How Do I Control My AC Motor Using LabVIEW?

Updated Nov 22, 2023

Reported In

Hardware

  • Motion Controller Device
  • Motion Cable

Issue Details

I have an AC motor and I want to interface it with LabVIEW. How do I do this?

Solution

Depending on the AC motor you have, this will vary. Most common AC motors are the Induction motor and the Synchronous motor. These types of motors use AC voltage to run and they are normally controlled by a device called Variable-Frequency Drives (VFD).

While there are options for these drives from third-party vendors, NI currently does not manufacture or sell hardware explicitly made for this kind of control. A couple of options for this situation are:
  • Use an AC drive controlled by a communication protocol accepted by LabVIEW. This will allow for control of the motor's movement through programming.
  • Add a conditioning stage that raises the voltage and current, which would allow usage of an NI analog output device.