SEM = Separately excited motor, motor will have 2 large cables and 2 smaller field cables, GE controller box will be a sealed unit. sometimes called SX.
if you try and lift and do not see any codes (and this ?has a dash? that will show codes, or you have the handset connected) but no lifting, I would expect it to be a bad connection between the hydraulic control valve actuators and the driver or controller box so it was not seeing the connection that would indicate lifting was selected.