Training Videos
Welcome to Kappa University! Here are some “how-to” videos covering a wide range of topics in motor control; most of which were developed during our time as motor control applications engineers at Texas Instruments. If you are interested in training on a specific topic in motor control, or a general motorcontrol seminar for your company, please get in touch!
Teaching Old Motors New Tricks (Part 1)
Introduction to motor control, discussion of feedback, feedforward, PI controllers, PID controllers, digital control and sampling, and finally, an introduction to Field-Oriented Control.
Teaching Old Motors New Tricks (Part 2)
Overview of Field Oriented Control plus a VisSim lab exercise to synthesize and test a Field Oriented system.
Teaching Old Motors New Tricks (Part 3)
Topics include Space Vector Modulation, Field Weakening, Current Regulator Decoupling, and Field-Oriented Control of AC Induction Machines.
Teaching Old Motors New Tricks (Part 4)
Finish the discussion of Field-Oriented Control of AC Induction Machines, and then we discuss Field-Oriented Control of Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motors. Next, we cover observers, and finish the presentation with a discussion of various sensorless Field-Oriented Control techniques.
Teaching Old Motors New Tricks (Part 5)
Presentation of TI’s sensorless motor control solution, “InstaSPIN TM -FOC”.
Field Oriented Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs)
Step-by- step procedure of how to do Field-Oriented Control (FOC) on a permanent magnet synchronous motor, which includes most BLDC motors. Observer technology is presented, followed by a discussion of some sensorless techniques which allow you to do FOC without a shaft sensor.
Brushless DC Motors and Control – How It Works (Part 1)
This presentation is a very simple introduction to brushless-DC motors and an overview of trapezoidal commutation.
Brushless DC Motors and Control – How It Works (Part 2)
We continue with our discussion of trapezoidal commutation, and briefly touch on the idea of sensorless trapezoidal control.
Introduction to InstaSPIN TM -BLDC Motor Control Solution
This video discusses how to perform sensorless trapezoidal control on a BLDC motor by integrating the back-EMF waveform to create a flux signal. This signal is then compared to a threshold which is independent of speed to create a commutation event.
Permanent Magnet AC Motors – Motor Control and How It Works
This video shows how a three-phase waveform creates a rotating vector on a three-phase motor. By examining the current vector placement with respect to the flux vector, we see how torque is produced in the motor. This is the foundation for Field-Oriented Control, which is discussed at a very high level in this video.
Introduction to Magnetic Fields
Here are links to a four-part introductory series on magnetic fields. This covers the basics and the history of this “exciting field”.
Sensorless Field Oriented Control for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors
This webseminar is in an introduction to Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) and how Field Oriented Control (FOC) enables high performance motor control.
Sensorless Field Oriented (FOC) Control for AC Induction Motors
This seminar will discuss the basic characteristics of an AC Induction Motor and the fundamentals of using Field Oriented Control (FOC) of this type of motor.
Stepper Motor Control with dsPIC DSCs
This seminar provides a brief overview of the hardware architecture used to control stepper motors with a description of decay modes and the key differences between each mode. The principles of Microstepping and control loops will also be covered.
Interleaved Power Factor Correction
This Web Seminar will discuss the Interleaved Power Factor Correction (IPFC) reference design. This reference design provides an easy method to evaluate the power, and features of SMPS dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers for an IPFC application.
Industrial Control Workshop. Simplifying Motor Control with Tools & Software
This 1-day hands-on workshop provides practising motor engineers and designers with hands-on experience of implementing motor control using TI's 'MotorWare" software library and "InstaSPIN" estimator algorithm.