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Suggestions on my vfd conversion

kevin.decelles said:
My ES switch stops the motor and when u release the motor starts again.

While it is stopped my display shows this

b4a1f501cc22d924b1ba619bf137bf0a.jpg



But if u turn the switch to stop WHILE it is in es, it will stop

Basically, it will return the machine back to the state represented by the switches
Click to expand...

What did you use as an ES switch. I just realized my NC paddle switch isn't going to work .....Brain Fart.... I need a NO switch now.
 
If you have a DVOM you could monitor the voltage across those 2 terminals and see if it changes when you power the spindle.


I just went out and checked mine. From the left terminal labeled 12V to either terminal labeled COM it measures 13.2 volts all the time the vfd is powered.

at1 vfd terminal board connections.jpg
 
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YYCHM said:
Now you have lost me. You're going to feed RPM back into the VFD?
Click to expand...
No I'm not doing that. I believe you can get rpm readout on the vfd panel with some programing parameters. I opted to have the vfds enclosed in a separate box so I needed to have an external rpm gauge.
 
John Conroy said:
If you have a DVOM you could monitor the voltage across those 2 terminals and see if it changes when you power the spindle.


I just went out and checked mine. From the left terminal labeled 12V to either terminal labeled COM it measures 13.2 volts all the time the vfd is powered.

View attachment 14684
Click to expand...
Yup checked mine and it reads the exact same. So what does that tell us?

And it reads the same no matter what COM port I use.
 
I would try powering the tach with a 9 volt battery or a 12 volt battery. I suspect there is something going on on the vfd 12 volt feed that the tach driver module doesn't like. Do you have an oscilloscope by chance?
 
Yes the tach works fine with a 12 volt battery. That's actually how I first tested the tach on the machine before I got the vfd running. I've also used that method several times since to test my wiring. Strange huh? I'm going to double check but I believe the tach had quite a wide range of voltage that was specified.
 
Interestingly enough I had read a few times that the cooling fan ran all the time the vfd was powered and some found that annoying. My vfds fans only come on when the run button is on.
 
DPittman said:
No I'm not doing that. I believe you can get rpm readout on the vfd panel with some programing parameters. I opted to have the vfds enclosed in a separate box so I needed to have an external rpm gauge.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify...the vfd can be programmed to display the motor speed not the spindle speed.
 
Done.....

ESDNew.JPG


My mill PANIC button is now triggering the VFD Emergency Stop function. The light switch lets me power down the VFD without unplugging at the wall.
 
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Looks like a fair bit of head scratching involved I’ll find out soon enough I guess, I’ve got a 56 frame bidirectional 3600 rpm 2 hp motor coming through Amazon that should be here may 17-26 so far I have cut the drive wheel on the power hacksaw of course after getting a new blade off Amazon because the old one was too dull.
 
Tom O said:
Looks like a fair bit of head scratching involved I’ll find out soon enough I guess, I’ve got a 56 frame bidirectional 3600 rpm 2 hp motor coming through Amazon that should be here may 17-26 so far I have cut the drive wheel on the power hacksaw of course after getting a new blade off Amazon because the old one was too dull.
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What are you building? 3600 rpm sounds like bench grinder, belt sander speeds?
 
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I’m going to build a 2x72 ive been looking at them for a while and was thinking about using a dc motor and picked up a control for a spare Busybee mill motor I have but started to think about the filings the motor would attract so im thinking now that one will go onto my blower for extraction Purposes.
C976D1B3-98FE-432B-868E-93AAEFD137BE.jpeg
 
YYCHM said:
Does everything else work as you expect? ON/OFF, FWD/REV, Speed POT etc.
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Nope the ONLY thing that works as expected/hoped for is the potentiometer and the on/off switch. The tach is whacky if powered by vfd but is also whacky when powered by external source but along with having an external potentiometer.
The forward/reverse toggle will start the motor when its flipped to reverse no matter if the on/off switch is off. I've been afraid to try the two switches at the same time ( I think you were suggesting conflict problems earlier)

And if that wasn't confusing enough...
I have the same model of tach setup on the drill press and plan on doing a 3 phase conversion there also, but right now I still have single phase motor. I powered the drill press tachometer with the same power port on its vfd and the tach reads fine. (Vfd is not running anything else yet on the drill press setup)
What was that sound? Oh, that was the sound of my little head exploding all over my shop.
 
DPittman said:
Nope the ONLY thing that works as expected/hoped for is the potentiometer and the on/off switch. The tach is whacky if powered by vfd but is also whacky when powered by external source but along with having an external potentiometer.
The forward/reverse toggle will start the motor when its flipped to reverse no matter if the on/off switch is off. I've been afraid to try the two switches at the same time ( I think you were suggesting conflict problems earlier)

And if that wasn't confusing enough...
I have the same model of tach setup on the drill press and plan on doing a 3 phase conversion there also, but right now I still have single phase motor. I powered the drill press tachometer with the same power port on its vfd and the tach reads fine. (Vfd is not running anything else yet on the drill press setup)
What was that sound? Oh, that was the sound of my little head exploding all over my shop.
Click to expand...

Just set the tach problem aside for now and remove it from the equation. Concentrate on one issue at a time.

What does your on/off switch do? Run FWD/STOP?

Your FWD/REV switch only triggers REV correct?

The external POT is functional correct?

Can you scan and post an image of your external input options?
 
YYCHM said:
Just set the tach problem aside for now and remove it from the equation. Concentrate on one issue at a time.

What does your on/off switch do? Run FWD/STOP?

Your FWD/REV switch only triggers REV correct?

The external POT is functional correct?

Can you scan and post an image of your external input options?
Click to expand...
Here is what I've tried to wire it to.
20210510_082338.jpg

My toggle switches are single throw single pole switches. The one is off/on and it works fine when programed and the other is supposed to be reverse/forward but only change direction if the off switch is on.
 
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DPittman said:
The one is off/on and it works fine when programed and the other is supposed to be reverse/forward but only change direction if the off switch is on.
Click to expand...

That's because X4 is actually run FWD, X5 is run REV and neither is do nothing. You need a switch like mine that closes X4 or X5 or nothing. This is not proper switch terminology LOL. @Johnwa straighten us out here please.

Confirm.... your external POT works as expected?

I have attached my manual. I've set X3 to option 19, X4 to option 5 and X5 to option 6 and wired those three inputs out so far.
 

Attachments

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YYCHM said:
That's because X4 is actually run FWD, X5 is run REV and neither is do nothing. You need a switch like mine that closes X4 or X5 or nothing. This is not proper switch terminology LOL. @Johnwa straighten us out here please.

Confirm.... your external POT works as expected.
Click to expand...
I thought there was a way to use these simple toggle switches like that. I know David used double throw switch and I wanted to do that too but when I went to buy them they only had these single throw. However I believe John used the single throw like mine with his vfd. I will have to go reread his posts.
YES the potentiometer actually works for some reason.
 
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