PowerFlex 70 AC Drive — Technical Data (20A-TD001) (20A-TD001)

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Specifications

Power Ratings

240V three-phase input	0.5 HP to 25 HP Normal Duty (0.33 HP to 20 HP Heavy Duty); output amps 2.2 A to 70 A; frames A-E
400/480V three-phase input	0.5 HP to 50 HP Normal Duty (0.33 HP to 40 HP Heavy Duty); output amps 1.1 A to 65 A; frames A-E
600V three-phase input	0.5 HP to 50 HP Normal Duty (0.33 HP to 40 HP Heavy Duty); output amps 0.9 A to 52 A; frames A-E
Input voltage tolerance	-10% / +10% of nominal; 200-240V operating range 180-264V; 380-480V operating range 342-528V; 600V operating range 432-660V
Input frequency tolerance	47-63 Hz
Input phases	Three-phase full rating; single-phase operation at 50% derated rating
Displacement power factor	0.98 across speed range
Overload capacity	110% for 1 minute; 150% for 3 seconds
Short-circuit rating (SCCR)	200,000 A symmetrical (with recommended fuse/circuit-breaker)

Control & Performance

Control methods	Volts/Hertz with slip compensation (40:1 speed range), Sensorless Vector (80:1 speed range), Vector Control with FORCE Technology (120:1 open-loop, 1000:1 with feedback)
Output frequency range	0-400 Hz (Standard), 0-500 Hz (Enhanced Control)
Carrier frequency	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 kHz (Standard); 2/4/8/12 kHz (Enhanced Control); drive rating based on 4 kHz
Speed regulation	±0.5% of base speed (SVC with slip comp), ±0.1% (Vector open-loop with FORCE), ±0.001% (with feedback)
Torque regulation	±10% open-loop (Enhanced Control); ±5% with encoder feedback
Efficiency	97.5% at rated load (line volts nominal)
Safe Torque Off (STO)	TÜV-certified DriveGuard STO option; SIL 2 / PL d / Cat 3 per EN ISO 13849-1, SIL CL 2 per EN 62061 / IEC 61508 (480V units only)
Features	Flying Start, PI Control, Inertia Ride-Through, Slip Compensation, Droop Control, Sleep/Wake, 3 User Parameter Sets, Process PID

Protection & Environmental

Operating temperature (no derating)	0 to 50°C (IP20/NEMA 1 and Flange Mount); 0 to 40°C (IP66/NEMA 4X/12)
Storage temperature	-40 to +70°C
Altitude	1000 m (3300 ft) max without derating
Relative humidity	5-95% non-condensing
Shock / vibration	15 g peak for 11 ms duration (±1 ms); 0.152 mm displacement, 1 g peak
AC input overvoltage trip	247V (208V) / 285V (240V) / 475V (400V) / 570V (480V) / 690V (600V)
Bus overvoltage trip	405V DC (208-240V) / 810V DC (400-480V) / 1013V DC (600V)
Power ride-through	15 ms at full load; logic control ride-through 0.5 s minimum, 2 s typical
Line transient tolerance	Up to 6000 V peaks per IEEE C62.41-1991

Packaging & Enclosures

IP20 / NEMA / UL Type 1	Panel Mount for conventional cabinet installation; removable conduit plate
IP66 / NEMA / UL Type 4X/12	Wall/Machine Mount (indoor); certified for high-pressure wash-down and NSF food-zone splash
Flange Mount	Front chassis IP20/NEMA 1, rear heatsink IP66/NEMA 4X/12 — heat dissipated outside the enclosure
IP54 / NEMA / UL Type 12	Wall/Machine Mount with integrated HIM (frame E only, 240V/400V/480V)
Zero-Stacking	Drives mount directly adjacent without thermal derating (50°C IP20/NEMA 1 + Flange; 40°C IP66/NEMA 4X/12)
Conformal coating	Standard on all enclosures — protects against moisture, dust, fungus, and chemical atmospheres

Catalog Number Format

How to read an Allen-Bradley 20A catalog number. Each position encodes a specific configuration attribute.

Position

Meaning

Example

20A

Bulletin prefix for PowerFlex 70 drive family

20AB2P2A0AYNANC0 → Bulletin 20A

Voltage class (B / C / D / E)

B=240V 3-phase (6-pulse), C=400V 3-phase, D=480V 3-phase, E=600V 3-phase

D = 480V three-phase input

Current/HP code (2P2, 4P2, 6P8, 015, 030, 052, 065, etc.)

