Motor Testing over RS232

Spin the motor directly from the web page to confirm the drive, motor, and wiring all work before you connect them to the real controller.

Works with every drive model — the RS232 port is present on all of them.

Danger

The motor will actually turn. Before you press anything:

  • Lift the wheels off the ground, or leave enough clearance if the motor is coupled to a mechanism

  • Check that no person or object is within reach of the moving parts

  • Know where the emergency stop is and that you can reach it instantly

  • Always test at low speed first

What you need

  • A USB-to-RS232 cable connected to the drive

  • 24V main power into the drive — not just the USB cable

  • A computer running Chrome or Edge

Note

Without 24V you can still connect and read values, but the motor will not turn — the drive has no power to deliver to it.

Steps

① Connect and check status first

Open the drive configuration tool, press Connect, and pick the device.

Press Read on Statusword to see whether the drive is ready.

Value

Meaning

Ends in 27

✅ Ready to run

Bit 3 set (08)

⚠️ Fault — read Error Code first

40

Not ready — check power and the enable signal

② Set up before spinning

In the MOTOR TEST card:

Field

What to enter

Mode

3 for general testing (soft start) · -3 for immediate response

DIN Sim

Leave 0. If the drive expects an enable signal on a DIN pin you have not wired, enter 1

RPM

Start at 10 rpm or lower

Gear

Your gearbox ratio, e.g. 35 — enter 1 for a bare motor

Important

The RPM field is output-shaft speed, not motor speed. The tool applies the gear ratio for you.

Entering 10 with a gear of 35 means the output turns at 10 rpm while the motor runs at 350 rpm. The 📐 line below the buttons shows the calculation — read it before every Spin.

③ Spin

  1. Press ⚡ Enable — check the LOG says Operation enabled

  2. Press ▶ Spin — the motor starts turning

  3. Watch Actual RPM and compare it to what you commanded

  4. Press ■ STOP to stop

  5. Press Disable when finished

Warning

If Enable does not report Operation enabled, do not press Spin.

Read the status the LOG reports and fix that first. Pressing Spin while not enabled will not turn the motor anyway — it only makes the fault harder to trace.

Reading the result

What you see

Meaning

Actual RPM close to commanded

✅ Drive, motor, and encoder all working

Turns but Actual RPM stays 0

Encoder or feedback wiring problem

Turns the wrong way

Normal — fix it in the controller, or use the reverse-direction option

Does not turn, no error

Check 24V power and the enable signal (try DIN Sim = 1)

Faults immediately on Enable

Read Error Code and check it against the manual

When you are done

Always press Disable before unplugging the cable or closing the page — never leave the drive sitting in a ready-to-run state.

Note

Test values (speed, mode) are not saved to the drive and disappear at power off. Other settings need an explicit Save to persist.

Can I test over another bus?

Testing currently works over RS232 only, which covers every drive model.

Drives differ in which fieldbus they carry, shown by the model letter — L has RS485, C has CANopen, E has EtherCAT — but every model has RS232.

If you need testing over RS485 or CANopen, please get in touch.