What the 26013 alarm means

The inverter stage of the given drive reports a general failure — the power stage cannot operate the axis. We see this alarm constantly when servicing KUKA KRC2 / KRC4 / KRC5 (KSS) systems, and the first on-site pass usually pins down the cause.

Most common causes

  • KPP/KSP power stage damage
  • DC link or supply fault upstream
  • Overheat or contamination inside the drive
  • Firmware issue
Field note: Based on our handling experience the first cause is the most frequent — use it as your starting point.

Step-by-step field fix

  1. Power down and wait for the DC link to discharge before opening the cabinet
  2. Check for upstream alarms 26012 / 26107 / 26108 that reveal the root cause
  3. Clean and inspect the KSP/KPP for burnt components
  4. Replace the drive module and test under load
Safety first: For KUKA 26013, this alarm family involves the DC bus, which sits at several hundred volts and stays charged for minutes after power-off - touching terminals is a shock hazard. What you can check yourself first is Power down and wait for the DC link to discharge before opening the cabinet; the DC bus and power stage handling is not a DIY job. On KUKA 26013: checking incoming voltage at the disconnect and looking at breakers and fuses is fine to do yourself; opening the cabinet to touch bus terminals or pulling power modules needs a qualified electrician.

How we diagnose drive alarms on site

KUKA 26013 belongs to the drive & power stage family. On KUKA 26013 the failing stage is KPP power packs and KSP servo packs (next-generation drive modules on KRC5) on the KRC2 / KRC4 / KRC5 - the fault sits on the energy chain: mains input, rectification, DC bus, braking resistor, inverter power devices and the drive board. We start reading KUKA 26013 at the smartPAD message window (KSS message numbers: 1xxx operator, 2xxxx drive) with KPP/KSP module LEDs.

The chain involved in KUKA 26013 runs: three-phase mains -> rectifier -> DC bus (bus capacitors) -> brake chopper / braking resistor -> inverter (IGBT) -> motor.

Bottom line up front: KPP/KSP power stage damage is the first suspect for KUKA 26013, but read it along the energy chain: Any link on this chain dropping voltage shows up at the end as a drive alarm, so order matters. We measure the mains first: more than 3% phase imbalance is enough to sag the bus under load, and plenty of bus over/under-voltage alarms are actually a grid problem wearing a robot costume. Mains fine, then the bus capacitors - bulged cases, weeping electrolyte or a lifted vent mean replacement; capacitance down 20% or more cannot hold the bus during braking. Last, the braking resistor: healthy values sit in the tens of ohms depending on rating, and an open or drifted resistor trips regenerative overvoltage directly.

Field notes on this page cover KUKA 26013 (General Inverter Failure (Drive N)); written by the Henghuan repair team, updated 2026-10-01.

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Related Drive & Power Stage alarms

12005 — Ballast Resistor Temperature Sensor — Wire Disconnection 26012 — General Servo Error (Drive N) 26107 — KSP DC Link Overvoltage (Axis N) 26108 — KSP DC Link Undervoltage (Axis N) 26111 — KSP Device Overtemperature (Axis N) 26122 — KSP Braking Resistor Fault (Axis N)
Same family: this code belongs to the Drive & power stage alarms family - the page collects all Drive & power stage-family codes we have handled, with the common inspection order and spares.
Other brands: we also keep field-fix libraries for ABB · Yaskawa · Universal Robots and more — see the complete alarm code hub.

Frequently asked questions

QWhat does the KUKA 26013 alarm mean?

The inverter stage of the given drive reports a general failure — the power stage cannot operate the axis. We see this alarm constantly when servicing KUKA KRC2 / KRC4 / KRC5 (KSS) systems, and the first on-site pass usually pins down the cause. KUKA 26013 sits in the drive & power stage family; on our work orders the highest-frequency trigger for this code is "KPP/KSP power stage damage".

QCan I clear a KUKA 26013 alarm myself?

Whether KUKA 26013 clears on its own depends on the outcome of "Power down and wait for the DC link to discharge before opening the cabinet". Finish the flow with "Replace the drive module and test under load" to confirm KUKA 26013 - do not skip it. If that step is clean, the second most frequent cause on KUKA 26013 is "DC link or supply fault upstream". If KUKA 26013 returns after two clears, or the checks point at KPP/KSP power stage damage, stop the cell and call a professional robot repair engineer.

QFor drive/power alarms like KUKA 26013, what spares do you bring on site?

The commonest causes we see on KUKA 26013 are "KPP/KSP power stage damage, DC link or supply fault upstream, Overheat or contamination inside the drive", so we stock the van against those. For KUKA 26013 specifically, we stock the van along the energy chain: braking resistors, bus capacitors, input fuses, drive-board supply parts and the common power modules for the brand. For KUKA 26013, drive alarms usually stop the whole line, so they sit at the front of our dispatch queue. Before we roll, tell us what KUKA 26013 shows on the smartPAD message window (KSS message numbers: 1xxx operator, 2xxxx drive) with KPP/KSP module LEDs and what the machine was doing - phone or video triage is free.

The notes on KUKA 26013 were summarized by the Henghuan Robotics repair team from on-site service. The alarm interpretation is our empirical summary for troubleshooting reference and may vary by controller and software version — please check KUKA documentation or contact us with questions. Henghuan is an independent service provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by KUKA.