FC 102, FC 202 or FC 302? Choosing a Danfoss VLT drive

FC 102, FC 202 and FC 302 are the three biggest VLT drive series. They look alike, share frame sizes and many accessories, and cover similar power ranges. The difference is the software: each one has the functions for its own kind of application built in. Choosing the right one saves an external controller and a lot of programming.

The short answer

	FC 102 HVAC Drive	FC 202 AQUA Drive	FC 302 AutomationDrive
Built for	Fans, pumps, compressors in buildings	Pumps and blowers in water and wastewater	Machines, conveyors, hoists, process lines
Power in our catalogue	1.1–1,400 kW	0.25–1,000 kW	0.25–1,200 kW
Typical extras	BACnet and other building protocols, fire mode, belt-loss detection	Multi-pump control, dry-run and end-of-curve detection, pipe fill, sleep mode	Closed-loop control with encoder, positioning, Safe Torque Off options
Motor control	Open loop (V/f and VVC+)	Open loop	Open and closed loop, induction and PM motors

FC 102 – buildings

The HVAC Drive talks directly to building management systems (BACnet, Modbus RTU, and more as options) and has the functions an HVAC engineer expects: fire override mode that keeps a smoke-extract fan running, belt-loss detection, and pressure or temperature set-points with the drive’s own PID controller. For a fan or a heating pump in a building, it is the natural choice.

FC 202 – water

The AQUA Drive is built around pumps. It can run up to several pumps in cascade, protects a pump that runs dry or off its curve, fills pipes slowly to avoid water hammer, and stops the pump when demand is low (sleep mode). In water works and wastewater plants these functions often replace a separate pump controller.

FC 302 – machines

The AutomationDrive is the high-performance VLT. It runs induction and permanent magnet motors in closed loop with an encoder or resolver, holds torque at zero speed, and with the MCO motion controller can position and synchronise axes. Use it for hoists and cranes, winders, extruders, packaging lines and anything that needs precise speed or torque. FC 301 is the same drive with a smaller feature set, for simpler machines.

What to send us

The type code from the nameplate identifies the exact drive – see how to read a VLT type code. For a new application, send the motor data and what the drive will run.

Browse the series: VLT HVAC Drive FC 102, VLT AQUA Drive FC 202, VLT AutomationDrive FC 302, or all Danfoss VLT drives.