KEB Scope 2.0 Turns Drive Traces Into Evidence

KEB Automation released Scope 2.0 for COMBIVIS 6 on February 3, 2026. The expansion package records and visualizes internal signals from KEB frequency inverters and servo amplifiers. Its engineering value is not that it replaces every external instrument, but that it exposes drive variables that are difficult to reach with probes.

What KEB Announced

KEB describes Scope as an integrated digital multichannel oscilloscope inside COMBIVIS 6. Scope 2.0 adds flexible recording, online trigger options, snapshots from selected parameters, improved axis displays, cursor information and overlays for comparing separate recordings. The company also describes offline scope operation with high temporal resolution for demanding drive analysis.

The software can pause or lock a recording and can trigger from computer time or defined bits. Those functions are useful when a fault appears only during a particular machine state. Engineers should still confirm package licensing, supported drive families, software versions and available variables for the exact controller being serviced.

Where an Internal Scope Helps

A drive contains calculated values and internal states that may not appear on external terminals. Examples can include speed reference, actual speed, torque-producing current, DC-bus value, controller output, position error and status bits. Recording related channels against one time base can show the sequence around an acceleration, load change or trip.

This view is useful during commissioning because a parameter adjustment can be compared against the response it produces. It is also useful in service work when a sporadic event is too brief for a technician to observe. A trigger tied to a status bit can preserve the signals immediately before and after the event.

Build a Test Around a Question

Do not begin by recording every available variable. Define the symptom and the decision the test must support. For speed instability, capture command, feedback, controller output and current. For a positioning problem, include position command, actual position, following error and relevant state bits. For an overvoltage trip, examine DC-bus behavior together with speed, torque and braking state.

Set the sample period and recording duration so the event can be resolved without losing its context. A very short record may show the trip but not the condition that caused it. A long record with a slow sample rate may hide a transient. Preserve the drive parameters and machine recipe alongside the trace so another engineer can reproduce the test.

Use Overlays for Controlled Comparisons

Scope 2.0 can overlay curves from separate recordings. That makes before-and-after comparisons more useful than relying on memory or screenshots from different scales. Keep the operating condition constant, change one approved parameter and record the next run with the same channels, time base and trigger.

Overlaying traces can show whether a tuning change reduced overshoot, altered settling time or shifted peak current. It can also reveal that a perceived improvement came from a lighter load or different motion profile. Name recordings with machine, axis, recipe, software version and change reference so the evidence remains traceable.

Know What the Software Cannot Prove

Internal variables are processed values. They do not independently prove terminal voltage, conductor condition, insulation quality, grounding or the waveform at a physical test point. An external meter, power analyzer or oscilloscope may still be needed. Follow the drive manufacturer's measurement instructions and electrical safety procedures; unsuitable probing around a DC bus or motor output can damage equipment or injure personnel.

The internal scope also cannot decide whether a motion profile is mechanically acceptable. Confirm coupling condition, backlash, brake release, load inertia, lubrication and resonance. A clean trace can coexist with a mechanical problem that the selected channels do not expose.

Commissioning Workflow

First save the original drive configuration and identify the software, package and firmware versions. Confirm communications with the correct device. Select a small channel set tied to the symptom. Establish a baseline under a repeatable operating condition and save it before changing parameters.

Next configure a trigger that captures the event with useful pre-trigger history. Run the machine only under an approved test plan. Compare command, response and state transitions. Make one controlled adjustment, repeat the run and use the overlay to assess the difference. Restore the baseline if the result is worse or if any operating limit is approached.

Turn Traces Into Maintenance Evidence

A scope record is most valuable when it becomes part of the fault history. Attach the trace, configuration backup, alarm record and test conditions to the work order. Record what changed and why. If the event cannot be reproduced, retain the trigger configuration so operations can capture the next occurrence without rebuilding the test.

Trend comparisons can also support condition-based maintenance, but avoid treating a single trace as a predictive model. Compare consistent operating points and account for recipe, ambient temperature and load. Escalate unexplained changes before tuning around them.

Engineering Impact

Scope 2.0 gives KEB users a more structured way to investigate drive behavior inside the existing engineering environment. The gain comes from repeatable capture and comparison, not from collecting more curves. Teams that define questions, preserve baselines and respect measurement boundaries can shorten diagnosis without obscuring electrical or mechanical causes.

Relevant hardware is listed in the KEB Automation KG and Drives & Motion Control collections. The confirmed features and release date come from KEB Automation's February 3, 2026 announcement. Exact compatibility should be verified against the current COMBIVIS 6 documentation before deployment.