The following slides explain the Ground Fault Detection and

Interruption (GFDI) system in a FRONIUS IG inverter.

Please note that each slide is provided with sound. Please
switch on your loudspeakers and press the keys at the
bottom of each slide to proceed.

FRONIUS GFDI

FRONIUS Ground Fault Detection and

Interruption
What is a ground fault?

Troubleshooting

Installation instructions

Contact FRONIUS tech support

FRONIUS GFDI

What is a ground fault?

NEC definition: An unintentional, electrically conducting connection
between an ungrounded conductor of an electrical circuit and the
normally non-current-carrying conductors, metallic enclosures,
metallic raceways, metallic equipment, or earth.
+

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L1
L2

GND

Installation instructions

FRONIUS GFDI

Installation instructions

Connect PV/DC module frame

ground to (5) and AC ground
to (1).
Do not connect ground to the
DC negative at any point
This is already done inside the
FRONIUS IG.
!!! Connecting the ground to
DC negative prior to the
inverter will circumvent the
GFDI protection system and
the inverter will indicate a
ground fault. !!!

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Ground fault troubleshooting

FRONIUS GFDI

AC/DC ground terminal

=
A

L1
L2

GND

GFDI fuse

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FRONIUS GFDI

Ground fault troubleshooting

Ground fault detection system operation:

DC negative is
grounded through
the 1 A GFDI fuse.
When the ground
fault current
exceeds 1 A, the
ground fault fuse
opens and the
inverter shuts down
with STATE Code:
434
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=
A

L1
L2

GND

434 troubleshooting

FRONIUS GFDI

STATE 434 troubleshooting

Ground fault LED ON

Ground fault LED OFF

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FRONIUS GFDI

STATE 434: Ground fault LED ON

STATE 434 with LED ON indicates that there is a ground fault on the
PV module (DC) side of the system.

Follow steps below to locate the fault:

Check the 1A GFDI fuse.
If the fuse is not blown, the ground fault current is less than 1A.
Vice versa if the fuse is blown. Do not replace the fuse without
following the steps below!
In both cases, remove the GFDI fuse from the fuse holder and using a
multi-meter, measure the following DC voltages:
Between DC Positive terminal and Ground terminal V1.
Between

DC Negative terminal and Ground terminal V2.

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FRONIUS GFDI

State 434: Ground fault LED ON (continued)

From the previous page, if V1 is approximately equal to V2 (5%):
The

ground fault could be a temporary fault caused by

expansion/contraction due to temperature or other variations.
If the system does not recover and the problem persists (STATE 434
& V1 = V2), please contact FRONIUS tech support:

V1

V2

If V1 is not equal to V2, then there is a ground fault in the system.

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FRONIUS GFDI

State 434: Ground fault LED ON (continued)

Consider the PV system shown:
3 strings of 4 modules each
connected to a FRONIUS IG.
Under normal conditions:
Voc = 400 V
V1 = 400 V
V2 = 0 V
When the GFDI fuse is removed,
the voltages should divide
approximately equally:
V1 = V2 = Voc/2

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FRONIUS GFDI

State 434: Ground fault LED ON (continued)

Assume there is a ground fault on
the rightmost string. Follow the
steps below to locate the fault:
1.

First, remove the GFDI fuse.

2.

Connect only one string to the

inverter and measure V1 and V2.
Again, when there is no fault in the
string V1 = V2 = Voc/2.
Repeat steps 2,& 3 for each string.
Since there is no fault on strings 1
and 2, Voc is split equally between
V1 and V2.

3.
4.

(For a
string inverter system with a common negative bus,
remove all the GFDI fuses.)

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FRONIUS GFDI

State 434: Ground fault LED ON (continued)

5.

6.

7.

When there is a fault in the string,

Voc does not split equally.
And, the ratio of V1 and V2
indicates the location of the
fault along the string.
For the system shown, the fault is
located between modules 1 and 2.
Therefore, V1 = 100 10 V
V2 = 300 10 V
Ratio of V1 and V2 is 1:3.
Therefore the ground fault is
located after module #1.
For further assistance contact FRONIUS tech
support.

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FRONIUS tech support

FRONIUS GFDI

FRONIUS technical support

For more information please dont
hesitate to contact

FRONIUS technical support

phone: 810 220 4414
fax:

810 220 4424

pv-us-support@fronius.com
www.fronius-usa.com

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FRONIUS GFDI