Need help hooking up a remote switch for this VFD

C

cpd62

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I just got an ABB ACS 150 VFD. I'd like to mount it under my bench which has a cabinet (that will protect from dust).

I have included a link to the wiring diagram for the I/O. http://www.joliettech.com/abb_acs150_component_drives-control_connections.htm

If all I want to do is add a remote switch and potentiometer do I need to just connect the switch to DI1 and what do I connect to control speed remotely? I basically need to know what other parts do I need and how to connect. As I'm writing this I'm thinking their customer service should have the answers but you guys tend to have prettyh good practical insight.

Your thoughts are welcomed.

Christian
 
if you're going remote shouldn't you be hooking up fwd/rev/stop/start/speed control circuits. when using a relay circuit for a maintaining type circuit you'll have to know the voltage of your relay and if it is less than 220 volts you'll have to include a transformer. as far a cable most hook direct to the vfd with 14-4 portable cable while the control circuit will need 18-10 portable cable. on my teco fm50 when you go remote you take all control away from the keypad as the keypad becomes disabled.
Richard
 
Do you have a keypad with pushbuttons on the drive? This is referred to as local control. Separate witches are referred to as remote control. Richard is quite right in stating that when you use a remote control you loose control at the keypad. Local/Remote is set via a programming parameter you have to set via programming.

The connection chart you have in your example is for a two wire, maintained switch control scheme. If you want to use pushbuttons you need to choose a three wire, momentary switch control scheme. This is also set via a programming parameter you must set. If you choose three wire, the functions of the input terminals 7-11 will change and a different schematic is needed to reflect the changes.
Potentiometer connections are not shown on the chart that I see. Probably uses the same terminals shown for a 10vdc reference signal for speed control with yet again another control parameter setting changed. Most drives I have installed use a 5K ohm three wire pot for a reference signal or an analog input such as 4-20ma.

Just grab the manual, ABB usually has pretty decent ones, stare at it, then state loudly "I will be the master of you." You are then ready to program. Step by step enter all the parameters. True line voltage, cycles, motor service factor, full load amperage, number of poles/speed, and all the other questions pertaining to your motor and installation. Acceleration/ deceleration time, max frequency, minimum frequency etc.. Things like preset speeds, skip frequency and such you will probably never utilize. If in doubt, leave at the default setting until you learn better or have a problem. In no time your machine will be a happy machine and you will be a happy owner/operator.
 
If you don't need Forward / Reverse, then you only need to decide what type of Start - Stop feature you want.
The usual options are:
  • A two-position, maintained contact, rotary switch (On - Off)
  • Two momentary push buttons (one for Start and one for Stop)
The "Macro" you select determines which of the above you use. If you like the traditional "drum switch" feel that is on older machinery, then use the rotary switch. If you like the "panic button" feature of the push buttons, then use that set-up. In either case, you don't need external relays or voltage - the drive supplies everything you need to run the switches. You can get push buttons in a wide range of prices and quality. Try McMaster-Carr and search for "push button switches" to see a wide selection of PB switches. +24V on the control terminal board goes to the remote switch(es). The switches come back to the drive on "DI1" (term 7) on the drive (and DI2 if you are using the 2 button option). "Gnd" and "DCOM" are jumpered together to use in on-board power system.

For speed control, you want to run in 10V mode - set S1(switch 1) in the "U" position to select this mode. For the speed control pot, you want a single turn, LINEAR, wire-wound pot. A 5000 (5K) ohm pot is typically used (1K is the minimum that the drive can support). Be sure the pot is linear (not audio which is a log profile). You want a pot without a switch inside. You should be able to get a panel mount pot with dial for $10 or so. I prefer wire wound over carbon, but you get to pick. ABB doesn't show how to connect the pot in their literature (they think this drive will be used with a 4-20 mA output or a 0-10VDC output), but they have the +10VDC power available on the control terminal strip labeled "+10v". The two "ends" of the pot are wired to "+10v" and to the "Gnd" (NEXT to "+10V"). The wiper of the pot is connected to "AI" (analog input) terminal. If the pot ends up delivering speed increase in the wrong direction, just reverse the +10v and GND connections to the pot. McMaster Carr only has switched pots (I think), so you may want to look somewhere else for a pot. If you have a favorite electronics supply, try there. Otherwise search Amazon for dozens of low cost pots.

