Lathe VFD 3: How to Fix Noise Problems

The noise generated by our new Teco-Westinghouse L510 VFD is causing problems with the video gear in the shop. Today we're going to solve the problem with a line noise filter and a handful of ferrites.
We're also going to connect up an oscilloscope to measure the noise being generated so we can see if our fixes are working.
If you're playing along at home, here are some links to the parts and equipment used in this video:
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
20A Power Line Noise Suppressor (Amazon*): amzn.to/2HAcaxs
Ferrite Transformer Cores (Amazon*): amzn.to/2HwSUkz
Teco-Westinghouse L510 1HP VFD (Amazon*): amzn.to/2F2X7a8
Leeson 1800RPM D80 Motor: www.electricmotorwholesale.com...
Current Model Rigol DS1054Z Oscilloscope (Amazon*): amzn.to/2JlhlhR

[@DAKOTANSHELBY]

I'm 3 years late, but I knew you were going to apply ferrites. My 12k solar inverter (actually I have 2 for 24k) are both EMP protected internally and both came with numerous ferrites to install on each PV panel and critical load accessories in the home. KZbin reviews are numerous explaining how ferrites counter damaging voltage peaks such as that from either a natural or manmade EMP event. Your channel and content draws me in on all the various technologies you apply to your home machine shop. Thank you.

[@tilliesinabottle]

westinghouse owes this guy a big thank you- if not a big fat check. This video series made it dead simple to understand how to use this model of VFD, I'm sure a lot of us (myself included) went with the L510 for that reason.

[@cheesesteak2008]

This video summed up EMI better in 20 minutes than my teachers could explain in 4 years of engineering school. I found this video while trying to track down an interference issue for one of our customers with our PCB. Thank you for the detail you put into this and I'll definitely be subscribing!

[@frikkied2638]

You went to a weird Uni if you learned about EMI for 4 years 😂

[@denis_w1wv131]

As a ham radio operator and hobby machinist, I appreciate your concerns and efforts to mitigate emi/rfi!

[@YourUNKus]

I am absolutely amazed at the breadth and depth of your knowledge and experience in the various disciplines you display ! On top of that the production quality of your videos is superb ! Definitely in the top percentile of machinist / maker vids available. Would you consider doing a shop tour vid ? The jealousy factor in your shop organization is strong in me since I tend to have things scattered everywhere. Keep up the great work !

[@jonhickman23]

First, THANK YOU! I sell sewage pump systems for a living and I sold one to a city last year for a large outdoor application with two VFDs running two 460V, 15 HP submersible sewage pumps. They bought the whole system, but wanted to use their own Sensaphone unit to make a phone call to their office in case of a high water alarm in their pit. This was very important to them, but we found that the sensaphone autodialer was receiving all sorts of signals from it's power line causing "phantom" button presses on the unit, stopping the phone calls from being made, and therefore keeping the city from being made aware and taking action when homes might be in danger of having sewage backed up into their homes. It would be a very unlikely scenario, but it happened to them years ago and that's why they wanted to upgrade the pump and control units. I had almost given up on my attempts to fix the issues because honestly, how do you fix what you can't see? I had tried everything I could think of that I could control, but then I came across your video. I applied a 12V EMI noise filter (AMAZON) to the sensaphone circuit and ferrite rings (AMAZON) as you described and viola! No more phantom button presses! No more crazy sounds coming from the unit when the pumps kick on, and most importantly, no more interrupted or cancelled emergency phone calls from the unit! People called me crazy for trying. Sensaphone themselves admitted they had no solution for this issue. This video saved a LOT of heartache for everyone involved. I thought the ferrite rings looked like voodoo, but I took them off the system to see whether they were actually helping and the problems persisted! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Thank you. Thank YOU, THANK YOU! To be fair, our control panel has a built in Ethernet for alarms that connects to an online app, so this never should've been an issue, but they don't want to run internet to this outdoor system, so this fix was our only option until they change their minds.

[@mannymalistic]

I'm extremely limited in my electronics knowledge but your videos I've viewed thus far exposes me to some degree of theory and understanding but of more value to me, the practical application that I can actually duplicate. This is difficult to locate for a very lay person like me. Thank you.

