By Brian Fortman | DesignDRIVE Marketing Manager, C2000 Microcontrollers | Texas Instruments Many industrial inverter and servodrive manufacturers rely on field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) or ASIC technology to complete functions unsupported by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products such as 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs). There are drawbacks to these technologies, though. Case in point: Adding FPGAs and ASICs to […]
Drives + Supplies
Delta unveils the new MH300/MS300 Series compact Micro Drive
Delta now sells a MH300/MS300 Series high-performance standard compact AC Motor Drive for Micro VFD applications up to 30 horsepower. Serving as a complement to the VFD-C2000 General Purpose drive, the MS300 and MH300 provide clear performance, size, feature, and cost advantages over similar systems on the market. Delta leveraged its competency and position as the […]
FAQ: What is electronic gearing for servo motors?
Gears are often used to establish a fixed speed relationship between a motor and a drive system (such as a ball screw, rack and pinion, or belt and pulley system). For example, when a belt and pulley system is connected to a motor through a 3:1 gearbox, each full rotation of the motor causes the […]
What is PIV servo control?
What is PIV servo control? It typically involves two components: feedforward control, which adds auxiliary velocity and (in some cases) acceleration signals to the servo loop in order to improve command tracking, and either PID or PIV control, which works to maximize the system’s disturbance rejection. The distinction between PID and PIV control is that […]
KB Electronics introduces the newest members of its KBAC Hybrid Drive family
KB Electronics Inc., a manufacturer of AC and DC Drives, now offers the newest members of its popular line of Hybrid Drives — Models KBAC-217 (5 HP) KBAC-416 (10 HP). Hybrid motor drive By definition, a hybrid is the merging of two technologies. These drives combine the digital technology of the microprocessor with an easy to use analog interface. […]
Brother Gearmotors offers new variable frequency drives
Brother Gearmotors (of Brother International Corp.) offers sub-fractional AC gearmotors and reducers for industrial equipment manufacturers … including the food & beverage, packaging and material handling industries. It has partnered with American Control Electronics (ACE) in an agreement that lets Brother Gearmotors offer ACE’s premium selection of Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) as a product add-on to its gearmotors portfolio. A […]
Applied Motion Products announces internationally certified stepper drive for hazardous locations
Applied Motion Products now offers the first ever step motor drive that is internationally certified for use in hazardous locations. The STAC6-Q-H stepper drive is ATEX and IECEx certified for Class I, Zone 2 locations, and UL certified for Class 1, Div 2, Group C & D locations. These certifications cover the use of the drive in […]
FAQ: When to use a DC drive vs an AC flux-vector drive
DC drives are known for their ability to provide tight speed control and full torque at any speed, whereas traditional AC drives had a more narrow speed range and limited torque control. But newer AC drives using vector control, also known as field oriented control (FOC), have performance similar to DC motor and drive systems. Through […]
FAQ: What are current source inverters and voltage source inverters?
As we’ve discussed before, the main components of a variable frequency drive (VFD) are a rectifier (also referred to as a converter), which converts AC voltage to DC voltage, a DC bus (also referred to as a DC link), which filters and stores the DC power, and an inverter, which converts the DC power back to […]
FAQ: How does EU Regulation 428/2009 apply to AC drives?
AC drives capable of operating at frequencies of 600 Hz or greater are generally referred to as “high-frequency” drives. These drives are considered by the U.S. and the EU to be dual-use devices, meaning that although they are commonly used in civilian applications, such as industrial equipment, they can also be used in military applications or […]