Ethernet Control Drive Project using LabVIEW via PLC: The remote machinery control system that allows user to control the orientation and speed of the AC motor

Remotely control applications over a wide area had been commonly used in the industries today. Having this system is more convenient to the engineers and operators as they can save troubles from enter inaccessible area, such as power plants and machinery room. In addition, this system can reduce the risk of accidents; less manpower is needed and increases the efficiency. One of the common applications requires remote control and monitoring is inverter fed induction drive system. Drive system has various types of controller, in order to perform some actions such as control the speed, forward and reverse turning direction of the motor. This approach can be done by Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and with the rise of the technology, Ethernet module will be used in order to achieve the remote control system. Plus the PLC today can be controlled not only using its original software, but 3rd party software as well, such as LabVIEW. LabVIEW is a human machine interfaces design software that is more user friendly and can be easily communicate with different hardware.

Chin Pin Rui is now working as teaching assistant and studying MPhil (Electrical and Computer Engineering) in Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia. He received his BEng (Hons) in Electrical Power Engineering in year 2011 in the same university, and won the IEEE Power and Energy Chapter Award in Malaysia for his final year project.