3-phase IGBT-inverter – Working principles

In this article the 3-phase IGBT inverter and its functional operation are discussed. In order to realize the 3-phase output from a circuit employing dc...

PID control on PIC microcontroller

For decades, the PID control system has stood as one of the industry's most established and widely adopted strategies, owing to its straightforward yet efficient...

PID tuning methods

Rule-based PID tuning methods asssume that there is a system response that can be put into an easy mathematical description. The characteristics of this response...

3 phase AC systems

In this article we take a closer look at the three phase power system. I will begin with giving you an overview of the differences...

Types of AC Motors – Working Principles

Motors are primarily categorized as either AC or DC, with further classifcation based on their inherent rotation characteristics. In this article, we will commence by...

Brushless Vs Brushed DC Motors: Which to choose

Motors are primarily categorized as either AC or DC, with further classification based on their inherent rotation characteristics. In this article, we will commence by...

Controlling Stepper Motors with Microcontrollers

The basic principle behind a motor lies in the conversion of electrical energy into rotational mechanical movement. This can manifest as either continuous or step-wise...

Prerequisits

To make it easier, I assume you have a basic knowledge of the following:

  • Basic circuitry knowledge; such as resistors, transistors, diodes, relays.
  • Basic programming knowledge in C; understand what are functions, operators, data types, and more.
  • Digital electronics, such as logic gates.

On some occasions I will explain it from scratch, but to understand everything, it is best to brush up on the basics so that you can follow the tutorials.

Required Software

For these tutorials we use Microchip’s own software package that includes:

  • MPLAB X IDE
  • XC8 Compiler
  • PICKIT3 programmer/debugger

All the tools can be downloaded at the official website of Microchip Technology

Required Hardware

The full tutorial consists of many different types of electrical components, sensors and actuators. It depends completely on your own project what you need. However, in all cases you will need a Pickit3 tool to install the software and you need at least 1 PIC16F877A microcontroller to install it on.