Terminal-level wiring
Line, PE, motor phases, dual-channel STO, hardwired run and analog reference—not a single fake “connected” toggle.
VFD / VSD commissioning simulator
Commission a drive from terminals to trip history.
A vendor-neutral, browser-based VFD simulator for technicians and controls engineers. Wire it. Parameterise it. Prove STO. Run a real process load. Diagnose the fault from evidence.
No install · works on desktop, tablet and phone · training model, not a manufacturer configurator
Quick answer: a VFD simulator should let you commission the complete drive system—not only change frequency. This one connects terminal wiring, motor data, command and reference sources, STO, process load, live measurements, faults and a commissioning record in one browser workbench.
Live drive telemetryRUNNING · 38.0 Hz
Output38.0 Hz
Motor1102 rpm
Current6.7 A
DC bus565 V
Load68%
Pro commissioning path4 scenarios · saved progress · PLC/HMI handoff
The guide is public. The working lab is Pro.
Use this page to understand the equipment, workflow and terminology. Sign in to the Pro path to operate the full physics model, complete commissioning evidence, inject faults and continue into a prepared PLC–HMI Sandbox project.
- 01
Local keypad & motor ID
First start
- 02
Conveyor commissioning
Foundation
- 03
Pump with 4–20 mA reference
Process control
- 04
Fieldbus fan control
Networked drive
- 05
Drive diagnosis bay
Advanced
Content depth
The complete commissioning loop—not a speed slider.
The workbench connects electrical installation, motor data, application behaviour, safety proving and fault diagnosis. That is the sequence technicians face at a real drive cabinet.
Parameter commissioning
Motor nameplate, stationary motor identification, min/max limits, ramps, command source and speed-reference source against a real job sheet.
Dynamic machine loads
Conveyor, centrifugal pump, fan and dynamometer views respond to frequency, load, current and trips.
Evidence-led diagnosis
Live current, DC bus, temperature, speed error and five-entry trip history separate electrical and mechanical causes.
Safety workflow
Safe isolation before wiring, both STO channels, uncoupled bump test, direction confirmation and loaded proving run.
Six fault families
Jammed load, phase loss, supply collapse, blocked cooling, open STO and aggressive deceleration behaviour.
Shipped features · verified 15 July 2026
VFD/VSD capabilities available now.
These are live product capabilities, not roadmap promises. All five guided commissioning jobs, process loads, source modes, fault diagnosis and saved evidence are included in Pro.
Installation
Three-phase line, PE, U/V/W motor, digital, analog and dual-channel STO terminal work
Commissioning
Motor nameplate, stationary motor ID, operating limits, ramps, command source and speed-reference source
Control
Keypad, hardwired terminal, 4–20 mA and fieldbus-style operating modes
Applications
Conveyor, centrifugal pump, fan and dynamometer machine-load models
Measurements
Frequency, rpm, current, torque, DC-bus voltage, temperature and load
Diagnostics
Seven fault conditions, five-entry trip history and cause-aware reset permissives
Guidance
Step-by-step actions, reasons, expected evidence and progressive hints for every job
Evidence
Isolation, STO, direction, unloaded and loaded proving checks in a commissioning record
Platform
No-install responsive browser UI, descriptive technical images and reduced-motion support
Visual field guide
Eight diagrams that connect the screen to the real job.
Each visual answers a commissioning question the interactive bench then lets you test. They use vendor-neutral terminal names and component relationships so the lesson transfers without pretending every drive has identical parameter numbers.
Installation
Read the drive as five separate circuits
Power, motor, control, analog and safety connections have different purposes and failure symptoms. The lab keeps their terminals visible instead of reducing commissioning to one connected switch.
Workflow
Follow the job in a defensible order
Isolation comes before terminal work; motor identification comes before running; an uncoupled direction check comes before the loaded proving run. Each completed check becomes evidence in the record.
Parameters
Translate the nameplate without guessing
Rated voltage, frequency, current, speed and power describe the motor the drive must control and protect. Wrong data can produce poor torque, misleading load values or nuisance trips.
Functional safety
Prove both STO channels
The safety relay feeds two independent drive inputs. The motor can be stopped by command while torque remains available; STO is the separate safety function that prevents torque generation.
Control I/O
Commission the entire analog reference
The signal must be wired to AI1 and analog common, configured for current rather than voltage, and scaled to the intended frequency range. A live loop value separates wiring faults from scaling faults.
Machine physics
See why the application changes the drive
A loaded conveyor behaves differently from a centrifugal pump or fan. The process model changes current, torque, speed response and likely trip conditions rather than animating every motor identically.
Diagnostics
Diagnose from measurements, not the trip name alone
Frequency, actual speed, current, DC bus and temperature create a fault signature. A load step with stable supply evidence points somewhere different from a falling DC bus or rising heat-sink temperature.
Recovery
Remove the cause before resetting
Trip history preserves evidence after the machine stops. Reset remains blocked while the injected cause or run request is active, reinforcing recovery as a controlled commissioning step rather than a reflex.
Practical method
How to commission a VFD in the simulator.
The sequence is deliberately conservative. It separates installation, configuration, functional proving and diagnosis so a symptom is not masked by changing several things at once.
