How To Control A VFD With A PLC - Part 4 (Configuring Motor Data in The Siemens Starter Software) - RealPars

6/13/2021 How to Control a VFD with a PLC - Part 4 (Configuring Motor Data in the Siemens Starter Software) | RealPars
HOW TO
CONTROL A VFD
WITH A PLC - PART
4
In this article, you will learn how to
configure the electrical motor data
using the Siemens starter software.
Welcome to lesson 4 of How to control a VFD with a PLC. We

have created this series of lessons discussing the steps to
configure and program communication between a Rockwell
ControlLogix PLC and a Siemens VFD. We will use the Siemens
Starter software to setup the parameters in the VFD.
https://realpars.com/siemens-starter-software/ 1/24
In Part 1, we have addressed how to configure the

communication between ControlLogix 5000 PLC and HMS
Anybus gateway using ControlNet network media with CIP
protocol.
In Part 2, we discussed how the HMS gateway was set up as a

PROFIBUS Master to communicate and control the slave
Robicon VFD using PROFIBUS protocol. The gateway is a device
for converting or translating ControlNet CIP protocol to
Siemens PROFIBUS protocol.
In Part 3, we started the configuration of the Siemens VFD

properties as the PROFIBUS Slave in the Siemens Starter
software, to operate a motor driving feed water pump.
In Part 4, this article, we will pick up where we left off in Part

3 and use the Siemens Starter software to setup the
parameters in the VFD.
How to Control a VFD with a PLC - Part 4 (…

(…
Configuring the Motor Data in the

Siemens VFD Using SINAMICS
STARTER Software
In the previous part, I left off in the middle of using the

“STARTER” Project Wizard, prior to setting up the Motor and its
nameplate data. Now you will learn about configuring motor
data in the Siemens Starter software.
Let’s pick up from the step just before the motor configuration
where we had configured the drive properties.
On the Configure the Drive properties display:
– I selected the NEMA motor (60 hertz, US units).
– I set the Connection Voltage to 700 volts.
– I chose Load duty cycle with high overload for the

Power unit application.
The reason behind choosing the High overload is that:
– The baseload current for a slight overload is based on a

load cycle of 110% for 60 seconds or 150% for 10 seconds.
– The baseload current for a high overload is based on a

load cycle of 150% for 60 seconds or 160% for 10 seconds.
I will select the Next button to continue.
On the Configure the Motor display:
– I will enter the Motor name as, Motor_3.
– I will select the radial button, Enter motor Data.
– I select the Induction Motor for the Motor Type.
Then I click the Next button.
The Motor data configuration window in the Starter software

appears.
I will enter:
– Rated motor voltage as 460 Vrms (Volts Root Mean

Square)
– Rated motor current as 403 Arms (Amperage Root Mean

Square)
– Rated motor power of 350 hp (Horse Power)
– Rated motor efficiency as 0%
– Rated motor frequency of 60 Hz (Hertz)

– Rated motor speed of 1189 rpm (Revolutions Per Minute)
– Motor cooling type of Natural ventilation
I check the boxes for Enter optional motor data and Enter

optional equivalent circuit diagram data parameters table
and then I will continue by selecting the Next button.
In Optional Motor data display, according to the motor’s

datasheet, I will enter:
– Motor rated magnetizing current or short circuit

current as 148.329 Arms
– Maximum motor speed of 0 rpm
– Motor moment of inertia of 205.8641 lb ft2
– Ratio between the total and motor moment of

inertia of 1
– Motor Weight of 3452.2 lb
– Cable Resistance of 0.00164 Ohm
– Motor series inductance of 0 mH (milli Henry)
I will continue by selecting the Next button.
In the Equivalent Circuit Diagram Data display:
– The Representative of Equivalent Circuit Diagram

Parameter Data is set as System of units, physical.
– For Motor stator resistance cold value I enter 0.00655

Ohm.
– I will set Motor rotor resistance cold/damping

resistance value to 0.00513 Ohm.
– For Motor stator leakage inductance I enter 0.18379

mH.
– The Motor rotor leakage inductance should be set to

0.19176 mH.
– I will set the P360[0] parameter to 4.41801 mH.
The Calculation of Motor/Controller data display appears.
I will select the No calculation radial button and continue by

selecting the Next button.
The Motor holding brake display appears.
I select the No motor holding brake available for Holding

brake configuration and continue by selecting the
Next button.
In the Encoder display, I do not select any encoders for this

example application, as I chose at the beginning of the
configuration not to use any feedback.
Now, the Drive functions display appears.
– Under the Technological application dropdown menu, I

select Standard drive [VECTOR].
– For Motor identification, I select Inhibited.
Vector is chosen because in this configuration the type of

motor used does not use an encoder for feedback.
I continue by selecting the Next button.
The Process data exchange (drive) display appears.
– Select Free telegram configuration with BICO as the

PROFIdrive telegram.
– I will use a length of 9 words for both Input data (actual

values) and Output data (setpoints).
Ok, let’s pause the configuration of the VFD in Siemens Starter

and define the Free Telegram and the acronym BICO.
What is Free Telegram?
In the Process data exchange (drive) display, I selected a

