Schneider Electric Altistart 48 | FAQ

To request a quote for one of the Altistart 48 Soft Starters, please email sales@mrodrives.com or call 800-691-8511.

Where can I locate the serial number on the Altistart 48 softstarts?
The serial number is printed under the bar code, on the nameplate. The nameplate is located on the right hand side of the ATS48.

Why does the R1 relay not change state on the ATS48 softstart?
Make sure R1 is assigned as R1F. R1F is the default setting for the R1 relay. If it has been changed to R1I the relay will not change state until a run command is issued to the soft start.
The programming of the R1 relay can be found in menu I/O.

Check and make sure that automat restart feature is not turned on under PRO menu. ATS should be set to no. If unit faults out it will not allow the fault relay to change state anthill the unit has gone through automatic restart phase.

Do a factory reset. Go to DRC and find FCS parameter. Set it to yes and hold enter for 3 seconds.

Do the Altistart ATS48 have any leakage voltage across the output terminals when unit is not running and what is the value?
The ATS48 units do have leakage voltage across the output of the SCRs when it is not running. If the motor is connected, this minimal power is dissipated in the motor windings and not noticed. If the motor is not electrically connected to T1T2T3, this leakage voltage has the capability to reach the line potential.

Can the Altistart 48 soft starters run with 50hz input power supply?
Yes, the soft starters can work with both 50/60 hz line power

How do you measure the SCRs on the ATS48 soft starters?
Power down the soft starter so that you do not have any mains or control voltage. Follow proper lockout/tagout procedures.

This is the square front of the unit that the control terminals plug into and where the keypad connects. There are 4 screws that hold the control board to the power section of the softstart that must be removed.
There are several connections to the back of the control board that must be disconnected. Be sure they are properly marked so they can be reconnected to the correct socket.
Do not pull on the wires themselves as you could break the connection to the plug.

Use a Digital meter (Fluke or equivalent) to measure the resistance between L1 to T1, L2 to T2 and L3 to T3.
Check your resistance in both directions. Red probe on T1 and Black on L1 then flip them and put Red probe on L1 and Black on T1. Repeat for other two phases.
A good reading will be 50K ohms or higher. You should expect to see all three legs with similar resistance readings on all 6 measurements.

Low readings indicate a possible issue with the SCR or shorting contactor (if present).

Do the Altistart ATS48 soft starters have a catch on the fly option?
No, the soft start doesn’t`t have catch on the fly.
However, if the motor is already spinning, there should not be a problem starting it under most circumstances. The initial starting torque is low and allows for motor slip. Often, it will appear that the motor is “catching on the fly” because the torque and speed of the motor will increase as the soft starter accelerates.
If the spinning load is reverse of motor direction and has high inertia, the motor may overload before the soft starter is able to accelerate it. This would be much the same as if started by means of a full voltage starter.

Can an Altistart 48 soft starter run a motor in forward and reverse direction?
The open style soft starters can not reverse the motor. Output phase rotation of the soft starter will be the same as the input phase rotation. The phase rotation will need to be reversed on either the input or output side of the soft starter, before being connected to the motor, in order to reverse the motor. None that some enclosed soft starters are available with a reversing circuit installed from the factory. See your local Schneider Electric distributor for price and availability information.

How can I simulate a fault condition on my ATS48 soft starter to verify my fault status circuitry connected to the starter is working properly?
An easy way to generate a fault on an ATS48 series starter is to provide a run command to the starter when the motor is not connected. The ATS48 will display PHF. Any relays assigned to a fault function will actuate.

What are the TS1, TS2, TS3 and TS4 in the ATS48 wiring diagrams?
TS stands for Transient suppressors. They reduces damage to electrical components due to transient voltages from relay and contactor coils.

How do I perform Altistart 48 basic programming?
Set menu Parameter

IN= FLA motor amps
ACC= acceleration
DEC= deceleration
ILT=current limit 400% or 4X your motor current is default value.

DRC menu CLP= Off (Torque Control)
Ref ATS48 programming manual S1A37491

What is OTF on the ATS48?
OTF is Motor Thermal Fault Detected by the PTC probes.

• Check the mechanism for wear, mechanical play, lubrication, and blockages.
• Make sure the soft starter and motor are sized properly for the load and application.
• Check the value of the PtC setting in the PrO menu.
• Wait for the motor to cool before restarting.

What is ULF on the Altistart 48?
ULF is an under load fault. The fault is caused by parameter settings on the soft starter. In the PRO menu parameter ULL (Activation of motor under load) enables the under load detection. Parameter LUL (Motor underload threshold) set the percentage of torque for the underload detection. Parameter TUL (Motor underload time)Set the time delay before ULL faults when the motor torque falls below LUL threshold.

What is PIF fault on an Altistart 48?
PIF is a phase inversion fault.
At each new run command, the ATS48 checks the line supply phase rotation. This fault appears if the measured phase rotation on L1-L2-L3 does not match the setting for PHr in the PrO menu. If the PHr is changed, cycle control power for the new setting to take effect.