[@joelevi9823]

When a mechanical dude explain in a few minutes what i didn't get from electronic dudes videos in the last 2 days.. thanks dude ❤️

[@davidcorredor6776]

your videos outlining your though process and Engineering curiosity are FANTASTIC! Thank you!

[@shainefalwasser1207]

Mate, that is exactly the kind of video of been trying to find! In depth but to the point, I've learn't more about frequencies and EMI from this simple video than I have from a $500 Schneider provided variable speed drive course. Thank you very much for this video, it has taught me alot and I appreciate your time and effort in producing this video! From New Zealand 👍

[@jackietrove4637]

You really laid things out clearly. This is valuable info for several noise related projects I am working on. Thank you!

[@charruauno386]

Thank you for sharing, you have taking me back to my old days of school, thank you have a nice day.

[@daveolson9504]

MY gosh you did such a nice clear presentation, I am ordering the parts I need tonight. Thank-You!!

[@MrZhefish]

highly underrated video. this should pop up for everyone who is searching for vfd installation, especially when doing cnc conversions of mills and lathe :) thank you for this - and many other vids

[@marksullivan9954]

I am planning on installing a VFD on a lathe. This video series was extremely helpful, it answered all my concerns and provided information on aspects that I had not thought about. Awesome, thanks for the video.

[@neiladams8445]

Great videos on VFD application! Informative and very well produced. The high quality of the video and audio helps greatly in making the programs watchable.

[@trinitron40237]

For VFD, shielded cables must be used every time. Also, twisting the cables on unshielded portions may help most of the time.

[@watoysland1137]

Shielded cable for power?

[@qivarebil2149]

I've watched 5 of Your videos today. And now I have to go back and start at the beginning. Because there's so much to learn. Things I even didn't know I didn't know! Awesome stuff! 👍

[@ianviljoen9036]

Excellent content and very relevant. I am busy with a lathe conversion at the moment, and I haven't paid any attention to this. Thank you very much!

[@stevenp.sparks2953]

Best vid on YT for solving issues like this in shop & home. Thanks very much!!!!

[@johnathonmullis4234]

Great video. It’s actually a re-run for me though. I watched it last year after your ELS project. Motor problems with my import bench top lathe brought me back. I knew when I first watched this series that I’d be using your method to improve my lathes capabilities. The vfd arrived today, my filter and ferrites will be here tomorrow, and my motor should be here Friday. If not for your contributions to the hobby machining community I’d be replacing a crappy brushless dc motor and control board every year or so. I really appreciate everything you do James and I’m certain so does everyone else. Keep up the good works👍

[@Khuneidi]

Without any doubt, those series of motor and VFD are really great and very simple but indeed full of useful information Good luck James

[@OwThatsMyEye]

You sir, have earned my subscription. Thank you!

[@captiveimage]

Great video. I've got ferries knocking around, I'll have to get a couple of those filter modules to have a play. Enjoy the demo's you put together using basic equipment and your explanation for what's going on and why/how the kit is set up is great.

[@weloveups831]

Fantastic job! You are very good at getting the information out without out a lot of extra noise. No pun intended!

[@Clough42]

Thank you. For the record, the pun is appreciated anyway.

[@dizzolve]

I would never have expected your penmanship to be worse than mine! - ........ it's a compliment

[@jessespiller3801]

That was absolutely brilliant. Thanks for all the effort you went to in the video!

[@JohnChuprun]

Excellent video. Very hard to find someone who will show this concept with an oscilloscope. Thanks

[@na22546]

This is my favorite video on KZbin - thank you for making this

[@jeroen-surf]

Great video series! Very clear explanations. Well done!

[@Clough42]

Thank you!

[@mark63366]

Great video. Noise from VFD's is the bane of my existence.

[@k2smd]

The ham radio operators of the world thank you LOL. About to wire one of these on to a drill press. Had no idea what it would have done to my other hobby.

[@bassamabdelnabi3117]

totally awesome, thanks so much. This will help resolve an issue we are having in the lab. I pray for God to reward you for helping people. May you live long, be wealthy and be give peace of mind and a guided heart.

[@paddiman772]

I found your channel a few days ago while looking for answers to setting up my L510 VFD. This particular episode was very informative. At this point, am not sure whether I'll need to act on this advice, as we're not quite ready to take the maiden voyage. This should happen in a couple days. Thanks so much for all your great advice!

