What's the least expensive VFD with a Profibus option?

I'm not positive of the timeline, but I believe the Unidrive Classic was last produced in the 1990's. There was an option card for a serial port, and free software... I just don't have any experience with that model to speak of.

I'll agree with you on the complexity of the parameters, for sure. BUT, that also gives you more tools for solving applications.

Although, trying to compare a 30 year old drive to today's isn't really fair, either. Just like any older tech.

Gene Bond said:

I'm not positive of the timeline, but I believe the Unidrive Classic was last produced in the 1990's. There was an option card for a serial port, and free software... I just don't have any experience with that model to speak of.

I'll agree with you on the complexity of the parameters, for sure. BUT, that also gives you more tools for solving applications.

Although, trying to compare a 30 year old drive to today's isn't really fair, either. Just like any older tech.

Click to expand...

Fair enough, it is a pretty old drive. The line was commissioned in 2006, which I have to remind myself was actually not yesterday. That would make the drive 14 years old, and there is a very good chance that the outfit who commissioned it was knowingly installing drives that were on the edge of, or well past their obsolescence finish line.

I have seen OEMs and controls/retrofit firms (in this case) who standardize on something and then put on blinders, forgeting how to design around anything else until forced to do so by absolute unavailability of what they're comfortable with. I worked on a palletizer recently that was full of AB SLC5/05 and Ultra 100 servo drives. I remarked about "these older machines" and was told that the line wasn't even 10 years old. I confirmed against the date on the drawings; They had to have gotten the servo drives used off eBay! Unbelievable.

Yep, I just saw it Tuesday, a Limestone saw that was built 5 years ago with a little Fincor DC regen drive that hasn't been made for 10+ years. The customers had spares as well!