Laboratory set-up for instruction and research in electric drives control

A versatile laboratory set-up for teaching and research in the area of electric drive control is proposed. The set-up is simple to build and inexpensive compared to other conventional options. The system is assembled by using off-the-shelf integrated modules rather than built out of discrete components. General-purpose simulation software is used to perform any desired control function. No particular written software is needed. A personal computer is used to house the software and to provide adequate interface between the software and the external hardware. Except for the power electronic switches, the controllers and the interface circuits are modular and can drive motors of virtually any size. With the proposed lab set-up, any previously designed control system can be implemented and tested in just a few minutes