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Suggestions on my vfd conversion

kevin.decelles

Jack of all trades -- Master of none
Premium Member
That will likely depend by manufacturer . I know the ESD input on mine overrides run (as it should)

But to me it comes down a little to common sense. I could wire a 4 way light switch such that In one combination I short and have a poor mans welder..... I just wouldn’t

I think it is partly “state” based too. If I’m stopped, does pressing stop do anything? And when I jog on my unit, if I hold the jog done it will ramp up to a certain rpm over time


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combustable herbage

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Its based on logic if you press all 5 the computer inside will try and do all 5 things that are assigned to each input. but based on the logic of the controller will determine what will actually happen to the motor. If you press and hold the stop button you can press the start all you want nothing will happen because logic in the controller says if the stop is pressed nothing starts. same as when the motor is running if you keep pressing the run it won't change anything it says I am already running.
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
So, what you guys are saying is that the VFD is smart enough to decide what makes sense for 5 inputs and 26 programable functions when it gets conflicting inputs? If that's the case I'll wire in an on/off switch and relegate my big paddle ESD to the VFD ESD function.
 
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DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Other than the vfd panel having tiny little buttons, is there any other reasons to wire in another on/off motor switch?
 

John Conroy

member
Premium Member
I used remote switches on my mill. The tiny button on the control pad bothered me and the Huanyang VFD didn't have a rheostat on the pad so I used 2 single pole latching switches, 1 momentary switch and a 0 to 10K ohm rheostat mounted on the door of the box that houses the VFD. The VFD is easily configured to operate with remote switches.

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combustable herbage

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Craig its like the buttons on your radio in your car (if its electronic) each button tunes in a different station and each button can be programed.
Normally you wouldn't hit all the buttons just the same you wouldn't hit all the buttons on the vfd, these are for a remote location you end up with the same functionality as the vfd. Sometimes you want to have the controller in a different location and this is just another option allowing you to do that.
 

combustable herbage

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I used remote switches on my mill. The tiny button on the control pad bothered me and the Huanyang VFD didn't have a rheostat on the pad so I used 2 single pole latching switches, 1 momentary switch and a 0 to 10K ohm rheostat mounted on the door of the box that houses the VFD. The VFD is easily configured to operate with remote switches.

I like the setup John nice that the display is able to be mounted on the box for visibility. I am hoping to do something similar with my lathe but I will mount my new switches were the old ones are and figure out a place to mount the controller.
Just curious if your vfd called for a 10k potentiometer, the ones I am looking at have suggest a 2k which I can buy but I do have a 10k maybe I will try the 10k it won't hurt anything.
Do you find the speed is linear (assuming thats the kind of pot you used) like when the pot is halfway is it about half speed?
 

John Conroy

member
Premium Member
Yes the Huanyang manual recommended a 0 to 10 K ohm linear pot, the Teco vfd on my lathe recommended a 5K ohm one but I used a 10K ohm because I had one and it worked fine. After I programmed in the minimum and maximum frequencies the adjustment of the knob is very linear. On the mill I set up min at 10 HZ and max at 60. Half travel is 30, full clockwise is 60, but if you turn it full CCW it only goes gown to 10 with the last few degrees making no change. On the no name vfd on the drill press min is set at 30 and max ar 120. It seems to operate the same. 120 is full CW when you turn CCW it gets to 30 and the last few degrees of rotation do nothing.
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
The controller does the work in the below example input 1 could be start and input 2 be the stop button because they are momentary the controller turns on when you push input one and will run till input 2 is pressed. notice the common line to all switches when you press one it brings the voltage on that pin to 0V telling the controller to start in this example. you could press multiple buttons at the same time and each would do their function.



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I like how the breaker is labeled beaker. :eek::p
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
Don't need that? Why would you do that? Input power to VFD and wire VFD to motor.
Another use for the various VFD control inputs is to connect to your CNC control. This lets the CAM program activate the spindle and set the speed & direction.
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
At the office one client is exploring replacing fixed speed 400hp pump motors with vfd control. Big equipment 2500V. Motors are 3’ in diameter. Serious money too. The vfds required are filing cabinet sized and need their own building (similar to a smaller shipping container).
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I used remote switches on my mill. The tiny button on the control pad bothered me and the Huanyang VFD didn't have a rheostat on the pad so I used 2 single pole latching switches, 1 momentary switch and a 0 to 10K ohm rheostat mounted on the door of the box that houses the VFD. The VFD is easily configured to operate with remote switches.

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Ok I'm rethinking my idea of remotely mounting the vfd keypad on the machines. I will have the vfds enclosed in a box but am thinking that I might be just as easy to use new foward/off/reverse switch as pictured and a little separate potentiometer.
The keypad won't be used once I have it programed with remote switches as described above right?
What specs (resistance?) Do I need to have for a potentiometer?

I'm thinking the fwd/off/Rev switch would take the place of two separate switches, instead of one for on/off and one for reverse/fwd. Am I missing something here?
 

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DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I have a very simple 10K pot and a SPDT switch. Works perfectly. Once programmed I never had any reason to touch the VFD.
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YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
This is my arrangement.....

ESD.JPG

The VFD key pad, display and POT aren't removable. Since it didn't support rev from the key pad I added that REV/OFF/FWD switch (from PA) as an external input. Once you tell the VFD to use external inputs it stops obeying the key pad run/stop/jog keys. The big paddle ESD switch interrupts the input power to the VFD. I'll probably change that arrangement such that it triggers the VFD's ESD function and wire in a on/off switch to interrupt the input power.
 
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