Opportunities stack up

The push to improve energy efficiency will see the rapid adoption of inverter drives in the coming years. At the same time, the choices facing engineers when selecting the optimal motor type are becoming more complex. For example, the relative costs of brushless dc (bldc) and permanent magnet synchronous motors are falling quickly compared to ac induction motors, bringing the advantages of higher reliability and more versatile control. On the other hand, technologies supporting sensorless drives for ac induction motors can now be used as an alternative to servo drives in applications requiring accurate load positioning. System architects, therefore, can benefit from flexible designs that allow them to change from one motor type to another as customer requirements and economics demand. To prove the effectiveness of the concept, Future Electronics has produced a generic controller board that supports sensored or sensorless control for both bldc and ac induction motors.