Original Siemens Abo Test Board 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0 6SE70386WK841BH0 6SE7O38-6WK84-1BHO 6SE7 038-6WK84-1BH0

Siemens 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0 | Normalising Module ABO — SIMOVERT Master Drives, DC 890–930 V / 860 A, Discontinued

Part Number: 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0

Manufacturer: Siemens AG (Germany)

Product Type: Normalising Module ABO (Spare Part)

Drive Family: SIMOVERT Master Drives — Vector Control

DC Bus Voltage: 890–930 V DC

Current Rating: 860 A

Status: Discontinued 

Overview

The 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0 is the ABO normalising module spare part for Siemens SIMOVERT Master Drives Vector Control chassis units operating from a DC 890–930 V bus at 860 A.

Normalising modules in SIMOVERT Master Drives perform a specific and essential role: they scale the current and voltage measurement signals within the drive to values that the drive's control electronics can process correctly. 

Without a functioning normalising module, the drive cannot accurately regulate motor current and will fault on overcurrent or measurement errors.

SIMOVERT Master Drives was Siemens' premium industrial drive platform for high-power applications — rolling mills, paper machines, compressors, cranes, pumps, extruders, and other demanding industrial processes where precise speed and torque control at high power levels is required.

The 890–930 V DC bus voltage and 860 A rating of this module's parent drive places it in the high-power segment of the SIMOVERT range — these are large machines driving significant loads.

This part number was discontinued by Siemens in June 2011. New production has not been available since that date.

All available supply comes from surplus stock, removed-from-service units, or refurbished modules.

Drives using this module continue to operate in industrial plants around the world, and their maintenance requirements make this module an active spare part category.

Key Specifications

The ABO Normalising Module — What It Does

In a SIMOVERT Master Drives Vector Control unit, the drive's control board needs to know the actual motor current and DC bus voltage at every moment of operation.

It uses this information to compute the correct gate signals for the IGBT power modules — this is what vector control does. 

The measurements must be accurate, and they must be scaled to the correct range for the control electronics.

The normalising module is the hardware that performs this scaling.

Current transducers and voltage measurement circuits in the power stage of the drive produce signals proportional to the actual current and voltage. 

These raw signals have amplitudes that reflect the specific current and voltage levels of the drive — a 860 A drive produces different signal levels than a 146 A drive, even if the transducer types are similar. 

The normalising module contains the gain-setting components that convert these raw signals into the standardised range the control board expects.

The "ABO" designation refers to the position in the drive's circuit topology — ABO normalising modules handle the output current normalisation path, distinct from the ABI modules that handle input-side measurements. Both types are specific to the drive's voltage and current rating.

The 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0 is matched specifically to 890–930 V, 860 A drives. 

Installing a module rated for a different voltage or current class will result in incorrect scaling, leading to drive faults or, in a worst case, incorrect current control.

High-Power Drive Context — SIMOVERT Master Drives 860 A Class

The 860 A current rating, combined with the 890–930 V DC bus, represents a drive power level in the range of 800 kW — a significant industrial load.

Drives in this class are found in heavy industry: steel plants, aluminium rolling mills, large pump stations, mine hoists, ship propulsion systems, and similar high-power applications. 

These drives are not replaced frequently. 

They run for years or decades with preventive maintenance.

When a fault does occur in a drive of this type, the cost impact is substantial. A 800 kW load that is offline costs the operation far more per hour than a small drive on a simple machine. Finding the correct spare part quickly matters.

The ABO normalising module is a known failure item in aging SIMOVERT Master Drives — its components are subject to thermal aging over years of operation, and replacement is a standard corrective maintenance procedure.

Sourcing a Discontinued Component

Siemens discontinued this part number in 2011. The drive family it serves has not been in current production for years. This creates a sourcing situation that applies to much of the SIMOVERT Master Drives spare parts range: the parts are needed, but new production is unavailable.

Surplus new-in-box stock from distributor inventories is the highest-quality available option. These are parts that were manufactured before discontinuation and stored correctly since. Refurbished modules — removed from decommissioned drives, tested, and restored — are the next option. Repaired modules, where specific faulty components have been replaced, are valid when the repair is performed by experienced drive technicians.

Verify that the replacement module carries the correct part number for the drive's specific voltage and current class. SIMOVERT Master Drives normalising modules are rating-specific. A module for a different current class will not produce the correct scaling.

FAQ

Q1: The SIMOVERT drive faults on overcurrent at random load levels. The current measurement seems inconsistent. Could the ABO normalising module be at fault?

Yes. Inconsistent current measurement producing random overcurrent trips is a characteristic fault mode for a degraded normalising module.

The gain-setting components on the module can drift with age, producing readings that do not accurately reflect actual motor current. 

The drive's control board acts on what it reads — if the read value is wrong, the trip point is effectively shifted from the calibrated level.

Replacing the normalising module is the correct first step after verifying the drive's current transducers and their connections are intact.

Q2: The drive was shut down for several months during a plant outage. On restart, it faults immediately with a measurement error. Is this the normalising module?

Extended storage at temperature extremes, or exposure to humidity during storage, can cause component degradation on normalising modules.

The fault-on-startup after storage suggests measurement circuitry has been affected.

Check the module visually for signs of moisture ingress, corrosion on connectors, or component damage before concluding the module has failed internally. 

A visual inspection often reveals the cause.

Q3: Can the 6SE7038-6WK84-1BH0 be used in a drive rated at a different current?

No. Normalising modules are current- and voltage-specific. The gain values on this module correspond to 890–930 V, 860 A.

Installing it in a drive with different ratings will produce incorrect current scaling, leading to incorrect control behaviour and potentially unsafe operation. 

Always match the module part number exactly to the drive's rated specifications.

Q4: The drive manual shows this module in the spare parts list as an ABO module. Is there a difference between ABI and ABO normalising modules?

Yes. ABI refers to the input-side normalisation (measuring input/DC bus quantities), and ABO refers to the output-side normalisation (measuring output current quantities to the motor). Both are specific to the drive rating and are not interchangeable with each other.

Confirm which module position requires replacement — the drive's spare parts documentation for the specific unit identifies which type is needed.

Q5: The part has been discontinued since 2011. How can I verify that a sourced module is genuine and functional?

Verify the label markings match the full part number including revision suffix.

Check the connector contacts for oxidation. Request evidence of electrical testing from the supplier — a functional test report confirming the module's scaling outputs are within specification. 

Reputable industrial automation spare parts suppliers provide documented test results for refurbished components. Avoid unmarked or unlabelled modules presented as this part number.