The NORD Drivesystems (Waunakee, WI) condition monitoring system can be programmed to record drive and status data periodically or continuously via the internal PLC within the variable frequency drive. This fully integrated PLC is able to capture and pre-process specific parameters and drive-related sensors without the need for an external controller. The results are then provided via the PLC output parameters and can be sent and saved to a local dashboard via Industrial Ethernet (e.g. PROFINET IO) for visualization. In addition to built-in measuring capability, each NORD drive unit can also evaluate external sensors including those for temperature and system vibration. Processing of these measurements and preparation of output signals is carried out dynamically and individually in each variable frequency drive with the aid of the PLC. An interface for digital and analog sensors, including virtual sensors, enable the PLC to calculate information such as the optimal oil change time.
