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Mitsubishi PLC to VFD Control: RS-485 Communication

Mitsubishi PLC to VFD Control: RS-485 Communication

This guide shows you how to set up RS-485 communication between the FX3U PLC and the FR-D700 inverter with the FX3U-485-BD. You can control speed and monitor the system using ladder logic.


Methods of Controlling Motor Speed With a VFD

Methods of Controlling Motor Speed With a VFD

Motor speed control can be a tricky process, due to the variety of options. In a VFD, speed can be controlled using fixed values, digital or analog signals, or communication networks.


Industry Insights: Understanding Hybrid Linear Motion

Industry Insights: Understanding Hybrid Linear Motion

Kyntronics’ mission is to combine servo control with hydraulic actuators to form hybrid motion control. Our engineering team posed a few questions in hopes of learning more about this technology.


A Legacy of Factory and Motion Control: Mitsubishi Electric Automation

A Legacy of Factory and Motion Control: Mitsubishi Electric Automation

Showcase, manufacturing, repair, and research: Join Control.com for a recap of our team’s recent visit to the US HQ of Mitsubishi Electric Automation, and see where the magic happens.


Explaining the Tech: Common vs. Isolated PLC I/O Modules

Explaining the Tech: Common vs. Isolated PLC I/O Modules

Learn the difference between common and individually isolated PLC I/O modules; how do we know when isolation might be helpful or required for outputs, inputs, and analog signals?


So, You Got a Modbus TCP Device… What Next?

So, You Got a Modbus TCP Device… What Next?

Despite being one of the oldest protocols in automation, Modbus is still more complex than digital I/O. When you have a Modbus TCP device, what do you do? How do you actually use it?


DC Bus Fundamentals in Industrial Motor Drives

DC Bus Fundamentals in Industrial Motor Drives

Learn about precharge circuits, inrush current, and understand why VFD and servo drives may trip during power-up.


How Combustible Dust Hazards Affect Automated Process Control

How Combustible Dust Hazards Affect Automated Process Control

Learn how to integrate fail-safe logic and explosion-proof design to keep your processes running safely and smoothly.


Working With Data: Looping Through Arrays In A PLC

Working With Data: Looping Through Arrays In A PLC

Arrays can handle large amounts of data, but when you need to extract a portion of that data, you might need to execute a loop. Learn a few examples and tips for creating loops in PLC logic.


First Test Run: Getting to Know the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE

First Test Run: Getting to Know the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE

Get a first look at Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX CORE, an industrial PC that unifies PLC, motion, and HMI through an app-based automation platform.


Tutorial: Setting up an Inovance HMI With A Mitsubishi PLC

Tutorial: Setting up an Inovance HMI With A Mitsubishi PLC

This guide shows you how to create a simple Inovance HMI project and connect it to a Mitsubishi PLC using serial and Ethernet methods, including practical setup steps and common mistakes to avoid.


Set Up For Success | Scheduling Tasks in PLC Programs

Set Up For Success | Scheduling Tasks in PLC Programs

When setting up a new program in a Rockwell PLC, task scheduling is an important and often overlooked issue where errors appear as inconsistencies, often incorrectly attributed to random faults.


Synchronized Motion for Servos | Cam Profiles

Synchronized Motion for Servos | Cam Profiles

Cam profiles are a great way of strictly controlling two servo axes to follow a predefined path. Follow along as we dive into setting up and programming an electronic cam profile.


Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

A practical, experience-driven guide to designing and wiring electrical cabinets for machine-tending robotic cells.


Synchronized Motion for Servos | Gearing Profile

Synchronized Motion for Servos | Gearing Profile

Synchronized motion has become an industry standard with robots, gantries, and pick and place automation. Follow along this three-part series as we discuss methods of synchronizing servo motors.


Automation Questions: Why Do We Choose Certain Control Voltages?

Automation Questions: Why Do We Choose Certain Control Voltages?

You’ve seen it a thousand times: 24 volts powering a device or representing a trigger signal, but what makes 24 VDC such a versatile voltage, and what about the other voltages in control cabinets?


The Perils of Palletizing Automation and Columbia/Okura’s Solution

The Perils of Palletizing Automation and Columbia/Okura’s Solution

Stacking items on a pallet seems a minor part of the manufacturing process, but it actually requires speed, precision, and flexibility to relieve a heavy burden placed on employees.


How to Choose the Right Industrial Power Supply for Your Cabinet

How to Choose the Right Industrial Power Supply for Your Cabinet

A clear overview of industrial power supply types, specs, and design factors for building dependable control cabinet systems.


Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Is it best to ‘controller scope’ or ‘program scope’ your tags? This is the question asked by many new PLC programmers, and it often comes down to personal preference.


Node-RED and a Low-Code Approach to Automation

Node-RED and a Low-Code Approach to Automation

Looking for a way to create IIoT applications for your factory without hiring expensive developers or spending months on the computer? Take a look at Node-RED’s approach to low-code applications.