Message frame to use for the communication.
This selection allows for pre-defined standard message frames

for various PROFIdrives.
The free message frame selected allows configuration to

compile our own message frames using specific wired IO.
This wiring can be referred to in Part 2 of this lesson, shown

here as a refresher.
What is Binector Connector Technology

(BICO)?
Every drive contains a large number of interconnecting input

and output variables and internal control variables.
BICO or Binector Connector Technology is a technology with

Siemens VFD drives allows the drive to be adapted to a wide
variety of requirements.
Digital and analog signals can be connected by means of the

BICO parameters and are identified by the prefix BI, BO, CI or
CO in their parameter name.
A binector is a digital (binary) signal without a unit which can

assume the value 0 or 1.
A connector is a digital signal in 32-bit format. It can be used to

emulate words (16 bits), double words (32 bits) or analog
signals.
After selecting the Next button in the Process data exchange

(drive) window, the Important parameters display appears.
According to the motor’s datasheet, I will set:
– Current limit to 464 Amps
– Minimum speed to 0 rpm
– Maximum speed to 1200 rpm
– Ramp-up time to 10 seconds
– Ramp-down time to 20 seconds
– Ramp-down time w. OFF 3 to 10 seconds
The Ramp-down time w. OFF 3 parameter is effective from

the maximum speed down to the motor standstill providing an
overall time to decelerate and stop.
I will continue by selecting the Next button and the Pump

Configuration Summary display will appear.
I can select the Finish button to continue, but for now, we will

stop with this segment of the lesson in the Siemens Starter
Software.
In the next lesson, Part 5 and the final part of this series of
lessons, we will continue with the VFD configuration using the
Siemens Starter commissioning software and jump into
configuring the communication data.
I hope you have enjoyed learning what will support you in your
upcoming project.
Thank you so much for reading, watching and adding your

voice to this automation conversation. Most of all, thanks for
bravely pursuing your goal of becoming a better automation
engineer.
Got a friend, client, or colleague who could use some of this

information? Please share this article.
The RealPars Team
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6/13/2021 How to Control a VFD with a PLC - Part 4 (Configuring Motor Data in the Siemens Starter Software) | RealPars

Welcome to lesson 4 of How to control a VFD with a PLC. We

In Part 1, we have addressed how to configure the

In Part 2, we discussed how the HMS gateway was set up as a

In Part 3, we started the configuration of the Siemens VFD

In Part 4, this article, we will pick up where we left off in Part

How to Control a VFD with a PLC - Part 4 (…

Configuring the Motor Data in the

In the previous part, I left off in the middle of using the

On the Configure the Drive properties display:

– I selected the NEMA motor (60 hertz, US units).

– I set the Connection Voltage to 700 volts.

– I chose Load duty cycle with high overload for the

The reason behind choosing the High overload is that:

– The baseload current for a slight overload is based on a

– The baseload current for a high overload is based on a

I will select the Next button to continue.

On the Configure the Motor display:

– I will enter the Motor name as, Motor_3.

– I will select the radial button, Enter motor Data.

– I select the Induction Motor for the Motor Type.

Then I click the Next button.

The Motor data configuration window in the Starter software

– Rated motor voltage as 460 Vrms (Volts Root Mean

– Rated motor current as 403 Arms (Amperage Root Mean

– Rated motor power of 350 hp (Horse Power)

– Rated motor efficiency as 0%

– Rated motor frequency of 60 Hz (Hertz)

– Rated motor speed of 1189 rpm (Revolutions Per Minute)

– Motor cooling type of Natural ventilation

I check the boxes for Enter optional motor data and Enter

In Optional Motor data display, according to the motor’s

– Motor rated magnetizing current or short circuit

– Maximum motor speed of 0 rpm

– Motor moment of inertia of 205.8641 lb ft2

– Ratio between the total and motor moment of

– Motor Weight of 3452.2 lb

– Cable Resistance of 0.00164 Ohm

– Motor series inductance of 0 mH (milli Henry)

I will continue by selecting the Next button.

In the Equivalent Circuit Diagram Data display:

– The Representative of Equivalent Circuit Diagram

– For Motor stator resistance cold value I enter 0.00655

– I will set Motor rotor resistance cold/damping

– For Motor stator leakage inductance I enter 0.18379

– The Motor rotor leakage inductance should be set to

– I will set the P360[0] parameter to 4.41801 mH.

I will continue by selecting the Next button.

The Calculation of Motor/Controller data display appears.

I will select the No calculation radial button and continue by

The Motor holding brake display appears.

I select the No motor holding brake available for Holding

In the Encoder display, I do not select any encoders for this

I will continue by selecting the Next button.

Now, the Drive functions display appears.

– Under the Technological application dropdown menu, I

– For Motor identification, I select Inhibited.

Vector is chosen because in this configuration the type of

I continue by selecting the Next button.

The Process data exchange (drive) display appears.

– Select Free telegram configuration with BICO as the

– I will use a length of 9 words for both Input data (actual

Ok, let’s pause the configuration of the VFD in Siemens Starter