Schneider Altivar ATV320, ATV630, ATV930, ATV6000 Drives

Short answer

Altivar is the Schneider Electric family of variable frequency drives. The Altivar Machine ATV320 covers 0.18 to 22 kW for machines; the Altivar Process ATV630 and ATV930 range from 1 to 500 hp for pumps, fans and demanding applications; and the ATV6000 is the brand's medium-voltage drive.

What it is and where it is used

Altivar is the Schneider Electric family of variable frequency drives. The models include the Altivar 320 (ATV320) of the Altivar Machine line, the ATV630 and ATV930 of the Altivar Process line and, in medium voltage, the ATV6000. In existing installations you may also find the ATV1200, an earlier medium-voltage drive from the brand.

A drive controls the speed and torque of an induction motor by adjusting the frequency and voltage it delivers. It is used on pumps, fans, compressors, conveyors and process machines, and its effect on the grid (harmonics) and on the motor (insulation stress) is analyzed separately. For the general concept, see induction motor and its protections.

Variants: ATV320, ATV630, ATV930, ATV6000 and ATV1200

Model	Application	Main difference
Altivar Machine ATV320	Simple and advanced machines	0.18 to 22 kW (0.25 to 30 hp)
Altivar Process ATV630 (ATV600 series)	Pumps, fans, fluids and gases	1 to 500 hp
Altivar Process ATV930 (ATV900 series)	Demanding applications: hoisting, artificial lift	1 to 500 hp; high performance
Altivar Process ATV6000	Medium voltage	Schneider cites it for 4.16 and 6.6 kV in its listings; ranges vary by source
ATV1200	Medium voltage, earlier generation	Still installed in industrial plants

Schneider also offers soft starters within the same Altivar family, which do not regulate speed but limit the starting current.

Main features

Motor control: speed and torque control for induction motors; Schneider also documents which models support permanent magnet motors.
Process functions in the Altivar Process line: pump and fan control, monitoring of the load and of the drive itself.
Motor protection by thermal image and phase supervision inside the drive, which complements, without replacing, the protection of the grid.
Upstream protection coordination: Schneider publishes the breaker, fuse and permissible short-circuit current data for the ATV630 and ATV930.

What Schneider Electric publishes in its catalogs

Altivar Process ATV600 (catalog version 12.0, August 2021, in English). Schneider covers 0.75 to 2,600 kW with this range, with three-phase supply from 200-240 V to 500-690 V. It presents five installation forms: wall-mounted drives (IP20, IP21 and IP55), floor-standing (IP21 and IP54), drives for building into a cabinet, modular systems and liquid-cooled solutions. As standard they include a web server, Ethernet, Modbus TCP and serial link, plus the STO safety function at SIL 3, and are complemented by passive filters, EMC filters, line reactors and output filters. Because the catalog dates from 2021, check whether a more recent edition exists before specifying.

Altivar Process ATV900. Schneider’s datasheet for reference ATV930D30Y6 (30 kW, 40 hp, IP00, 500-690 V) lists Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP and serial Modbus as protocols. A drive of the ATV900 series is intended, according to the manufacturer’s listings, for demanding process applications; the exact reference determines power, voltage and degree of protection.

Altivar Machine ATV320 (catalog version 11.0, January 2026, in English). It covers 0.18 to 22 kW with single-phase 200-240 V and three-phase 200-240 V, 380-500 V and 525-600 V supply, in compact, book-type and IP66/IP65 versions. The catalog indicates synchronous motor control and combinations with braking resistors, line reactors and electromagnetic compatibility filters. Serial communication is by Modbus and CANopen. The optional communication cards add networks such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, PROFINET, Profibus DP, EtherCAT, DeviceNet and POWERLINK, according to the previous-generation catalog. Confirm in the current catalog which cards your reference supports.

How to read a reference

Schneider references combine in the code the family (ATV320, ATV630, ATV930), the power, the voltage and the format. On the ATV320, for example, the code of the form “U55N4B” corresponds to 5.5 kW, 380 to 500 V, three-phase and book format, according to Schneider’s product pages. This reading helps check, before commissioning, that the installed drive matches the project; the nameplate and the catalog take precedence.

Points of attention in integration

Functional safety. STO is the first step of a safety circuit. The real level (SIL 3, PL e, category) is validated for the whole function, including the safety relays and wiring, in accordance with IEC 61800-5-2 and ISO 13849-1.
Harmonics and filters. Schneider offers passive and line solutions; to decide whether they are enough, the distortion at the point of common coupling is calculated and compared with IEEE 519. See active and passive harmonic filters.
Drive Ethernet networks. With the web server and Modbus TCP enabled, the drive is on the plant network; it should be segmented and access controlled, a topic of secure remote access to substations.
Upstream coordination. The drive limits the starting current, but the breaker and fuses of the feeder are chosen with the available short-circuit current and the manufacturer’s coordination data.
Starter or drive. If all you need is to limit the start, compare the concepts in soft starter vs variable frequency drive.

Communications and integration

Altivar drives integrate into the control system over fieldbus or Ethernet, depending on the model and the installed cards, and are configured with Schneider’s SoMove software. In plants with SCADA, the drive delivers status, measurements and faults and receives the run command and the speed reference. See Modbus RTU and TCP and PLC and substation automation.

Frequent technical questions

Altivar 320 manual (including PDF): Schneider publishes the installation manual and the programming manual by version.
Fault codes: the programming manual lists each code; a repeated overcurrent or voltage fault is usually in the motor, the cable or the grid, not in the drive.
Harmonics in the plant network: they depend on the rectifier and the filters; see harmonics of variable frequency drives.
Drive trip on voltage sags: the drive protects its DC bus; the solution is defined with a power quality record.
Medium-voltage drive and motor protection: the ATV6000 and ATV1200 feed medium-voltage motors that keep their own relay; see motor protection relay.

How we help

We do not sell or repair drives. Our team integrates the drive into the control system and the SCADA, coordinates its protections with those of the grid, tests the motor and the cable and supports the commissioning, in industry and in substations, in Colombia or elsewhere on request. See control, protection and communications configuration, motor testing and, if the problem is harmonics, power quality. Write to us through contact.

References

IEC 61800 (series), adjustable speed electrical power drive systems; IEEE 519.
Schneider Electric, pages for Altivar Machine ATV320, Altivar Process 630 and 930, ATV6000, drives and soft starters, and FAQs on sizes, permanent magnet motors and ATV630 and ATV930 coordination data.

Frequently asked questions

What power range does the Altivar 320 cover?

According to Schneider Electric, the Altivar Machine ATV320 is a smart drive from 0.18 to 22 kW (0.25 to 30 hp), designed for simple and advanced machines. For pumps, fans and higher-power processes, the brand offers the Altivar Process line.

What is the difference between the ATV630 and the ATV930?

Both are Altivar Process drives from 1 to 500 hp. Schneider presents the ATV630 for fluid and gas processes, such as pumps and fans, and the ATV930 as a high-performance drive for demanding applications, such as hoisting or artificial lift in oil.

Where do I find the Altivar 320 manual?

Schneider Electric publishes on its site the installation manual and the programming manual of the ATV320, with the list of parameters and fault codes, in several languages. Check that it matches the firmware version of your unit.