Background: First released in 1997, the A500 was the successor to the A200E, representing the 3rd generation digital drive, and was the last general purpose drive to feature the white plastic casing. It was the 1st available inverter available in larger sizes - up to 1500HP. The 575V version, the A560, was available for a number of months after the official discontinuation date, until the release of the A760.