ABB ACS580: A Start-Up Guide

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Commissioning drives can be cumbersome and time-consuming. It always feels like there should be a simpler way. In my experience, I’ve relied on using my laptop along with some PLC software to help my on-site commissioning. Recently, however, I got my certification for ABB’s ACS580 Authorized Startup, and I don’t think I’ve seen a simpler start-up process.

Who is ABB?

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation. They strive to achieve a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. “By connecting our engineering and digitalization expertise, we help industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform.”

Why Does Motor Selection Matter?

It is easy to focus on price and choose the cheapest option when it comes to a motor. But this is not a good idea for the long run. ABB motors are designed with the future in mind. In fact, on May 28th, 2025, an article was posted explaining how an ABB motor set a world record for its energy efficiency – 99.13%. This is estimated to save the company an estimated $6 million in electricity over the motor’s 25-year lifespan.

ACS580: An Overview

The ACS580 is a series of drives that have a lot of capabilities. They are ABB’s general-purpose drives and they range from 0.75kW all the way to 500kW. They range from 200-480 volts and have a standard rating of IP00 and IP21. The ACS580 series is offered in a range of wall-mounted drives, drive modules and cabinet-built drives. These drives are ready to control compressors, conveyors, mixers, pumps and fans, as well as many other applications. The all-compatible drives family ensure that you will always find the best drive for your needs.

These drives share a similar user interface, making using and learning them fast and easy. ACS580 drives have all the essential features built-in reducing the commissioning and set-up time. The assistant control panel with multiple language choices is standard in ACS580 drives. Users can also upgrade to an optional Bluetooth control panel for wireless commissioning and monitoring – more on that later.

Hardware Benefits

Diverse Options

The ACS580 series has plenty of physical benefits to accommodate different industries and applications. They have a compact, all-inside concept for easy selection, ordering, and installation. As mentioned earlier, all the essential features are built-in, including an EMC filter, safe torque off functionality, and harmonic mitigation. Below are some examples of the different drives in the ACS580 series.

• ACS580-01: Wall-mounted drives

  • Power and voltage range from 0.75 to 355 kW for 3-phase 380-480 V

  • Power and voltage range from 0.75 to 75 kW for 3-phase 200 to 240 V

  • Side-by-side mounting, flange mounting and horizontal mounting are all available

  • Compact design - all essentials inside, including EMC filter and harmonic mitigation, with easy-to-use assistant control panel

• ACS580-04: Drive modules for cabinet installations

  • Power range from 250 to 500kW

  • Perfect for system integrators, cabinet builders, and OEMs

  • Easy commissioning through compact design, wheeled pedestal, and ramp

  • Full size output terminals for easy motor connection

• ACS580-07: Cabinet-built drives

  • Power ranges from 30 to 500kW

  • Available in IP21 protection class as standard (UL Type 1)

  • Optimized cooling arrangement

  • High-quality, global cabinet design

Another great feature is the fact that these drives are backwards compatible with the ACS400 and ACS550 drives, making it simple to replace existing drives a company may have. The ACS580 fulfills the highest IE2 drive energy efficiency class, which reduces total life cycle costs.

Assistant Control Panel (ACS-AP-S)

The assistant control panel is delivered as standard with all ACS580 drives. It can be utilized to set up the drive, fine-tune motor control, and monitor values, among many others. It has an intuitive user interface along with ready-made macros that make using it incredibly simple. There are other options as well, which range from a change in color, to Bluetooth compatibility, and much more.

Here are the key parts of the control panel:

A. Screen – bright with a high resolution

B. Navigation Keys – four keys make navigating simple and easy to learn

C. Help Button – shares information about different views on the screen such as menus and parameters

D. USB Interface – available for a PC connection making it possible to move information between a PC and the drive with no extra hardware

On first start-up, the panel will do a walkthrough on selecting language, date and time, naming the drive, entering motor values, and even a rotation test. It then allows for settings to be changed and macros to be created, if desired. Once all settings are correct, the panel makes it simple to store a back-up of the configuration. This configuration is saved in the panel itself and can easily be copied to other drives by simply detaching and re-attaching the panel to the next drive. This makes it exceptionally easy to commission multiple drives in a short amount of time, especially if they require the same parameters.

Software Benefits

Let’s take a deeper look into the Assistant Control Panel. The Home view is customizable, allowing you to choose what values to monitor. If you press the right button directly underneath the screen, it corresponds to the “Menu” button. Above the button, on the screen, you will see the option the button will activate. Once on the Main Menu, there are several different menus to dive into. Some of these include the Primary Settings, I/O, Diagnostics, and Parameters, among others.

The Primary Settings Menu makes it quick and easy to find and sets the most useful (in most cases) parameters. Seeing all these parameters in one place, rather than going into the long parameter list, can save plenty of time for commissioning, configuration, and defect tracking.

The I/O Menu shows how the electrical terminals are configured. This means that all inputs and outputs can be seen in one place, making it simple to see connections for real-time diagnostics.

The Diagnostics Menu includes all essential properties to help with any potential issues that may arise. Active faults and warnings are displayed here with additional data to help problem-solving. There is also an amplitude and event logger that helps keep track of any problems or irregular behavior.

The Parameter Menu lists all Parameter Groups in one place. Each Group corresponds to different functions of the drive. This is where you can see a longer list of parameters than the Primary Settings menu and determine I/O connections if necessary. It is also possible to create a “Favorites List” for any important or recurring parameters that need monitoring or frequent adjusting. There is also an option for “Modified Parameters” which shows a list of any parameter that has had its initial value altered, making troubleshooting that much simpler.

