971 = 1 after the download, then power-cycle and verify a known parameter before leaving the machine.
Do I need to check anything after restoring a drive?
Yes — motor nameplate data against the physical motor, direction of rotation, macro selection against the actual terminal wiring, and on PROFINET the device name and IP, since the backup carries the original drive's identity. Then take a fresh upload as your new known-good backup.
Should I back up a drive I am about to replace, even if it is faulty?
Yes. It is the only record of how that drive was actually configured, and if the restore does not solve the problem it tells you what changed. It takes two minutes and there is no undo for a download.