When you get the call, “The motor won’t start,” you’d best have a logical and systematic plan in place to approach the problem. “Easter egging” just doesn’t work unless you happen to be very lucky!

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we presented a 3-phase, 480VAC motor circuit with its associated controls (Figure). We stepped through a logical, systematic approach to troubleshoot the main power ...

Motor control and drives are fundamental in many applications, as they allow a high degree of accuracy, which in turn translates into lower costs and greater efficiency. The vital function performed ...

A seemingly trivial circuit layout can be problematic because of the higher than usual currents that are common in motor-control circuits. Although the circuits that monitor three legs are slightly ...

For the PDF version of this article, click here. Consumer appliance and industrial applications are generating demand for sophisticated motor control circuits that can simplify system designs, reduce ...

Guest columnist Alfred Hesener, European marketing director at Fairchild Semiconductor, describes how good design of power switches can help reduce losses in motor control circuits. Energy-saving ...

As with internal-combustion vehicles, the advantages of all-wheel drive for electric vehicles have been obvious from the start as has been the potential to provide multiple motors, ideally one for ...