For real equipment, the drive manual, approved schematic, motor data, machine risk assessment and site isolation procedure always take precedence.
- 01
Isolate and inspect
Open the upstream isolator, prove the training circuit dead and inspect line, motor, earth, control and safety conductors before changing a connection.
- 02
Wire the power path
Connect L1/L2/L3 and protective earth to the drive, then U/V/W and the motor protective conductor. Keep supply and motor terminals conceptually separate.
- 03
Wire command and safety
Land the digital run command and common, the analog or fieldbus reference path, and both STO channels required by the job.
- 04
Enter motor data
Copy rated volts, hertz, current, speed and power from the nameplate. Set the application limits and ramps from the commissioning sheet.
- 05
Prove locally first
Use keypad control for an uncoupled bump test. Confirm rotation, actual speed, current and stop response before transferring control to the PLC.
- 06
Transfer control source
Select terminal or fieldbus command and the required reference source. Prove minimum, midpoint and maximum demand rather than checking only one value.
- 07
Run the real load model
Couple the conveyor, pump, fan or dynamometer. Compare current, torque, speed error, DC bus and temperature with the unloaded baseline.
- 08
Test faults and document
Diagnose the injected trip from evidence, remove the cause, satisfy reset permissives and complete the commissioning record.
Parameter guide
The parameter groups that make or break a start-up.
Manufacturers use different numbers and menu structures, but the engineering questions remain recognizable. The simulator groups them by purpose so learners understand what they are setting before memorising a vendor menu.
| Parameter group | Typical entries | Commissioning reason |
|---|---|---|
| Motor identity | Rated volts, hertz, amps, rpm and power | Protection, slip and load calculations start with correct motor data. |
| Operating limits | Minimum, maximum and base frequency | Limits must suit the motor, machine and required process range. |
| Ramps | Acceleration and deceleration time | Aggressive acceleration raises current; aggressive deceleration can raise the DC bus. |
| Command source | Keypad, terminals or fieldbus | A healthy drive will not run if it is listening to a different command source. |
| Reference source | Keypad setpoint, AI1 or fieldbus word | The run command and speed reference can come from different places. |
| Protection | Current limit, overload and reset behaviour | Protection should match the motor and application, not hide a mechanical problem. |
Too-short acceleration
Demanding torque faster than the motor and drive can deliver raises current and can produce overcurrent or current-limit operation.
Too-short deceleration
A high-inertia load can regenerate energy into the DC bus. The simulation exposes the resulting voltage rise and trip evidence.
Wrong motor current
Protection and load indication become unreliable when the drive is configured for a different motor than the one connected.
Local, terminals or PLC
Command source and speed reference are separate decisions.
A drive can receive its run command from a terminal while receiving speed over an analog input, or receive both over a network. When the source selection is wrong, the drive may show ready with no response—an easy condition to misdiagnose as failed hardware.
Keypad / local
- Best used for
- Initial uncoupled proving and service checks
- Prove during commissioning
- Local indication, direction, minimum speed and stop response.
Hardwired terminals
- Best used for
- Simple machines and discrete PLC control
- Prove during commissioning
- DI common, run input logic, direction and loss-of-command behaviour.
4–20 mA reference
- Best used for
- Process speed demand from PLC or controller
- Prove during commissioning
- Loop current, live input value, signal type and min/max scaling.
Fieldbus
- Best used for
- Integrated PLC diagnostics and control
- Prove during commissioning
- Control word, reference word, status word and communication-loss response.
Troubleshooting logic
Read the fault as a system response.
An overcurrent trip does not automatically mean a defective drive. A jammed conveyor, an unrealistically short acceleration ramp or incorrect motor data can create similar symptoms. Undervoltage begins with supply and DC-bus evidence; overtemperature begins with load, cooling and temperature history; STO status begins with the safety channels, not the ordinary run command.
The fault bay therefore exposes measurements and preserves history. The learner identifies which evidence changed first, removes the active cause, stops the command and only then resets. That sequence is transferable to manufacturer-specific diagnostics.
2D vs 3D decision
Technical 2D where precision matters. 2.5D where motion teaches.
Full 3D is valuable when spatial access, collision, line-of-sight or operator movement is the learning objective. It is not the best primary interface for drive commissioning: terminal marks, keypad values and meter readings need to stay still and legible.
The hybrid workbench uses precise 2D for the engineering task and an animated process model for belt movement, pump flow, fan behaviour and rotating load. It is faster to understand, deterministic to grade and substantially better on mobile.
Continue the signal path
Connect drive commissioning to PLC and field wiring.
Use the wiring tutor for physical terminations, the motor-control lab for contactors and overloads, and the PLC motor-control page for ladder logic. Each page solves a different part of the same machine.
Questions
Frequently asked.
You can wire line, motor, earth, run, analog-reference and STO terminals; enter motor nameplate data; perform stationary motor identification; select keypad, terminal or fieldbus control; run conveyor, pump and fan loads; observe live frequency, speed, current, torque, DC-bus voltage and temperature; and diagnose phase loss, undervoltage, overtemperature, overload, stall and regenerative overvoltage trips.