Continuous output amperage or normal-duty HP code; P indicates decimal point (2P2 = 2.2 A, 4P2 = 4.2 A)

030 = 30 A (15 HP on 480V); 052 = 52 A (40 HP Normal Duty on 480V)

Enclosure (A / C / F / G)

A=Panel Mount IP20/NEMA 1, C=Wall/Machine Mount IP66/NEMA 4X/12, F=Flange Mount (front IP20 + rear IP66), G=Wall/Machine Mount IP54/NEMA 12

A = panel-mount IP20; C = wash-down rated IP66

HIM code (0 / 3 / 5)

0=Blank cover (no HIM), 3=Full-numeric LCD HIM, 5=Program-only LCD (no longer sold)

3 = Full-numeric LCD keypad

Documentation (A / N)

A=Manual included, N=No manual

A = ships with printed manual

Brake IGTB + Resistor (Y)

Y=Internal dynamic-brake transistor + internal brake resistor for regenerative energy dissipation

YY = brake transistor + internal resistor

Emission class (A / N)

A=Integral EMC filter (CE compliant), N=Not filtered; availability depends on frame + voltage

A = filtered (required for CE on most 400/480V frames)

Comm slot (C / D / E / N)

Factory-installed DPI adapter. C=ControlNet (coax), D=DeviceNet, E=EtherNet/IP, N=None (user-installed)

E = factory EtherNet/IP; N = blank slot for field-installed adapter

Control / STO (N / M / G)

N=Standard Control, M=Enhanced Control (no STO), G=Enhanced Control with Safe Torque Off (480V only)

G = Enhanced Control + STO (480V frames only)

Feedback (0 / 1)

0=No feedback, Enhanced Control only; 1=5V/12V encoder w/Enhanced Control (drive loses CE EMC + STO certification when fitted)

0 = no encoder interface

Communication Protocols

Supported industrial networks and field buses for the products covered by this publication.

DPI (Drive Peripheral Interface) PowerFlex 7-Class native port — up to 5 DPI devices per drive (HIM, communication adapter, computer tools, peer drive) EtherNet/IP Via factory-installed Comm slot (code E) or field-installed 20-COMM-E adapter; also dual-port via 20-COMM-ER DeviceNet Via 20-COMM-D adapter in DPI port — supports Change-of-State, Peer Control, ADR (Automatic Device Replacement) ControlNet Via 20-COMM-C (coax) adapter; supports Unconnected Messaging, Peer Control, Access-All-Parameters PROFIBUS DP Via 20-COMM-P adapter for integration with Siemens-based PROFIBUS networks Modbus RTU Via 20-COMM-H (RS-485 DF1) adapter — Master/Slave Modbus TCP Via 20-COMM-E (EtherNet/IP) adapter with Modbus TCP firmware option BACnet Via 20-COMM-B adapter for HVAC and building-automation integration RS-485 DF1 Via 20-COMM-S or 20-COMM-H for legacy A-B serial networks Siemens P1 FLN / Metasys N2 Supported via dedicated DPI adapters for BAS integration

Certifications & Compliance

c-UL-us Listed — UL 508C and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 274-13 (configured drives can be listed to UL508A) CE marked per EU Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (EN 61800-5-1) CE marked per EU EMC Directive 2014/30/EU (EN 61800-3 Adjustable Speed Electrical Power Drive Systems) UKCA (EN 61800-3, EN 61800-5-1, EN IEC 63000) EAC — Russian Customs Union TR CU 004/2011 (Low Voltage) and TR CU 020/2011 (EMC) RCM (Australia / New Zealand — IEC 61800-3) ABS American Bureau of Shipping — Certificate 08-HS303172A-3-PDA (marine auxiliary services) Lloyd's Register Type Approval 08/60014 (E1) marine certification (drives manufactured before June 5, 2018) NSF Type 4X food-equipment splash-zone listing (C2 criteria) UL 508C Plenum Rating (flange-mount frames A-D only) SEMI F47 compliance (480V units tested) TÜV Rheinland Safe Torque Off — SIL 2 / PL d / Cat 3 per EN ISO 13849-1, SIL CL 2 per EN 62061 / IEC 61508 (480V) Korean KC Registration (R-R-RAA-Drive) Trentec seismic qualification (AC156 / 2003 IBC) NFPA 70 (US National Electric Code) and NEMA ICS 7.1 compliant Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 — IE2 efficiency class

Document Contents

Full PDF covers the following topics in detail:

Product overview: HP/kW ratings, control modes, flexible packaging options, Zero-Stacking mounting, conformal coating
Human Interface Module (HIM) options: 7-line × 21-character backlit LCD, 7 languages, numeric keypad, remote panel-mount version
Control and performance features: Flying Start, PI Control, Inertia Ride-Through, Slip Compensation, Droop Control, Sleep/Wake, Safe Torque Off
DPI communications adapter matrix (20-COMM-E/D/C/P/H/B) with per-adapter capability table (unconnected messaging, peer control, ADR, flexible fault config)
Catalog-number breakdown for every 20A* drive — voltage class, amp rating, enclosure, HIM, brake, filter, comm slot, control/STO, feedback
Product selection tables organized by enclosure type (IP20 Panel, IP66 Wall, IP54 Wall with HIM, Flange Mount) and voltage class
Power ratings and branch-circuit protection requirements (fuses, breakers, SCCR)
Terminal block layouts, cable recommendations, installation power wiring
Dimensional drawings and weights for frames A, B, C, D, E in every packaging option
Standard drive certifications and detailed specifications (electrical, control, encoder interface)
Watts-loss tables by voltage / HP for thermal-sizing calculations
Voltage tolerance curves and derating guidelines for altitude, ambient temperature, and carrier frequency

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between PowerFlex 70, PowerFlex 700, and PowerFlex 755?

PowerFlex 70 (Bulletin 20A) is the low-HP / mid-tier 7-Class drive — 0.5-50 HP with Sensorless Vector or FORCE Technology Vector Control, DPI-based comms, and a single factory comm slot. PowerFlex 700 (Bulletin 20B) extends the same platform up to 800 HP with higher-end motor control and additional I/O. PowerFlex 755 (Bulletin 20G, which succeeded both) is the current PowerFlex 750-Series platform, scaling 0.75-6000 HP with modular option slots for embedded safety, I/O, and network cards — it is the direct migration path from legacy PowerFlex 70/700 installations.

Is the PowerFlex 70 still supported by Rockwell?

The PowerFlex 70 has been Active-Mature for several years — still sold new as of 2024, with full firmware and documentation (20A-TD001 is maintained; current rev is 20A-TD0010-EN-P, September 2024). Rockwell recommends PowerFlex 755 for new installs, but 20A-* drives remain available as direct replacements for in-service equipment. DriveTools SP programming software has been superseded by Connected Components Workbench (CCW) for configuration; legacy DriveExplorer still works.

What DPI / 22-COMM adapters work with the PowerFlex 70?

The PowerFlex 70 uses 20-COMM-series adapters (not 22-COMM, which is PowerFlex 520-series). Available adapters: 20-COMM-E (EtherNet/IP), 20-COMM-ER (dual-port EtherNet/IP with DLR), 20-COMM-D (DeviceNet), 20-COMM-C (ControlNet coax), 20-COMM-P (PROFIBUS DP), 20-COMM-B (BACnet), 20-COMM-H (RS-485 DF1 / Modbus RTU), 20-COMM-S (RS-485 serial). One adapter installs in the drive's single Comm slot; for EtherNet/IP the adapter can also be ordered factory-installed by specifying "E" in catalog position 13.

Does the PowerFlex 70 have Safe Torque Off?

Yes — Safe Torque Off is an ordering option on 480V drives only (catalog position "G" with Enhanced Control). The DriveGuard STO feature is certified by TÜV Rheinland to SIL 2 / PL d / Cat 3 per EN ISO 13849-1 and SIL CL 2 per EN 62061 / IEC 61508. It is not available on 240V, 400V, or 600V PowerFlex 70 drives; for those voltage classes an external safety relay is required. Note that installing an encoder interface card voids CE EMC certification and also voids STO if a safety-certified encoder is not used.

How do I migrate from a PowerFlex 70 to a PowerFlex 755?

The migration is straightforward for the drive itself (PowerFlex 755 covers the same 0.5-50 HP range and exceeds it) but the parameter structure, comm-slot architecture (DPI on 70 → 755 option-card slots on 755), and HIM are different. Plan for re-commissioning, not a bolt-for-bolt swap. 20-COMM adapters do not move to 755 — it uses 20-750-series option cards for networks. Rockwell publishes migration guides (20A-AP001 and 755-AP001) with parameter-mapping tables.

Can the PowerFlex 70 be used in a hazardous (NFPA 70 Class I Div 2) location?

The drive itself is not independently listed for Class I Division 2 — unlike Stratix or CompactLogix products. PowerFlex 70 carries standard industrial certifications (c-UL-us per UL 508C, CE, EAC, RCM, ABS marine). For hazardous-location applications the drive is typically installed inside a purged or X/Y/Z-protected enclosure. Check with Rockwell or the panel builder for the specific UL 508A listing that applies to the finished assembly.

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PowerFlex 70 AC Drive — Technical Data (20A-TD001)