What is fault code CLF on an ATS48?
The ATS48 monitors the control power on CL1/CL2. If the voltage experiences a sag below 44Vac for more than 200msec, but returns quickly enough for the internal power supply to ride through, then the ATS48 will fault CLF.

Verify the presence and stability of power on CL1/CL2.

ATS48 internal causes may include:
– Control terminal not seated properly
– Wiring from control board to power board J4 plug
– Defective/failed power board

What is an OLF fault on the ATS48?
OLF is a motor thermal fault.

What does NLP mean on the Altistart ATS48?
NLP means No Line Power. This indicates there is no mains power applied to the starter`s L1 – L2 – L3 terminals.
This may be due to a trip condition but for a device with a line contactor, this is the normal off state.

Can the ATS48 softstarter be programmed for reverse?
No, the starter cannot be programmed for reverse but it can monitor phase direction under parameter PHE, Phase Rotation Direction. If you need to reverse the motor using an ATS48 soft starter you will need to add a reversing contactor on the line side of the soft starter.

What causes the Altistart 48 to display CFF fault?
Cycle control power. If it again faults CFF, revert to the factory settings in menu drC and reconfigure the starter.

Does the ATS48 have a built in Shorting Contactor?
No, The ATS48 does not have a built-in Shorting contactor, the ATS22 , is the only soft start with a built-in Shorting contactor.

Does the Altistart 48 have a 24Vdc power supply?
Yes , +24Vdc power supply is a standard feature on all Altistart 48 soft starts (control voltage).

What would cause the InF fault on the ATS48 softstarter?
InF is an Internal fault. Try disconnecting the Control Voltage from CL1,CL2 terminals to see if the fault will reset.
This fault appears if the control board cannot determine the soft starts power rating from the information stored in the EEPROM memory chip on the power board.

Possible causes are:
– Loose ribbon cable connection on the Power board or the Control Board. Try remove the control board, check the plugs and pins. Reseat the control board back in place.
A few cases were observed in the field where the ribbon connector got loose due to vibration and caused this InF fault. The ribbon cable has to be reseated to fix the problem.
– The 24VDC is saturated. Remove all connections to +24 terminal and then measure the voltage.
– SCR is shorted. Check Resistance across each SCR.
– If another ATS48 unit is available, try swapping control boards to confirm if the issue stays with the board or the soft start.
– Power rating not recognized. Replace the Power board and/or Control board.

Do you have additional information on the Altistart 48 analog output?
The analog output can be assigned to reflect one of the following:
1. motor current
2. motor torque
3. motor thermal state
4. Power factor
5. active power
The analog output can be scaled between 50 and 500%. For a more detailed explination of the scaling and parameters please see the attached.

What causes an OCF fault on the ATS48 soft starter?
OCF is a over current fault.

Troubleshooting steps
1. Check programming of the Soft start
a. SEt menu
IN – Motor FLA
ILT – Current limit (May increase to allow more current when starting.
Acc – Acceleration (Depend on the torque control setting)
Tq0 – Initial starting torque( may not be visible, increase to increase the starting torque)
b. DrC Menu
bSt – Voltage boost level( Can be used to avoid any starting torque issues)
CLP – Torque control(Turning CLP of the unit will ramp according to ACC in the SEt menu
2. Check wiring from soft start to motor
a. Check for blockage of the motor( motor turns freely, if it is possible to check)
4. Check for correct rotation of motor
5. Check that the motor and the soft start are sized correctly
6. With motor connected, attempt to run motor and check the current draw on each phase of the output on the soft start.
7. If possible run motor across line and check current draw on each of the three phases( should be within the full load amps of the motor and should be balanced on the three phases. If the motor do not run from line power or the current is high when running on line power, the problem is with the motor)

How can you reset a fault in the Altistart 48 soft start?
Remove the control power (CL1-CL2 voltage) from the unit until the display goes off. When the display powered down, power the unit back up. Provided the fault condition is cleared, the unit should reset. If the fault remains, investigate the cause of the fault.

What is the voltage supply to the ATS48 fan kits?
The cooling fans are supplied with 12Vdc. The voltage tolerance on the fans is 6-13Vdc, 315mA. You can test operation of the fans with something such as a 9V battery, if a 12Vdc source is not available. This should provide enough power to move the fans.

What is the deceleration ramp time range for an Altistart 48?
ATS48 Deceleration ramp time ranges from 1 second to 60 seconds.

Can you copy the configuration from one ATS48 to another?
The only way to transfer or copy the configuration from one ATS48 to another is to use SoMove you can not use the remove HMI to copy the program.

How is the Altistart 48 acceleration ( ACC ) setting programmed?
Ensure that there is no start command. ATS48 status display should be rdY or nLP.
On the ATS48 keypad, press the down arrow button to the SEt menu and press ENT.
From parameter In, press the down arrow multiple times to parameter ACC and press ENT.
Use the up / down arrow buttons to select the desired start time in seconds.
Press ENT to save the value.