Application Scenarios
At a steel service centre, a 5 HP pinch-roll DC motor had run for more than 20 years on an original Ultra 100 drive. During coil unloading, operators noticed that the roll no longer held a controlled deceleration when reversing direction—the strip would overshoot and mark the coil edge. The original drive’s control regulator had drifted, and a replacement was needed without changing the motor, tachometer or existing panel layout.
The maintenance team fitted a 1398-DDM-005-A in the original cabinet location, reconnected the three-phase input, armature and field wiring, and re-entered the motor’s nameplate data through the integral HIM. With the drive’s regenerative capability re-enabled, the roll now decelerates smoothly into reversal and returns braking energy to the line instead of dissipating it in a resistor. The service centre reported no further edge-marking rejects and kept the original DC motor—avoiding a motor, cabling and mechanical-rebuild exercise that had been estimated at several times the cost of the drive.
Parameter
| Main Parameters | Value/Description |
|---|---|
| Product Model | 1398-DDM-005-A |
| Manufacturer | Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation |
| Product Category | Digital DC Drive (regenerative main drive) |
| Product Family | Bulletin 1398 Ultra 100 |
| Rated Power | 5 HP (rating code 005) |
| Input Voltage | 460 V AC, three-phase, 50/60 Hz |
| Control Supply | 115 V AC/DC |
| Input Current (AC) | 11.2 A at 460 V AC |
| Output Current (DC) | 26.4 A DC |
| Field Current | 1.6 A DC |
| DC Bus Output | 600 V DC |
| Regen Capability | 50 % standard / 100 % optional (varies by configuration) |
| Control Options | 1-phase 90VDC control (standard) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +55 °C (32 °F to 131 °F), non-condensing |
| Storage Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (-40 °F to 185 °F) |
| Short-Circuit Current Rating | 15 kA |
| Operator Interface | Built-in HMI with 4-digit display, 4 status LEDs, 4 navigation/adjust keys |
| Diagnostics | Real-time diagnostic scrolling and fault annunciation |
| Communications | RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 configurable serial ports |
| Control Inputs | Selectable 4–20 mA, 0–10 V DC or ±10 V DC |
| Mounting | Flush/panel mount |
| Agency Compliance | UL Listed, cUL, CE |
| Lifecycle Status | Discontinued / obsolete — available as new surplus, refurbished or tested take-out |
Technical Principles and Innovative Values
Innovation Point 1 — Full four-quadrant regenerative control. Unlike a non-regenerative DC drive that must burn off braking energy in a resistor, the 1398-DDM-005-A returns energy to the AC line during overhauling or deceleration. This keeps heat out of the cabinet, protects the motor and mechanical load, and is the correct topology for winders, cranes, elevators and overhauling conveyors.
Innovation Point 2 — Digital control without an external controller. The Ultra 100 platform provides adjustable speed and torque control with built-in diagnostics, so a DC motor can be controlled without adding a PLC or separate motion controller. The drive stores parameters internally and scrolls real-time diagnostic data on its display.
Innovation Point 3 — Built-in HMI eliminates commissioning guesswork. A 4-digit display, four status LEDs and four navigation/adjustment keys let the operator read drive status, enter motor data and tune the regulator on the panel door. For a one-off retrofit this is faster and cheaper than wiring in a programming terminal.
Innovation Point 3 — Configurable analogue and serial interface. The control input may be selected as 4–20 mA, 0–10 V DC or ±10 V DC to suit an existing potentiometer, PLC analogue output or closed-loop regulator. RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 serial ports give the 1398-DDM-005-A connectivity to a wide range of legacy and current control equipment.
Innovation Point 5 — A DC-motor life-extension platform. Where the original DC motor, tachometer, gearbox and mechanical layout are still serviceable, replacing only the ageing controller with a 1398-DDM-005-A preserves the asset and avoids the cost of converting to an AC motor and VFD.
