Motor kW, current, efficiency and power factor: keep the quantities straight
A three-phase example distinguishes shaft output, real input power, apparent power and running current, with the limits of a simple estimate.
Motion Control
Servo drives, motion controllers, robotics kinematics, and precision positioning.
EtherCAT explained: on-the-fly frames and sub-microsecond synchronization
How EtherCAT processes Ethernet frames on the fly, why distributed clocks matter for motion control, and when to choose it over PROFINET or EtherNet/IP.
Collaborative robots: selecting and deploying cobots that pay back
Select and deploy collaborative robots with realistic payback — risk assessment, end-effectors, application fit, and integration costs beyond the arm.
VFD selection and harmonics: what to get right before the drive arrives
Sizing, bypass, braking, cable, and the harmonic distortion that variable-frequency drives push back onto your plant power.
CANopen and industrial fieldbus: where the object model fits
A practical introduction to CAN frames, CANopen objects, PDOs, SDOs, network management, and the motion-control decisions behind a deployment.
A field guide to industrial Ethernet
PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, and TSN serve different masters. What each was designed for and how to tell them apart.
IEC 61131-3 PLC languages: which one to use
Ladder, function block, structured text, and the rest — what each of the five languages is good at and how shops actually mix them.
EtherCAT technology introduction
The EtherCAT Technology Group's technical introduction: functional principle, distributed clocks, topologies, and performance figures.
PLCopen: motion, safety, and IEC 61131-3 libraries
PLCopen: IEC 61131-3 motion control libraries, safety, OPC UA function blocks, and coding guidelines.
Tools
Motor running current calculator
Estimate single-phase or balanced three-phase AC running current from shaft kW, voltage, efficiency and power factor.
Terms in this topic
- Encoder
- Position/speed feedback device.
- Motion control
- Coordinated servo control for positioning and robotics.
- Soft starter
- Reduced-voltage motor starter.
- VFD
- Drive controlling AC motor speed via output frequency.
Related topics
Industrial Networking · EtherCAT · Industrial Hardware · Energy & Sustainability · PLCs · Robotics