[@T0tenkampf]

Excellent coverage of knowledge, thanks again for another great video.

[@Schroeder9999]

Watched Part 1 through 3. Very well explained and straight to the point.

[@sergitolstolutskey9697]

This video was awesome, thank you for sharing your expertise and knowledge.

[@rpavlik1]

Oh man, best explanation I've ever heard of how a common mode choke, class x and y capacitors work together. And, now I understand better why putting ferrites on the lines for some car-neons I used for decoration in my youth actually did reduce data issues. (I'm pretty sure it only affected my audio because I used a digital, but copper, signal line between my computer and speakers, and that line by necessity laid parallel to the neon lines....)

[@braydinjones582]

Another thing that helps is using shielded VFD cable grounded at both ends. It gives a low impedance path for the common mode current to travel so it doesn’t travel through the building as much.

[@trisimon]

Thank you. I've been trying to figure out how to run my 3 phase lathe through the control panel with vfd. I didn't realize you just bypass the control box w/contactors and go straight to the motor. Thank you for all the added configuration explanation.

[@michaelheindl3665]

Your video is absolutely brilliant! I am an Electrical Contractor who is doing to work for a big company which uses VFDs,on there production lines. They are having a lot of problems with EMI which is raising "Hell" with the production process due to VFD dropping out and shutting down. They thought the problem was insulation break down on the THHN wiring feeding the motors from the VFDs, but I told them it most probably is EMI . Your very easy and simple in depth video, is easy to following and understand. It shows what's really going on and the solution to theses problems. I suggested to use ferrites on the output of the VFD and a line filter on the input power feeding the VFDs. Your video is exactly correct, as to how and why noise affects digital equipment so adversely. Thank you Michael

[@jaylinton3003]

Great video. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share it with everyone. Most appreciated.

[@lasercut.london549]

Thank you so much for this video, we have a Shapoko Pro XXL cnc that kept disconnecting when ever the spindle was turned on. I found the same emi filter on amazon, bought 14 ferrite cores, and moved everything over into a new enclosure and so far zero Disconnects. Thank you so much. My previous emi filters from cnc4u were useless and the screened cable did nothing until adding all the ferries 👌 your amazing.

[@reenactorrob7901]

Excellent video. Advanced and understandable at the same time. Practical knowledge and application that I now possess. My thanks sir.

[@BroMikey55]

Yes it is useful thank you. I am 62 yrs learning VFD to air conditioners

[@utintlwin8773]

Thank you for explaining about VFD ,with practical oscilloscope

[@bonafide9085]

Just got an EMI filter out of a broken treadmill. Will be a good fit in my CNC! Thanks!

[@Godzilla2k69]

EMI troubleshooting: you might see some benefits from mechanically mounting the drive, motor and EMI filter all on a common metal ground plane (no long green wire) and *solidly* grounding them locally. Like how you used the cores in common and differential mode, but this problem is almost certainly majority common-mode. A (much) shorter drive to motor cable will help by making the current loop physically smaller. This problem is created by the IGBT's (inside the inverter) switching on/off and snapping the current off. I'd be curious to see what, if any, steps they took in the layout to mitigate the problem. Great video and solid "change made it better/change made it worse" shooting. Kudos.

[@leehomeschooling4644]

I like your demonstration, clear ! Better than my university teachers

[@chivasdeguadalajara]

Thanks for the advice, I haven't ran into this noise problem and don't know if I will, I watched this video when I was doing my build and implemented this before it ever became a problem.

[@athmetropits]

You get me 40years back to college labs about noise filtering. After all these years problems remaining the same ...but we have mobile phones.

[@RickSwartwood]

EXCELLENT VIDEO! Installed my first VFD. Hopefully this takes the issue away!

[@buddykyser]

Nice! and thank you for the detail explanations, I like to know why and how things happen so great video for me.

[@SimulatedSkiesStudio]

You should be a teacher! Everything you said made a lot of sense. I am a novice ham radio operator and I can use your informations in a lot of ways. Thank you and good luck!

[@middleknight4292]

Really well explained and very useful information, explained very well with great videography.

[@robbyg3989]

Youre a good teacher, great video much appreciated.

[@mannsdan]

another helpful video! i appreciate your genius abilities!

