Glossary
Controller
The electronic system that manages all aspects of elevator operation including motor control, door timing, floor dispatching, safety circuit monitoring, and communication with building systems.
The controller is the brain of the elevator. Modern controllers are microprocessor-based systems that replace the relay logic panels used in older installations. They manage the VVVF drive that controls motor speed and torque, process inputs from position sensors to determine the car's exact location, coordinate door open and close sequences, and monitor the safety circuit (a series-connected chain of safety devices including interlocks, governor switch, and limit switches).
Controllers also handle traffic management. In a single elevator, this means responding to car calls and hall calls efficiently. In a group of elevators, a group supervisory controller (or dispatcher) assigns hall calls to specific cars based on algorithms that minimise wait time and energy consumption. Modern dispatching systems use destination-dispatch, where passengers enter their destination floor before boarding, allowing the system to group passengers going to similar floors into the same car.