You will need a small electrical enclosure for the switch(es) and the pot. This is all low voltage, so a simple, shop made box is acceptable. It probably only needs to be 4x4x4" or so. The main feature is that the box needs to keep out swarf and dust.

You will want to run shielded cable between the drive and the remote control box. You will need a total of 6 conductors. Where I live, Home Depot has shielded, 6 conductor, 18 ga cable available "by the foot" so you don't need to buy a whole spool to get 10 feet. You can also run two parallel grounded cables if you cannot find 6 conductors in a cable. Ground the cable shield on the "SCR" (signal cable shield) terminal on the drive only. Do not ground the shield on the remote box with the switch and pot. At this end, trim the shield back and tape it so that it does not contact the box or any other grounded part which could set up a troublesome "ground loop."

The ABB manual is going to tell you to run shielded power cables as well. The shielded cable is expensive and a little hard to find. The shielded cable is for industrial use with long (100 feet or so) cable runs with sensitive control electronics in the vicinity. For a home installation, with short leads (10 ft or so), standard SO cable or wiring in a flex conduit can be used.

If the machine has an older motor (more than 10 years or so), set the switching frequency at the lowest value (4 kHz I believe for this drive). This setting may produce some annoying motor whine, but it is the least likely to damage an older motor. This drive allows you to set the switching frequency as high as 16 kHz which older ears like mine almost cannot hear. If you do this, the drive output is derated to 75%, and there is the possibility of setting up high voltage spikes in the motor windings. Most EEs will say that voltage spikes are not an issue if the motor is designed for 460 / 230 V and is running in the 230 V connection. I have two VFDs in my shop which run at 3 kHz - I have learned to accept some motor whine as normal operation.

Terry S.
 
twstoerzinger said:
If you don't need Forward / Reverse, then you only need to decide what type of Start - Stop feature you want.The usual options are:
  • A two-position, maintained contact, rotary switch (On - Off)
  • Two momentary push buttons (one for Start and one for Stop)
The "Macro" you select determines which of the above you use. If you like the traditional "drum switch" feel that is on older machinery, then use the rotary switch. If you like the "panic button" feature of the push buttons, then use that set-up. In either case, you don't need external relays or voltage - the drive supplies everything you need to run the switches. You can get push buttons in a wide range of prices and quality. Try McMaster-Carr and search for "push button switches" to see a wide selection of PB switches. +24V on the control terminal board goes to the remote switch(es). The switches come back to the drive on "DI1" (term 7) on the drive (and DI2 if you are using the 2 button option). "Gnd" and "DCOM" are jumpered together to use in on-board power system.For speed control, you want to run in 10V mode - set S1(switch 1) in the "U" position to select this mode. For the speed control pot, you want a single turn, LINEAR, wire-wound pot. A 5000 (5K) ohm pot is typically used (1K is the minimum that the drive can support). Be sure the pot is linear (not audio which is a log profile). You want a pot without a switch inside. You should be able to get a panel mount pot with dial for $10 or so. I prefer wire wound over carbon, but you get to pick. ABB doesn't show how to connect the pot in their literature (they think this drive will be used with a 4-20 mA output or a 0-10VDC output), but they have the +10VDC power available on the control terminal strip labeled "+10v". The two "ends" of the pot are wired to "+10v" and to the "Gnd" (NEXT to "+10V"). The wiper of the pot is connected to "AI" (analog input) terminal. If the pot ends up delivering speed increase in the wrong direction, just reverse the +10v and GND connections to the pot. McMaster Carr only has switched pots (I think), so you may want to look somewhere else for a pot. If you have a favorite electronics supply, try there. Otherwise search Amazon for dozens of low cost pots.You will need a small electrical enclosure for the switch(es) and the pot. This is all low voltage, so a simple, shop made box is acceptable. It probably only needs to be 4x4x4" or so. The main feature is that the box needs to keep out swarf and dust.You will want to run shielded cable between the drive and the remote control box. You will need a total of 6 conductors. Where I live, Home Depot has shielded, 6 conductor, 18 ga cable available "by the foot" so you don't need to buy a whole spool to get 10 feet. You can also run two parallel grounded cables if you cannot find 6 conductors in a cable. Ground the cable shield on the "SCR" (signal cable shield) terminal on the drive only. Do not ground the shield on the remote box with the switch and pot. At this end, trim the shield back and tape it so that it does not contact the box or any other grounded part which could set up a troublesome "ground loop."The ABB manual is going to tell you to run shielded power cables as well. The shielded cable is expensive and a little hard to find. The shielded cable is for industrial use with long (100 feet or so) cable runs with sensitive control electronics in the vicinity. For a home installation, with short leads (10 ft or so), standard SO cable or wiring in a flex conduit can be used.If the machine has an older motor (more than 10 years or so), set the switching frequency at the lowest value (4 kHz I believe for this drive). This setting may produce some annoying motor whine, but it is the least likely to damage an older motor. This drive allows you to set the switching frequency as high as 16 kHz which older ears like mine almost cannot hear. If you do this, the drive output is derated to 75%, and there is the possibility of setting up high voltage spikes in the motor windings. Most EEs will say that voltage spikes are not an issue if the motor is designed for 460 / 230 V and is running in the 230 V connection. I have two VFDs in my shop which run at 3 kHz - I have learned to accept some motor whine as normal operation.Terry S.
Click to expand...
Thanks Terry. Very thorough. I've been reading the manual once each night for the last three days. You filled in the gaps and stated it in the practical way I was seeking. I'll get to the main powering this weekend and add the remote features once I have the hardware. I'm on my way. Take care.
 
One last concern about power cords and grounding. The ABB manual suggests a shielded cable from the power to the VFD and the shield is twisted to be a ground. I plan on using a spare 50ft. 12ga extension cord cut down to size for my power input. I'm assuming it's a3 conductor cable. The VFD suggests a ground (shield connected to ground), and 3 conductors (U1/L, V1/N, W1) be hooked up.

I bought some conduit and 4 12ga conductor wires to connect motor to VFD. Am I safe to just ground motor to VFD and leave out the ground from the power cord to VFD? Otherwise I'm getting into shielded cable which is expensive and apparently not needed.

Thanks to all so far.

Terry you put me on the right track. The ABB manual looks a lot friendlier now that I've read it 4 times and have the context of your comments.

Christian
 
Millalot said:
I presume you have one of the full manuals for this VFD, if not here is a link which gives you all the details you need.
http://www.gobookee.net/abb-acs350-user-manual/
Have you got one??
Click to expand...

I do. It's the acs150. The manual doesn't answer my previous question. If I don't use a shielded power cable, do I still need to hook up a ground from the power cord? My cord only has 3 conductors and all 3 would go to the U1/L, V1/N, W1 connections. From the manual it appears that you use the conducting shield of a shielded cable to connect to the ground screw for the power side.
 
cpd62 said:
I do. It's the acs150. The manual doesn't answer my previous question. If I don't use a shielded power cable, do I still need to hook up a ground from the power cord? My cord only has 3 conductors and all 3 would go to the U1/L, V1/N, W1 connections. From the manual it appears that you use the conducting shield of a shielded cable to connect to the ground screw for the power side.
Click to expand...

Here is a small excerpt from the ABB manual, if you are going to use separate conducters in a conduit twist them all together including an earth should be OK
 
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