ABB ACS Drive Type-Code Decoder

How It Works

1. Type the type designation

   Enter the full ACS code: series, construction, rating, and voltage, e.g. ACS580-01-046A-2, ACS880-01-061A-2, ACS380-042C-12A6-4, or ACS355-03E-24A4-2. Lowercase, spaces, and en/em dashes are normalized to a hyphen. Add +options after a plus sign, e.g. ACS880-01-045A-3 +B056 +K454.

2. Read the type-code breakdown strip

   The colored strip splits the code into series, construction, EMC/variant, rating (output current), voltage, and each option, with the exact substring and its decoded meaning. This shows you which segment carries the phase, the filter level, and the duty rating before you read the numbers.

3. Read the ratings card

   For a cataloged drive the card shows output current I2N, max current Imax, supply phase and voltage range, frame size, and a Normal-Duty / Heavy-Duty bar with kW, HP, and continuous current for each duty. Single-rating families like the ACS355 show one drive rating and no Heavy-Duty column, because ABB does not publish one.

4. Check the what-this-means-for-the-job panel

   The derived layer translates the rating into motor sizing guidance (size on Normal duty for pumps and fans, Heavy duty for high-breakaway loads), the supply the drive needs, the enclosure with any +B0xx upgrade, the EMC/variant meaning, and a what-to-check list keyed to the family (for example the 380-500V -5 reminder, or an IP20 module that needs an enclosure).

5. Use the validity verdict when a code does not resolve

   If the construction, voltage, or rating is well-formed but not a real drive, the decoder shows a Not a cataloged drive verdict with the reason (for example, that current code exists at 230 V, not 400 V) and suggests the nearest real drive in that voltage ladder. Click the suggestion to decode it.

6. Export the decode

   PDF export produces a branded report with the decoded fields, duty table, options, field notes, source citation, and any validity reason or suggestion. CSV and share carry the same input and decoded context for documentation, not as an order or installation authorization.

Built For

• A maintenance tech reading a faded label that shows only part of the code and using the breakdown strip to confirm the family, voltage class, and frame before sourcing a replacement
• A panel builder confirming an ACS580-01-046A-2 is a 230 V, 15 HP / 11 kW Normal-duty drive on frame R3 before laying out the enclosure
• An OEM engineer telling Normal-duty from Heavy-duty motor power on an ACS880-01-061A-2 (20 HP ND vs 15 HP HD) so a high-breakaway conveyor is sized on the right duty
• A contractor catching that ACS580-01-046A-3 is rejected because voltage code 3 is not offered on the ACS580 (valid codes are 2, 4, 6) before ordering the wrong drive
• A spec writer decoding the +options on ACS880-01-045A-3 +B056 +K454 to read the IP55 enclosure and PROFIBUS fieldbus from the order code
• A field tech decoding an ACS380-042C-12A6-4 and seeing the Heavy-duty current is 9.4 A (not the scrambled 5.6 A a bad table extract would show) before sizing protection
• A drives technician resolving an ACS880-01-585A-5 and noting the headline 575 A figure is the 480 V reference value, then confirming the actual supply voltage before quoting motor power
• An estimator pulling the decoded current, frame, and duty ratings into a PDF for a job file before the drive label and current ABB documentation are checked

Features & Capabilities

Six Families on One Positional Grammar

ACS180, ACS355, ACS380, ACS480, ACS580, and ACS880 all tokenize into series, construction, rating, and voltage, but each family has its own voltage-digit map and construction block. The decoder applies the correct per-family map, which is the number-one source of silent mis-decodes if you assume one scheme fits all.

The Rating Code Is a Current, Read as a Lookup Key

The A is a decimal point (04A6 = 4.6 A, 046A = 46 A), and the figure is output current, not power. The code is matched as an opaque key into the ABB table and the exact I2N is read from the row, never computed from the digits, because on some families the code is named after a different voltage than the current it carries.

Normal-Duty and Heavy-Duty, Never Fabricated

For the industrial and machinery families the card shows both the Normal/light-overload duty (110% for 1 min/10 min) and the Heavy duty (150% for 1 min/10 min) with kW, HP, and current. Single-rating families like the ACS355 show one rating and no Heavy-Duty column, because ABB publishes only one. A missing duty is never invented.

Honest kW and HP

Where ABB publishes both metric and imperial power for a row, both are shown as exact. Where a voltage class is metric-only (no North-American voltage) or US-only, the missing side is shown as a labeled approximate conversion with a ≈ prefix, so a converted HP is never presented as an exact ABB figure.

The 380-500V (-5) Reference Convention, Labeled

On the ACS880 -5 (380-500 V) class the displayed figures follow ABB's documented convention of using the 480 V reference table, so a 585A-5 shows I2N 575 A (the 480 V light-duty current). The what-to-check panel reminds you that motor power differs at 400 V versus 500 V, so you confirm your actual supply.

The Validity Moat: Rejects Codes That Were Never Built

A bad family, an unrecognized construction, a voltage code the family does not offer, or a well-formed current code that is not in the ladder is hard-rejected with no rating, plus the reason and the nearest real drive in that voltage ladder. This is the rescue for a number typed off a dead drive that turns out never to have existed at that voltage.

IEC and North-American Codes Resolved

The ACS580 publishes a North-American and an IEC code for the same drive; an IEC code is resolved onto its North-American row via ABB's published conversion table and flagged as a medium-confidence conversion. The ACS480 stores both the IEC and the UL code sets as rows so a label in either system decodes correctly.

PDF and CSV Export, Light and Dark Mode

PDF export uses the shared ToolGrit report generator and includes the decoded fields, duty table, options, field notes, and source citation. Standard ToolGrit light and dark theme; the matched banner and validity verdict use aria-live regions so screen readers announce the decode or the rejection when the code changes.

Comparison

References

• ABB ACS880-01 drives hardware manual, 3AUA0000078093 Rev V (type designation key; IEC and US electrical ratings)
• ABB ACS580-01 hardware manual 3AXD50000044794 Rev G and ACS580 general-purpose drives catalog (IEC and UL ratings; IEC-to-North-American type-code conversion tables)
• ABB ACS380 machinery drives catalog ACS380-PHTC01U-EN Rev K (ratings, types and voltages)
• ABB ACS480 drives hardware manual EN_ACS480_HW_F_A5 Rev F (type designation key; IEC and UL ratings)
• ABB ACS180 drives hardware manual EN_ACS180_HW_D Rev D (type designation key; IEC and UL ratings)
• ABB ACS355 user manual 3AUA0000066143 Rev E and machinery drives catalog 3AUA0000068569 Rev H (type designation key; ratings)

Frequently Asked Questions