A Yaskawa drive code packs the series, region, input voltage, model (output current) designation, EMC filter, and enclosure into one string, and the product lines use two different schemes. The two practical traps are: the model field is an output-current designation, not horsepower, and Yaskawa reuses the same model token across the GA500 and GA800 at a different kW, so the family prefix is what makes the decode correct.
This guide explains what the Yaskawa Drive Decoder reads: how the GA-series 7-position catalog code is laid out, why a legacy A1000/V1000 CIMR code is recognized but not fully position-walked, why the Heavy-Duty and Normal-Duty currents are two different numbers you must not interchange, and why HP/kW are shown exactly as Yaskawa publishes them, fractions and all.
Two Schemes: GA-Series Catalog Code vs Legacy CIMR
Yaskawa drives do not share one positional grammar. The decoder branches on the family first, then runs the matching reader:
- GA-series 7-position catalog code (GA500 and GA800), with the CIPR-GA50U or CIPR-GA80U prefix. This is fully position-walked: series, region, input voltage, model (output current), EMC filter, enclosure, environmental.
- Legacy CIMR positional code (A1000 and V1000), with the CIMR-A or CIMR-V prefix. This is a longer, different string. The decoder recognizes the family and returns the published ratings keyed on the model designation, but it does not position-walk the full CIMR string.
The four families and what each one covers:
| Family | Prefix | Decode | Voltage classes | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA500 | CIPR-GA50U | Full 7-position | 1-ph 200 V, 3-ph 200 V, 3-ph 400 V | approx. 0.2-30 kW |
| GA800 | CIPR-GA80U | Full 7-position | 3-ph 200 V, 3-ph 400 V, 6-ph/12-pulse 400 V | approx. 0.55-750 kW |
| A1000 | CIMR-A | Recognition + ratings | 3-ph 200 V, 400 V, 600 V | approx. 0.4-630 kW |
| V1000 | CIMR-V | Recognition + ratings | 1-ph 200 V, 3-ph 200 V, 3-ph 400 V | approx. 0.1-18.5 kW |
How to Read a GA-Series 7-Position Code
Take CIPR-GA50U2030ABAA apart, position by position, on the GA500:
- CIPR-GA50 is the series prefix (GA500).
- U is the region (Americas). The region sets destination, documentation, and certification, not the electrical rating.
- 2 is the input voltage (Three-Phase 200 V class). On the GA500, B is single-phase 200 V and 4 is three-phase 400 V.
- 030 completes the model token 2030, the rated output-current designation (the lookup key).
- A is the EMC noise filter (none; E is a built-in filter on the GA500).
- B is the enclosure protection design (IP20/UL Open Type; J is the finless variant).
- A is the environmental specification (standard).
The model token (position 4) carries the input-voltage digit as its own first character, so the printed code fuses positions 3 and 4 (the 2 in 2030 is the 200 V class). The token width varies (B001, 2030, 4H12, T720), so the decoder anchors the last three single-character positions and treats what is between the voltage digit and that tail as the model.
The Model-Token Trap: Same Token, Different kW
This is the central trap. The model token is an output-current designation, and Yaskawa reuses it across the GA500 and GA800 at a different kW. A 200 V 2030 is not one drive:
| Code | Family | Voltage | HD current | ND current | Motor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIPR-GA50U2030... | GA500 | 3-ph 200 V | 25 A | 30 A | 7.5 kW / 10 HP |
| CIPR-GA80U2030... | GA800 | 3-ph 200 V | 25 A | 30 A | 5.5 kW / 10 HP |
The currents happen to match here, but the published motor kW does not, and other tokens diverge further. That is why the decoder keys every rating on family plus model and refuses to resolve a bare model number. The legacy families reuse codes too: a 2A or 4A capacity code exists on both the A1000 and V1000 at different HD current (for example 2A0004 is 3.2 A HD on the A1000 but 3.0 A HD on the V1000), so the family still decides the rating. Paste the full code into the Yaskawa Drive Decoder and it resolves the family before the rating.
Heavy Duty vs Normal Duty: Two Currents, Don't Interchange
Yaskawa publishes two output ratings for each drive, and they are not the same number:
- Heavy Duty (HD): the constant-torque rating, 150% overload, for high-breakaway loads such as conveyors, crushers, and positive-displacement pumps. It is the lower of the two currents.
- Normal Duty (ND): the variable-torque rating, 120% overload, for fans and centrifugal pumps. It is the higher current.
Size the drive on the duty your load actually needs. Using the larger ND number for a constant-torque load undersizes the drive. The decoder shows both currents side by side and never converts one into the other; where the source publishes only one figure (for example a GA500 B018, or a V1000 BA0018 with an HD-only rating), the other is shown as a dash and the app says to verify it.
HP and kW Are Shown As Published
Motor HP and kW come straight from the Yaskawa source. Two consequences a tech needs to know:
- Fractional sizes stay fractional. The smallest GA500 sizes are sub-1-HP: B001 is 1/6 HP (0.2 kW), B002 is 1/4 HP, and B004 is 3/4 HP. The decoder shows the fraction rather than rounding up to 1, so the value matches the catalog instead of overstating the motor by several times.
- The V1000 publishes kW only. The V1000 manual gives ratings in kW, not HP, so HP is shown as a dash on every V1000 row. The decoder never back-calculates HP from kW; read horsepower off the connected motor nameplate.
Because HP/kW conventions vary slightly across the published tables (some families list kW against the Heavy-Duty column, others against Normal Duty), treat the motor rating as catalog context and size the actual install on the current, the connected motor, and a qualified review.
Legacy CIMR and the GA800 6-Phase Input
Two situations the decoder handles specially:
Legacy A1000 / V1000. Both are recognized from the CIMR prefix, and their ratings are returned keyed on the model designation. The model prefix fuses the voltage class: 2A is 3-phase 200 V, 4A is 3-phase 400 V, 5A is 3-phase 600 V (A1000 only), and BA is 1-phase 200 V (V1000 only), each followed by a 4-digit capacity code. The same capacity code at a different prefix is a different drive. The full CIMR positional string (region, customized spec, enclosure, environmental, design revision) is shown as a documented legend but is not position-walked. For a new install or replacement, the A1000 cross-references to the GA800 and the V1000 to the GA500, but cross-check the rating before substituting.
GA800 6-Phase / 12-Pulse. A GA800 voltage code of T at position 3 is a 6-Phase/12-Pulse 400 V input (model tokens T103 through T720). It is used for harmonic mitigation on large drives and needs a phase-shifting transformer supplying two 3-phase sources; it is not a drop-in for a standard 3-phase feed.
When the Decoder Says a Code Is Not Valid
The decoder is built to refuse to fabricate. It flags a code as invalid in three situations, and explains which one:
- Uncataloged model. If the model and voltage combination is not in the ratings table, the decoder says so and suggests the nearest cataloged neighbour in the same family and voltage class, rather than interpolating a current.
- Out-of-family position letter. A required position letter (region on the GA500, voltage, EMC filter, enclosure, environmental) that is not valid for the identified family is a hard violation, because those letters are family-specific. The exact code is reported as not a valid drive code, though a matched model's rating is still shown for context.
- Non-standard trailing suffix. A suffix beyond the documented standard tail (only a single trailing A is accepted today) makes the code hard-invalid, catching transcription errors and undocumented option strings.
In every case the underlying rating, when there is one, is still displayed under a clear "not a valid code" headline so you keep the useful context while knowing the printed code does not check out.