[@CCO183]

Great demo. Answered many questions

[@skipwilson5086]

Excellent video, and a great explanation of what's going on we can't see.

[@bikefarmtaiwan1800]

It is fascinating to me which of your videos get more likes - the VFD video got over a hundred thousand views and this important video only got three thousand .....great video in my opinion !

[@markj3457]

You helped me, after installing a new variable speed pond pump, it affected my AM radio so much so I couldn’t listen to it. I will try the device you used, fingers crossed.

[@AdrianSusianto]

Thank you @Clough42. This is the best of EMI explanation, and you solved my problem too. My PC Monitor is loosing signal when my water pump on and off. I found your EMI video is very simple yet very clear and I can see the signal of the noise. Amazing job, luv it!

[@HealthyLivingPoint]

Very educative. Great work.

[@sivaramanb2297]

Nice and thank you for the detailed explanation

[@thesergeant3524]

I just binged watched several of your videos and can not believe the how good the information is, how well it is presented and how thorough each video is. I'm subbed to A LOT of machinists, woodworkers, welders and other makers and your channel is in the top 5% in my opinion. I'm looking forward to going through every video now and catching up. I'm on the midst of a restoration of a Clausing 5914 lathe. I've done a total teardown of it and I am considering replacing the hydraulic reeves drive, even though I completely rebuilt it, with a poly-v and VFD setup. The only thing that keeps me from committing to the idea is the high pitched sound coming from the motor/vfd that I've heard on just about every setup I've seen in person or online. My understanding is that it's related to the carrier frequency and is unavoidable. I'd love to modernize my 5914 but I'm not sure I could stomach listening to that hitch pitched sound while working. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

[@Clough42]

Thank you! In my experience, changing the carrier frequency only changes the pitch of the whine. If you have hearing loss in the higher frequencies, you might be able to set the carrier frequency high enough that you can't hear it, but that (un)fortunately doesn't work for me. On my setup, the whine almost completely disappeared when I set the VFD carrier mode to 3-phase PWM (parameter 11-02). I made the parameter changes step by step in this video, so you can listen and hear the results of the different parameters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIKugaecbNinn9k

[@thesergeant3524]

@@Clough42 Thank you!! I can't count the number of videos I've watched on VFDs. Yours in the only one that address the 3-phase PWM mode to eliminate that noise. Every video I've seen has the whine. Fantastic stuff! I just ordered the L510 and will be following your build exactly. Thank you!

[@shainefalwasser1207]

Thanks! Awesome video in relation to EMI!

[@allanmario6596]

Nice ey, was having problems with emi, you really helped

[@steveu235]

very interesting and you are so easy to listen to. Ill be setting up my milling machine this weekend. Thanks a lot.

[@Clough42]

Thanks. Enjoy your machine!

[@6Sagebrush9]

I purchased a 90 year old, 2 ton Lodge and Shipley 16 inch motor lathe that is in great shape but it's cumbersome to change speeds and direction and it has a top speed of 400 RPM. So I've changed the motor to a 5 HP - 3 phase with a VFD in hopes this will make the machine more usable. I just finished installing the motor and am about to wire up the controller and your video was just what I needed. Great job! Thanks.

[@beckyschwantes5287]

How did that lodge and Shipley turn out? I’m we had a couple in the tool room.

[@preludecurtis]

Ordered parts for tomorrow. Thank you!

[@preludecurtis]

Also subscribed. 👍

[@Seaviewsystems1]

I have a problem with a Renogy pure sinewave inverter inducing noise on a hydrographic survey sonar system. I'll try these filtering approaches. I really appreciate your intelligent and unpretentious approach to explaining what is going on here.

[@bigbothoee8617]

You sir are an absolute legend thanks

[@qrptoqro7834]

Excellent video. Though your EMI/RFI issue is affecting camera gear, that is an even bigger problem for radio gear (ham radio specifically). The hard part - as you alluded to in the beginning of the video - viewers of the video would be completely unaware of the issue had you not pointed it out. Same is true for likely everyone else in your neighborhood - unless they experience problems (such as the TV in the family room, or your neighbors tv, flickering when you are trying to run the lathe). Knowing it is coming from your lathe is impossible to know unless it is tracked down. So finding the problem up front - and taking the steps to mitigate it as you are progressing with the upgrade - is most excellent work - even if the reason you did it was for your own benefit at the time (keeping your own camera and production gear working correctly). The issue could be a lot more wide-spread to others, yet they may never know the source or how to resolve the issues.

