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Quick answer
Commission a VFD in this order: factory reset → motor nameplate data → command & setpoint source → limits & ramps → control mode → motor ID run → save & back up. On a SINAMICS G120 this is quick commissioning p0010 = 1 with motor data p0304–p0311, then p1900 for identification and p0971 = 1 to save.
Start from a known state: reset any used or spare drive.
Copy the nameplate exactly, and check star/delta in the terminal box.
Vector control without an ID run is worse than V/f.
Unsaved, un-backed-up parameters are not commissioned.
Why Parameter Order Matters
Drive parameters depend on each other. Motor data sets the current limit, overload protection and vector model, so changing it later silently overwrites what you set. The quick commissioning wizard (p0010 = 1, or Startdrive / TIA Portal) enforces the correct order.
Follow the order: every later value is calculated from what came before. Change motor data late and the drive silently overwrites your limits.
Step 0: Factory Reset Before Anything Else
A spare or reused drive carries another machine’s ramps, limits and I/O. On SINAMICS, reset with p0010 = 30 then p0970 = 1.
Start every used or spare drive from a known state. Note the fieldbus address and safety settings before you reset.
Commission drives correctly the first time
Hands-on VFD training covering the full parameter sequence, motor ID runs and fault diagnosis — Pune classroom or online.
Read the plate on the motor itself, because motors get rewound and swapped. Rated current p0305 is the most important value.
Copy the plate on the motor, not a datasheet. Enter full-load speed (1460 rpm), not synchronous 1500 rpm.The links in the terminal box must match the supply and the plate. A star/delta mistake causes overcurrent trips or a weak motor.
Step 2: Command Source and Setpoint Source
The drive needs two answers: where start/stop comes from, and where the speed comes from. They can be different sources. Macro p0015 sets a proven combination in one step.
Orange = command path, blue = setpoint path. On SINAMICS, macro p0015 selects a ready-made combination.Prefer 4–20 mA: better noise immunity, and the live zero turns a broken wire into a detectable fault.
Step 3: Limits, Ramps and Protection
Setting
SINAMICS
How to choose
Min / max speed
p1080 / p1082
Max is limited by the machine’s mechanical rating; keep min above zero for self-cooled motors
Ramp-up / ramp-down
p1120 / p1121
Tune on the real load (see animation)
Current limit
p0640
Default from p0305 is normally right
Skip frequency
p1091
Add after a slow sweep finds a resonance
Motor thermal model
—
Enable it; it is the first line of protection
Tune ramps by watching current while accelerating and DC bus voltage while stopping, then back off from the limit.
Step 4–5: Control Mode and the Motor Identification Run
Choose V/f (p1300 = 0/2) for fans, pumps or several motors on one drive. Choose sensorless vector (p1300 = 20) for conveyors, mixers and low-speed torque, then always run motor identification with p1900. Clear the area first, because the shaft may turn.
No nameplate lists these values. Without the ID run, vector control can perform worse than plain V/f.
Step 6: Saving, Backing Up and Documenting
Save (p0971 = 1), power-cycle to prove it, then back up to a memory card and the engineering project.
Also record why you made non-obvious choices, such as a 12 s ramp, a 15 Hz minimum or a 32–36 Hz skip band, so the next engineer does not tune them out.
Hands-On Lab: Commission a Drive from Factory Default
Hands-on
Before you start
A training or bench drive you are allowed to reset — never a running production machine.
A three-phase motor with a readable nameplate, uncoupled if possible.
The parameter manual for your drive model. Estimated time: 45 minutes.
1
Record the nameplate and check the terminal box
Note voltage, current, power, cos φ, frequency and speed. Confirm the star/delta links.
You can say which connection is used and that it matches the supply.
2
Factory reset
Set p0010 = 30 then p0970 = 1.
p0970 returns to 0 and the drive is in factory state.
3
Quick commissioning and motor data
Set p0010 = 1, then enter p0304, p0305, p0307, p0308, p0310 and p0311.
All values are accepted. A rejected value usually means a units error (kW vs W, or 1500 vs 1460 rpm).
4
Macro and safe ramps
Select the macro with p0015, and set p1120 and p1121 to 10 s.
You can name the terminal that is now the run command.
5
Motor identification
Request p1900, give a run command and let it finish.
It completes with no fault. Brief noise or rotation is normal.
6
Tune ramps on the load
Shorten each ramp until you see the current limit or DC bus rise, then back off.
Ramp times are set by observation, not guesswork.
7
Save and back up
Set p0971 = 1, power-cycle, verify, then export to a memory card or project.
Settings survive the power cycle and a backup exists outside the drive.
Checkpoint — how to know you did it right
The drive starts and stops cleanly, doesn’t current-limit on a normal start, doesn’t trip on overvoltage on a normal stop, and keeps every setting after a power cycle. If any check fails, repeat the sequence from the reset instead of tweaking single values.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should VFD parameters be set?
Factory reset, then motor nameplate data, then command and setpoint source, then limits and ramps, then control mode, then the motor identification run, then save and back up. The drive derives current limits, protection thresholds and its motor model from the nameplate data, so entering that data later overwrites values you set earlier.
How do I factory reset a SINAMICS G120?
Set p0010 = 30, then p0970 = 1, and wait until p0970 returns to 0. Record the fieldbus address and any safety settings first, because a reset can clear them.
Why does the motor connection type matter so much?
A motor plated 400 V delta / 690 V star on a 400 V supply must be wired in delta. Strapped for star, each winding gets only 58 % of its voltage and the motor produces only about a third of rated torque. The opposite error drives excessive current and can destroy the winding.
Do I really need to run a motor identification?
For sensorless vector control, yes. The drive needs stator resistance and inductance values that no nameplate provides, and vector control without them often performs worse than plain V/f. For V/f control on a fan or pump it is not required.
What ramp times should I use?
Set them by observation on the actual load. Shorten the acceleration ramp until the drive starts to current-limit, then back off. Shorten the deceleration ramp until DC bus voltage climbs toward the trip level, then back off. High-inertia loads need longer times or a braking resistor.
My settings disappeared after a power cycle. What happened?
They were only in volatile memory. On SINAMICS drives set p0971 = 1, or use copy RAM to ROM, at the end of every session, then power-cycle and verify before leaving the machine.
Should I use 0–10 V or 4–20 mA for the speed reference?
Prefer 4–20 mA. A current loop resists drive noise much better, and its live zero means a broken wire reads 0 mA and is detected as a fault, while a broken 0–10 V wire reads as a valid zero-speed command.
Reviewed by Bhawesh Kumar SinghIndustrial Automation Trainer and Industry 4.0 Consultant · Softwell Automation · 21+ years industry experience
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