[feasty33]

Hi all,

First post, please be kind!!

Just wanted to confirm that i'm thinking correctly with regards to id'ing DC & AC motors.

DC: Motor will only have 2 cables running to it, Brushed, with internal commutation.

AC: Motor will have 3 cables running to it, Brushless, with commutation done in motor controller.

Is this correct?

Many thanks!
Dave

[frodus]

Yes, but for AC, you will have an encoder (and maybe temp sensor, depending on brand) connections to the controller.

[feasty33]

Thanks for the reply!

By encoder, do you mean sensor board so that the motor controller knows the rotational position of the rotor, so power is applied to the correct phase of the motor?

Dave

BTW my background is 16 years as an Auto-Electrician & 20 years playing with RC cars!!

[frodus]

Yeah, encoder would give the controller a signal so it knows rotation direction and speed.

On series wound motors you'll also have another lead going from one of the armature windings to the stator windings, but you'll only have 2 leads from the motor controller.

[somanywelps]

There's also brushless DC.

[major]

Originally Posted by somanywelps

There's also brushless DC.

Make life simple and call it AC It has the commutation done externally by an inverter which supplies the motor with pulses which in most cases are both positive and negative, so alternate---->so alternating current---->AC.