Product Overview

The ABB 170M5388​ (SAP order code 3AUA0000090404) is a 250 A, 690 V AC high-speed semiconductor protection fuse belonging to ABB’s 170M series — the company’s dedicated aR-class (partial-range / semiconductor-only) fuse line for protecting diodes, thyristors, IGBT modules, rectifier bridges, UPS DC links, and inverter power stages where a general-application gG/gL fuse is too slow and would let the semiconductor avalanche before clearing. Where the previously covered 63NHG00B-690​ is gG/gL (cable + equipment, full-range, slower TCC), the 170M5388​ is aR (semiconductor-only, very fast TCC above the semiconductor’s I²t withstand). The “170M” prefix places it in ABB’s 690 V AC voltage class (170M-1xxx = 500 V, -2xxx = 690 V, -3xxx = 1000 V, -5xxx = 690 V size 1/2 family — the 170M5388​ sits in the 690 V / size-1 blade bracket at 250 A). The companion cross-reference PC72UD13C250T​ (Eaton Bussmann) is a 720 V AC / 250 A ultra-definite high-speed fuse in size-13 / centred-blade format — electrically close enough for many drive-incoming spares discussions, though the physical form factor (size 1 DIN 43653 blade vs. Bussmann size 13) differs, so base compatibility must be checked before substituting.Physically, the 170M5388​ follows the DIN 43653 square-body, blade-contact format typical of 170M size-1: ceramic arc-quenching body, silver-plated copper knife blades at each end, a top-mounted striker pin (impact indicator) that fires when the element clears, and a form-factor of approximately 135 mm (L) × 46 mm (H, blade centreline) × 41 mm (W) — exact dims should be verified against the ABB 170M datasheet for the 5388 variant, as 170M-5xxx sizing can vary slightly by amp tier. Breaking capacity is typically 200 kA at 690 V AC (IEC 60269-4 / IEC 60269-1), and the aR TCC is calibrated so that at, say, 10× rated current (~2500 A) the 170M5388​ clears in the low milliseconds — fast enough to protect a 250 A diode bridge or IGBT module whose own I²t withstand might be only 5–10× the fuse’s pre-arcing I²t.In system terms, the 170M5388​ is the “drive-incoming semiconductor fuse” for 75–132 kW / 100–180 hp inverter/rectifier fronts on 690 V AC supplies — common on mining conveyor drives, marine thruster VFDs, water-treatment LV drives, crane main-drives, and UPS rectifier inputs. The fuse sits between the line isolation/contactor and the drive’s input bridge (or between the DC-link choke and the inverter stage in split-architecture drives), sized so that a bridge shoot-through or DC-link short clears the 170M5388​ before the IGBTs avalanche, but the fuse carries the drive’s normal 250 A rms continuously including overload cycles. For plants standardising on ABB drives (ACS880, ACS580, etc.) on 690 V supplies, the 170M5388​ is the matching 250 A / 690 V aR element; the Eaton Bussmann PC72UD13C250T​ is the cross that appears on many distributor BOMs for price/availability comparison, though the physical mounting (DIN 43653 size-1 base vs. Bussmann size-13 holder) is not interchangeable — the electrical rating matches, the mechanical doesn’t.

Technical Specifications

Main Features and Advantages

aR partial-range TCC calibrated to semiconductor I²t.​ The core reason a 170M5388​ sits in a drive line-up instead of a gG/gL NH fuse is the time-current characteristic. A gG at 250 A might need 1000+ A for several seconds to melt on overload, and at 2500 A might clear in 0.1 s — by which point a diode bridge or IGBT module is already avalanched (their short-circuit withstand is often < 10 ms at 10×In). The 170M5388​ aR curve is steep: at 10× (2500 A) it clears in the low milliseconds, and its pre-arcing I²t is matched to typical 250 A / 1200 V diode/IGBT module I²t ratings. This means a DC-link short or bridge shoot-through blows the 170M5388​ while the semiconductors are still inside their SOA — the fuse sacrificed, the drive module survived.200 kA breaking capacity at 690 V AC.​ The 170M5388​ is rated 200 kA prospective at 690 V — adequate for stiff 690 V utility feeds, generator outputs, and transformer secondaries where the p.f. fault can hit 150–180 kA. The ceramic body contains the arc internally (no venting to the cubicle), and the silver-plated blades carry 250 A continuously with low I²R rise. For drive MCC line-ups on 690 V (common in mining, marine, large-process where 690 V reduces current vs. 400 V), the 170M5388​ is the default 250 A aR element — 200 kA covers the p.f. fault without needing a current-limiting reactor upstream.Top striker pin for remote alarm (same philosophy as the NH00 covered earlier).​ Like the 63NHG00B-690‘s dual indicator, the 170M5388​ carries a mechanical striker pin on the top carrier that fires when the element clears. An auxiliary micro-switch clipped to the 170M holder (ABB 1SCA022040R2370 class or equivalent) can pick up the striker pop and drive a PLC DI or “Drive Fuse Blown” annunciator. For unmanned drive rooms (pump station, marine ECR, remote mining MCC), this turns a “walk-the-row Friday” into a SCADA ticket. The striker also gives the E/I tech visual confirmation from the cubicle front if the holder has a sight glass — no multimeter needed to confirm “yes, it blew.”DIN 43653 size-1 blade footprint, ABB 170M holder ecosystem.​ The 170M5388​ seats into ABB’s 170M size-1 holders (e.g., 1SCA022040R2370 for size 1 with striker-switch adapt) which bolt to the drive cubicle busbar or DIN rail. The knife-blade engagement is spring-loaded in the holder — insert the 170M5388​ with an FH-style handler (ABB FH-1 for size 1), rotate, and the blades lock. The holder has a built-in isolating function: pull the handle, the blades disengage the bus, and the 170M5388​ can be extracted under no-load — critical on 690 V where “it’s de-energized, right?” is never safe to assume. The 170M holder family also offers versions with neutral-link, with voltage-detector, and with striker-switch — so the 170M5388​ can be specified with the exact holder for the cubicle design.Cross-reference awareness (PC72UD13C250T).​ The 170M5388​ is often listed alongside Eaton Bussmann PC72UD13C250T​ on distributor BOMs — 720 V AC (vs. 690 V), UD = ultra-definite (high-speed), 250 A, size 13 (Bussmann) vs. DIN 43653 size 1 (ABB). Electrically, the PC72UD13C250T is a valid cross ifthe holder is also changed — you cannot drop a Bussmann size-13 into an ABB 170M size-1 holder, blade spacing differs. For spares planning, keep 170M5388​ on the ABB-drive BOM and note PC72UD13C250T as the electrical cross for availability checks, but mechanically stay with the 170M holder + 170M5388​ pair for ABB-standard panels.