[@huseyingungortasarmprojeleri]

Really good practice, thanks.

[@francoisguyot9770]

Terrific content both pratical and productive.

[@Paulilmys]

Awesome demonstration.

[@robr9313]

Thank you for this video. It was incredibly helpful

[@stephanuhu963]

Very useful exercise, and grateful for this posting. Thx.

[@mattholden5]

Hey James, I really enjoy your content. Thanks for filling knowledge gaps for hobbyists who know enough to get started, but not enough to get out of the valley between "I bought a machine" and "my machine is useful". There are lots of content creators in this space, but good explanations targeted at hobby machines are extremely rare. BTW, I think your mic was causing 2nd and 3rd order harmonics on the left side of the trace on your scope. Thanks again for all the great info.

[@Clough42]

Hmm... Possible.

[@unclebedhead9099]

Thanks for this info. I've been working with my VFD for my cnc spindle for a while, dealing with various noise in the system, and grounding issues for the controller. still not done, have made progress, but this info sheds light on what i've been dealing with that i couldn't see, and how to fix it further. btw, i've gotten positive results grounding both ends of the shielding around the cable that runs from the vfd to the spindle. some sources had me leave the spindle side of the cable shield unattached, and that was just plain wrong. i suspect those ferrite cores will further catch high frequency oscillations in that shield, so i'll get those, and also that power filter sounds like a good idea.

[@joels7605]

Oh this is excellent info. I always thought that VFD switching noise would be differential mode on the power wires. Huh. Well I have to go move a LOT of ferrites in my shop. Thank you.

[@jkxtreme]

Excellent video. We have been fighting interference issues with our touch screens from the VFDs so I will try this to see if it helps.

[@gspp_87]

buongiorno, grazie mille per la condivisione é da settimane che ho questo problema e non sapevo piu cosa fare. MILLE GRAZIE

[@DK-vx1zc]

excellent, most helpful!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@zafrensaje]

Great tutorial. Thanks

[@etiennewandonga1986]

thank you very much sir, I actually learn something important about VFD and more

[@mercieemerc]

This is so useful, thank you

[@adrianwhyte548]

Great vid very informative, thank you.

[@jorfermo1]

Top channel. 1st class info here.

[@Clough42]

Thank you!

[@mechanicalengineerlifechan3458]

Great video, thank you for sharing Sir

[@kentvandervelden]

Wow, very interesting! Would have loved to have seen how a smaller number of ferrite cores worked in comparison to the pack of 10.

[@jonhickman23]

I can tell you this... I have two rings on each motor cable going to a 460V 15HP sewage pump from a VFD that was causing havoc on another system and they did WONDERS.

[@chandikasudulkiriella1260]

Awesome video. Nice explanation...!!!

[@LarrysMachineShop]

Great work, awesome

[@Ricardo-uw3ov]

Very intresting and technically you are very impressive too. Thanks for sharing!

[@Swenser]

Good stuff champ. Would be nice to see the line filter on the motor side and adding various capacitor values to see affect on vFD and noise.

[@oaleedpaulussafar5524]

very useful information, thanks

[@tonydelaharpe8950]

Good video handy tips I ve been some what slow on playing around with vfd s I repair meat processing machines and commercial refrigeration but will keep watching the video s though thks Tony South Africa

[@Clough42]

You're welcome. I learned a lot doing the project and thought I'd share.

[@czarnuszewiczmatt]

I'm not going to go into detail as a industrial Electrician, some of what you say is correct and you are on the right track. Some drives (VFD's) are sold with internal and or external filters (harmonic issues and interference down stream filtering). But in the industry it is common practice and generally a standard requirement to use the above mentioned filtering with shielded cabling from the motor to the drive or a shielded cabinet, with the shield (drain) earthed at one end (VFD or cabnet). also the most important wire is the Earth, don't forget...

[@quantumfrenzy74]

By earth, are you saying the equipment grounding conductor or are you talking about an isolated ground? Because James is using an EGC and isolated grounds are only really used in data centers and hospitals. Small VFD's (

[@vladimirruban3667]

Just great stuff!!!

[@bhavesh2467]

very good informative video.