What the 37097 alarm means

The brake supervision detected a short circuit on one axis brake and applied all brakes to protect the system. This is one of the most common faults in our repair logs for the ABB IRC5 / OmniCore (RobotWare) platform, and the first inspection typically locates the cause.

Most common causes

  • Shorted brake coil on the flagged axis
  • Damaged brake cable in the base or dress pack
  • Water or coolant ingress into the motor connector
Field note: Field experience says the first cause is the most likely — verify it before moving on to the rest.

Step-by-step field fix

  1. Disconnect and measure the brake coil resistance of the flagged axis
  2. Inspect the brake cable and connectors for damage or ingress
  3. Replace the faulty brake coil or cable
  4. Reset and verify all brakes release correctly
Safety first: For ABB 37097, a failed brake means a vertical axis can drop - a person underneath is a severe-accident case, so we require mechanical support first and no repeated power-on trials. The self-serviceable action is Disconnect and measure the brake coil resistance of the flagged axis; anything past that falls under a dropping vertical axis and needs a certified engineer. On ABB 37097: the only safe self-action is stopping the axis, holding power off and supporting the arm mechanically; gap measurement, torque testing and brake replacement are engineer work.

How we diagnose brake faults on site

ABB 37097 belongs to the brake family. On ABB 37097 the failing stage is DSQC drive modules (DSQC 600 generation; OmniCore drive units) on the IRC5 / OmniCore - the electromagnetic brake: brake supply, coil, friction lining and mechanical gap - directly tied to whether an axis can drop. We start reading ABB 37097 at the FlexPendant event log and system diagnostics, with the cabinet status LEDs.

The chain involved in ABB 37097 runs: brake control signal -> brake supply circuit -> electromagnetic coil -> friction lining and disc -> axis holding.

If ABB 37097 shows a slow drop after power-off: Brakes are wear parts: the lining thins with use, braking torque falls and the gap grows. The signature is a slow axis drop after power-off, or failure to hold under heavier load. We measure actual gap and holding torque against factory figures, and inspect the lining surface for oil - contamination collapses the friction coefficient, and adjusting the gap will not fix that; it needs cleaning or replacement. After any brake change we run a static hold test and hand over only when there is no creep.

Field notes on this page cover ABB 37097 (Brake Short Circuit Fault (Axis N)); written by the Henghuan repair team, updated 2026-10-01.

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Related Brakes alarms

37096 — Brake Power Fault (MCOB/MCB) 37098 — Brake Open Circuit Fault (Axis N) 37101 — Brake Failure — Mechanical Unit May Collapse
Same family: this code belongs to the Brake alarms family - the page collects all Brake-family codes we have handled, with the common inspection order and spares.
Other brands: we also keep field-fix libraries for Yaskawa · Universal Robots · Kawasaki and more — see the complete alarm code hub.

Frequently asked questions

QWhat does the ABB 37097 alarm mean?

The brake supervision detected a short circuit on one axis brake and applied all brakes to protect the system. This is one of the most common faults in our repair logs for the ABB IRC5 / OmniCore (RobotWare) platform, and the first inspection typically locates the cause. ABB 37097 sits in the brake family; on our work orders the highest-frequency trigger for this code is "Shorted brake coil on the flagged axis".

QCan I clear a ABB 37097 alarm myself?

Whether ABB 37097 clears on its own depends on the outcome of "Disconnect and measure the brake coil resistance of the flagged axis". Finish the flow with "Reset and verify all brakes release correctly" to confirm ABB 37097 - do not skip it. If that step is clean, the second most frequent cause on ABB 37097 is "Damaged brake cable in the base or dress pack". If ABB 37097 returns after two clears, or the checks point at Shorted brake coil on the flagged axis, stop the cell and call a professional robot repair engineer.

QWith a brake alarm like ABB 37097, can we keep producing for now?

The commonest causes we see on ABB 37097 are "Shorted brake coil on the flagged axis, Damaged brake cable in the base or dress pack, Water or coolant ingress into the motor connector", so we stock the van against those. For ABB 37097 specifically, we carry the brand's common brake assemblies, relays and supply modules; every change ends with a static hold test. For ABB 37097, brake faults carry drop risk so we prioritise them, and after replacement we hold-test on site before handover. Before we roll, tell us what ABB 37097 shows on the FlexPendant event log and system diagnostics, with the cabinet status LEDs and what the machine was doing - phone or video triage is free.

This page on ABB 37097 was written by the Henghuan Robotics repair team from field service experience. Alarm descriptions are our own summary for troubleshooting reference and may vary by controller and software version — when in doubt, check your ABB documentation or contact us. Henghuan is an independent service provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by ABB.