Control Techniques

Application Note
Division of Nidec Motor Corporation
Unidrive SP, Mentor / Quantum MP & Affinity
7078 Shady Oak Road
AN0353
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505 USA
Rev.1.2, 2/07/18
T: +1 952 995-8000
www.controltechniques.com
This Application Note applies to the Unidrive SP,
Mentor/Quantum MP and Affinity series drives

Backing Up Critical Drive Setup Information using CTSoft

Modern drives such as the Unidrive SP, Mentor/Quantum MP and Affinity contain in
excess of 500 parameters permitting applications ranging from very simple to quite complex
to be accomplished through basic parameter adjustments and selection settings. More complex
applications may use in addition, a ladder logic program executed by the drives built-in PLC
capability. To perform with optimum response characteristics, certain critical motor data
and tuning information was derived during original commissioning.

Regardless of the complexity, this setup data defines the essence of the application and allows
the drive to perform as it was intended for that application. Should it become necessary to replace a
drive, without this critical data, the drive would be unable to perform as it was originally intended.

Control Techniques will be able to provide you with a replacement drive but we will not have
the “recipe” (data) that was specific for your application. Therefore, it is imperative that the
OEM, System Integrator, Field Engineer or Installer back up this critical information and leave a
copy with the End User following the commissioning process. Failure to do so often results in
unnecessary and costly machine downtime and End User customer frustration.

This application note will cover using the CTSoft as

a method of “backing up” drive setup data.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
1
Smart Card Method

Regardless whether your intention is to back up the drive data using CTSoft (our PC software),
one should always utilize the SMART CARD to provide another level of drive data backup.

Control Techniques provides a Smart Card with each drive. The Smart Card provides a convenient,
quick, simple method of capturing and restoring drive setup data.

Unfortunately it is our experience that very few End Users are aware of this Smart Card or unable to
find it during critical times or if they do find it, it is often unlabelled and blank. This is highly unfortunate
because “re-commissioning” can take hours, even days, whereas a SmartCard could have the drive
setup and back in operation in a minute.

The OEM, System Integrator, Field Engineer or Installer should instruct the End User customer
on how to restore drive data from the Smart Card should it become necessary.

Consult CTAN352 for

Smart Card Parameter Back Up Procedures

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
2
CTSoft

CTSoft is a drive configuration software tool for use with use with current Control Techniques drives.
For more information on CTSoft and to obtain a complimentary copy please visit the Control
Techniques website.

Saving Drive Parameters using CTSoft

Upon opening CTSoft, select Work with a Drive then select the family type of drive you will be
recording data for.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
3
We would encourage you to include a descriptive name of the drive which is kept with this data file.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
4
Then perform a quick verification that CTSoft is able to communicate with your drive by clicking on
Detect Drive Configuration.

If communication
is established a
verification
message should
be displayed.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
5
If communications fail and this dialog box appears;

Click OK and click on Comm Settings.

Try an alternate Comm port. Make sure protocol and Node address are correct and re-try.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
6
In order to capture all the drive setup data using CTSoft, one should use the UPLOAD function.

This will ensure that CTSoft has copied all the drive parameter changes into it’s RAM memory area.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
7
Then you need to Save Parameter File. It is easiest to simply click on the ICON located in the
Toolbox.

Or if you’d rather, click on File then select

Save Parameter File.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
8
 Then use the Folder Selection Icon to select a location to place your drive file(s).

You may need or want to place all your drive files into a Folder for better organization. To do this, click
the Create New Folder icon and give that folder a name.

Then you need to provide a file name for the actual drive data file

An option you may wish to consider

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
9
Another good step toward backing up Drive Configuration information would be to provide a concise
hard copy print out list of the drive parameter settings that are unique to your particular application.

To facilitate creation of this list, CTSoft provides a function that will list out only those parameters that
are different than factory settings. Before using this function one needs to ensure that CTSoft is set
per the region that a replacement drive would be expected to be supplied from. For example, if a
customer machine made in Italy is installed in the USA, should a drive replacement become
necessary, CT-USA would most likely provide the replacement drive. In this case the replacement
drive would be set for USA factory default settings. Therefore, CTSoft would best be set for USA
defaults prior to using the following procedure.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
10
Creating a “Different from Default” Parameter List

CTSoft provides a function that will list out only those parameters that are different than factory
settings.

Clicking on this function creates a concise list of parameter differences for your application vs the
settings as it leaves the factory.

In this particular case there were 11 differences

To create a formatted hard copy print out, simply ‘right click’ on the white space in the area pointed to
above.

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
11
Creating a Hard Copy Printout

After right clicking you would click on Print

The print facility will list the possible printers to send the file to or offer other printing options such as
creating an Adobe Acrobat™ .pdf file or Microsoft™ Document Writer file.

Shown below is the formatted .pdf file.

Factory Settings

With such a print-out a customer could at the very least “hand enter” those parameters that define
his/her application should a replacement become necessary.

We would suggest that one keeps a hard copy of this print out with the drive should one need to know
what parameters have been altered for the application.

Resources: can be found on our website: www.controltechniques.com

For help contact [email protected], or
call Technical Support at 952-995-8000, 24/7/365

7078 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3505

+1 952 995-8000 www.controltechniques.com
12