Drive Composer

Another great tool for commissioning is Drive Composer. Drive Composer is free downloadable software that ABB offers to assist with commissioning, troubleshooting, and monitoring. It can even be used to optimize a drive’s performance. Similar to the Assistant Control Panel, Drive Composer can be used to set and view various parameters within the drive. It is designed to support the daily operation of ABB drives. The parameter window displays the drive’s parameters and signals. Users may view and set parameters and compare changes between the current set and the previous one. Drive composer includes functionality to create own customized parameter windows. Users can copy parameters and signals that they are interested about to a custom parameter window. There is possibility to create several custom parameter windows for different purposes (IO setup, motor setup, start/ stop, etc.). There is also a Pro version that includes additional features not found in the basic version.

Startup Parameters

The parameter structure within the ACS580 is the same as the rest of the low voltage drives that ABB offers. The following groups are among the most used throughout various industries.  When you first set up your drive, these are the groups you should pay extra attention to!

Group 1: Actual Values

The values shown throughout this group are read only. They are the actual values that the drive is seeing currently. These can be very useful for diagnostics and troubleshooting. Some commonly used parameters are listed below:

• 01.02 – Motor Speed Estimated (rpm)

• 01.06 – Output Frequency

• 01.07 – Output Current (Measured Output Current)

• 01.10 – Motor Torque %

• 01.11 – DC Voltage

• 01.14 – Output power (HP)

Group 10: Standard Digital Inputs / Relay Outputs

Group 10 parameters are used for configuration, diagnostics and troubleshooting of Digital Inputs and Relay Outputs.

• 10.02 DI Delayed Status

• 10.03 DI Force Selection

• 10.04 DI Forced Data

• 10.21 RO Status

• 10.22 RO Force Selection

• 10.23 RO Force Data

• 10.24, 10.27, 10.30 RO1-3 Source

Group 12: Standard Analog Inputs

Group 12 parameters are used for configuration, diagnostics and troubleshooting of the Analog Inputs.

• 12.02 AI Force Selection

• 12.13 & 12.23 AI Forced Data

• 12.11 & 12.21 AI Actual Value

• 12.15 & 12.25 AI Unit Selection

• 12.17 & 12.27 AI Min

• 12.18 & 12.28 AI Max

• 12.19 & 12.29 AI Scaled at AI Min

• 12.20 & 12.30 AI Scaled at AI Max

Group 20: Start / Stop / Safety

The start/stop process in the ACS580 is a two-step process which is different than the 550. This means you must use two parameters rather than one to set up the start/stop.

• Step 1: Parameter 20.01 EXT1 Commands and 20.06 EXT2 Commands. These are used to set the function or what action to be taken.

• Step 2: Parameter 20.03 EXT1 In1 Source, 20.04 EXT1 In2 Source and 20.05 EXT1 IN3 Source. These are used to set the input to be used to satisfy the function. Parameter 20.08 EXT2 In1 Source, 20.09 EXT2 In2 Source and 20.10 EXT2 IN3 Source.

Other commonly used parameters include the following:

• 20.12 Run Enable 1

• 20.19 Enable Start Command

Group 22: Speed Reference

Group 22 is where you set what location the reference is programed to. The ACS580 has two references for each external control location. Constant speed parameters are found in Group 22, parameters 22.21 through 22.41. Note: Keep in mind if the drive is in scalar mode these settings will be ignored!!!!

• 22.11 EXT1 Speed Ref1

• 22.12 EXT1 Speed Ref2

• 22.18 EXT2 Speed Ref1

• 22.19 EXT2 Speed Ref2

• 22.21 Constant Speed Function

Group 28: Frequency Reference

Group 28 is for Frequency Reference Chains. This group mirrors Group 22 Speed Reference group. Frequency mode has its own accel and decel rates. Constant frequency parameters are found in Group 28 parameters 28.21 through 28.41. Note: Keep in mind if the drive is in Vector mode these settings will be ignored!!!!

• 28.11 EXT1 Frequency Ref1

• 28.12 EXT1 Frequency Ref2

• 28.15 EXT2 Frequency Ref1

• 28.16 EXT2 Frequency Ref2

• 28.21 Constant Frequency Function

Group 96: System

Group 96 is the System Group which contains many various parameters associated with passcodes and restoring defaults.

• 96.02 – Pass Code

• 96.03 – Access level status

• 96.06 – Parameter Restore

• 96.16 – Unit Selection

• 96.51 – Clear Fault and Even Logger

• 96.102 User Lock Functionality

Group 99: Motor Data

Group 99 is where you would input the motor data found on a motor nameplate

• 99.03 – Motor type

• 99.04 – Motor Control Mode

  • Vector – Should be utilized to provide optimum speed/torque performance of the motor

  • Scalar – Volts / Hz Mode – Drive operates without a Speed Regulator and only ratios the Output Voltage and Frequency

• 99.06 – Motor Nominal Current

• 99.07 – Motor Nominal Voltage

• 99.08 – Motor Nominal Frequency

• 99.09 – Motor Nominal Speed

• 99.10 – Motor Nominal Power

• 99.13 – Motor Identification (ID Run)

What’s Stopping You?

You now have everything you need to know to start up an ABB ACS580 motor. 80% of VFD applications only require a select few parameters to be adjusted to make the application run. There are some applications that just require 15 parameters, sometimes even less. You can even spin a motor with as few as 5 parameter settings. It has never been simpler than right now!

Let ABB and Power-Flo Technologies help you in your endeavor.

Jackson Lanzafame

ABB ACS580: A START-UP GUIDE