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Real-World Applications

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Company: Fisher & Paykel Technologies

Author(s): Stuart Little - Braemac - Field Engineer; Raphael Millnitz dos Santos - Fisher & Paykel Technologies - Electronic Controls Hardware Engineer
NI Product(s) Used: CompactRIO, LabVIEW FPGA
Industry: Motors

The Challenge

Fisher & Paykel Technologies is a subsidiary of the iconic New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Appliances. F&P Technologies designs and produces innovative motor control systems for use in a wide variety of applications; from household Appliances we all love, to industrial solutions.

F&P Technologies must continually innovate to stay ahead of the competition and meet ever changing customer requirements such as; increased power efficiency and regenerative motor drivers.

The Solution

The LabVIEW programmed NI CompactRIO system connects to FPT’s Inverter circuitry which is then connected to various size motors in the FPT Dynamometer lab. Due to the flexibility this system provides, it is known as the “FlexController”. Combining the benefits of the FlexController, NI CompactRIO FPGAs and Signal Conditioning modules with the high level graphical programming language (LabVIEW FPGA) – allows F&P Technologies to rapidly test new control algorithms, iteratively and quickly tuning the algorithm before moving a tried and true control system to the production on their Microcontrollers. The local NI distributor, Braemac, is also a supplier of electronic components to F&P so Braemac can work with the F&P engineers along the complete design and deployment curve.