Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are a crucial component in industrial automation, providing precise control over a motor’s speed and torque. Numerous built-in protections and fault indications are provided with modern VFDs, including the commonly seen DC Bus Overvoltage Fault. This fault has several possible causes and this whitepaper explores each one, offering solutions to ensure…
Everyone knows that motors are the workhorses of industry. They move machinery, fans, pumps, compressors, conveyors, elevators, etc. How are they controlled? The simple way is by using across-the-line control and turning them on and off. This works great in most cases, but what if you need to vary the speed of the motor? Control…
Welcome to the fall issue of AutomationDirect’s NOTEBOOK, your guide to practical products, technologies, and applications! This fall season has been difficult for many of us in the direct path of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Our thoughts are with everyone personally impacted. From a business standpoint, AutomationDirect is paying close attention to the supply chain…
Featured Products LS Electric XGB PLCs are advanced controllers geared for motion applications with high-level features, such as IEC programming, that can be beneficial in any automated system PLCs starting at $279 LS Electric L7C AC servo systems combine a high-performance servo motor with a servo amplifier (drive) to achieve accurate position, velocity, or torque…
Although sometimes taken for granted, clean water is a basic human need made possible through infrastructure and treatment facilities that channel, process, and safely deliver it to our taps. The water made available for much of the developed world to drink, bathe, or cook with has very likely, at many phases along its journey to…
The AutomationDirect WinPLC was an advanced controller for its time, and users who need to modernize existing installations have options for rapid upgrades. In the late 1990s, Windows CE was a popular lightweight operating system because it was a good fit to reliably operate various consumer electronics and industrial components, including the AutomationDirect WinPLC controller….
Have you heard of ChatGPT™? What about Google Bard™? These AI interfaces are changing the way we search for information online. Using these AI chats is easy, all you do is enter what you are looking for and the AI engine will scour the internet for that information and provide answers that are well put…
Compact and distributed automation elements, and smarter fieldbus-capable instruments, are reducing the size of and need for control panels. Chris Kregoski, product engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the July 2023 issue of Processing, titled Distributed Automation Enables Elimination or Shrinking of Control Panels. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the…
February 1, 2023 – AutomationDirect now offers Cat6a industrial Ethernet cables from Murrelektronik. These shielded cables include an M12 X-coded connection on one end and an RJ45 connection on the other. The X-coded designation is commonly used with industrial vision systems. These high-flex industrial Ethernet cables are available in lengths up to 5m with transmission…
January 25, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added new RHINO Pro DC-to-DC converters that are designed for harsh industrial environments and provide high EMC immunity, shock/vibration resistance, and thermal shock resistance. This line offers models with 150W outputs at 12, 15, 24, or 48 VDC, and ultra-wide input voltage ranges of 9-36 VDC or 18-75 VDC….