AutomationDirect Technical Support
AutomationDirect | Direct Sales in US and Canada | 1-800-633-0405

Drives (Any Vendor) Frequently Asked Questions AutomationDirect Logo


Press "Ctrl-F" to search for specific words in this FAQ.

Would you prefer to narrow the list of Drives (Any Vendor) FAQs? Select a category from this list:

  • Communications

Related Drives FAQ Pages:

  • General Drives Questions (any brand)
  • GS Series Drives
  • Hitachi Drives

Click here to view all Drives (Any Vendor) FAQs with answers on one page.

  1. What is sensorless vector control?
  2. What is the duty cycle?
  3. What is the main advantage in using an inverter to drive a motor, compared to alternative solutions?
  4. The term "inverter" is a little confusing, since we also use "drive" and "amplifier" to describe the electronic unit that controls a motor. What does "inverter" mean?
  5. Does the motor need a chassis ground connection?
  6. What type of motor is compatible with inverters?
  7. How many poles should the motor have, and how does this relate to the motor's speed?
  8. How will I know if my application will require resistive (dynamic) braking?
  9. What is ringing and what happens to the motor when I place it more than 50 ft away from the drive with no line reactor?
  10. Is there a standard for Inverter rated motors?
  11. What drive power cable do you recommend and why?
  12. Is there a standard for insulation testing of motors?
  13. Can a drive replace a softstart?
  14. Can my mechanical motor coupling affect the operation of the drive?
  15. Can I run my application at extremely low speeds?
  16. What is the difference between dual voltage and dual wound motor?
  17. What is the equation for converting Horse Power (HP) to kilowatts (kW)?
  18. Are the variable frequency drives phase sensitive?
  19. Can variable frequency drives be mounted above one another?
  20. What is the difference between 208, 220, 230, and 240 VAC systems?
  21. Can I use wire-nuts on motor leads?
  22. What is a line reactor and what will it do for my application?
  23. Can a line reactor convert voltage from 460 to 230?
  24. What is grounding and what reference material can I use?
  25. My TEFC (totally enclosed fan cooled) motor had an insulation failure? I changed direction and ran it at lower speeds on some occasions.
  26. Can rewound motors maintain the same efficiency?
  27. Do I have to use thermistor protection with my motor/drive? Why does the thermistor resistance change from sensor to sensor?
  28. What are the common reasons why motors fail?
  29. I keep losing my bearings on my motor, can the drive cause bearing failure?
  30. My pump is losing speed; does the drive have a problem?
  31. Can you give some references for lightning protection for electrical equipment?
  32. Is there a reference for application help?
  33. When I use a relay card for drive control, it seems that my relays stick or do not operate correctly. How can I correct this problem?
  34. What is the difference between torque control and torque limiting? Can any of your drives do this?
  35. Can any of your drives be used as an internal torque regulator?
  36. How does a variable speed pump drive system save energy, compared to a system that runs across-the-line?
  37. Are there any special considerations for motor grounding when using VFDs?
  38. Can I use these on electric vehicles?
  39. I have installed an ADC software product on an XP Virtual Machine running on a Windows 7 machine and cannot see any devices on a Ethernet network, what do I need to do to configure networking for a virtual machine?
  40. How can I monitor the status of the digital IO on a GS20 drive?
  41. Why doesn't my ACN drive run the motor when I hit the 'RUN' key?


Troubleshooting Guides


Copyright © 1999- AutomationDirect.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED