3-Phase induction intro
This almost 30-minute video, "Motor basics," is part of Yaskawa's series of eLearning modules. It provides a basic understanding of three-phase induction motors and their characteristics.
Direct-current details
This extensive online article, "DC motors," demonstrates basic electric DC motor functions, types—such as brushed, brushless, DC servos and stepper motors—and also covers swiching and control, pulse-width speed control, reversing and directional control, bi-directional/h-bridge circuit, and other issues.
VFD graphics and articles
This webpage, "VFD basics theory," covers the basics of variable frequency drive (VFD) types, advantages and disadvantages, and uses a series of graphics chars to illustrate its explanations. It also covers voltage and current sources, pulse-width modulation, energy savings. There are also links to articles about how VFDs operate, insulated gate bipolar transistors for VFDs, three-phase inverters, and drives harmonics.
Guide to AC motors
This webpage, "AC Motor Guide," provides a comprehensive introduction to many of the primary characteristics of AC motors, such as basic functions and types, feedback, applications, controls, drives, inverters, selection issues, troubleshooting, physical properties and a glossary.
Troubleshooting webinar
This one-hour webinar, "Electric motors troubleshooting and understanding" by TPC Training, covers basic troubleshooting techniques, and works through some of the common problems plant-floorustrial technicians may face.
AC motors go to school
This Automation Zone column, "Get schooled: AC motor basics" by Jeff Payne of AutomationDirect, shows how AC motors work to help potential users determine which one is most appropriate for them. It also covers specifying and basic applications.
Motion details and theories
This webpage, "What is motion control?" by Dave Perkon, former technical editor at Control Design, covers the fundamentals of motion control, and focuses on the details and theories about motor control, feedback methods and mechanical actuators.
Variable speed video
This five-minute video, "What is a VFD? (variable frequency drive)" from RealPars covers the basic capabilities, electronics, and real-world applications.
Information on inverters
This short online and PDF article, "Inverters," covers definitions, features, principles, control modes and other essential functions about how inverters are applied to motors.
Clickable drives page
This webpage, "(Motor) drive control," at the Newark website has a flowchart about basic motor functions, but some of its labels contain added explanations, plus there are sub-pages with clickable links for configuring motors and drives, training for those devices, application notes and articles.
Goes around, comes around
This three-year-old Resources column, "Motors and drives turn on process industries," delivers a trove of earlier—but still useful—materials on motors and drives from Rockwell Automation, ABB and Yaskawa.
