2026, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A
Basic control strategy for speed regulation of induction motors using low-cost microcontrollers
Author(s): James William Mitchell
Abstract: Commercial variable frequency drives remain expensive for many small-scale industrial applications where basic speed control would suffice without advanced features like regenerative braking or precise torque control. This research developed and evaluated a simplified speed regulation approach for three-phase induction motors using widely available ATmega328 microcontrollers paired with fundamental control algorithms. Laboratory testing at the University of Melbourne between February 2023 and September 2023 compared the performance of microcontroller-based proportional-integral-derivative control against conventional volts-per-hertz open-loop methods and basic pulse width modulation approaches. Tests were conducted on 2.2 kW induction motors operating across speed ranges from 200 RPM to 1500 RPM under varying load conditions between 20% and 100% of rated torque. The microcontroller PID implementation achieved steady-state speed errors below 2.3% across the operating envelope, compared to 4.8% for volts-per-hertz control and 7.2% for basic PWM methods. Response times to step changes in speed reference averaged 145 milliseconds for the PID controller versus 210 milliseconds and 285 milliseconds for the alternative approaches. System efficiency peaked at 89.8% under 80% loading conditions, approximately 2.7 percentage points below commercial variable frequency drive benchmarks but substantially above basic control alternatives.
DOI: 10.22271/27083969.2026.v7.i1a.90
Pages: 14-19 | Views: 43 | Downloads: 17
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How to cite this article:
James William Mitchell. Basic control strategy for speed regulation of induction motors using low-cost microcontrollers. Int J Electr Data Commun 2026;7(1):14-19. DOI: 10.22271/27083969.2026.v7.i1a.90
