Quote Originally Posted by Kitwn View Post
Connecting/dissconnecting a motor from a VFD or stepper controller when it is powered is generally considered a risky business due to the voltage spikes that can occur. Power transistors have been described as 'the fastest fuse on three legs' for good reason. If your switch has a back contact that can be used to prevent the VFD from trying to start when the motor is not connected that might be a good move.
Perhaps I was not clear, it is NOT meant to be on/off switch, just safety switch to make sure the spindle will NEVER be started by accident or error while there is a tool change in progress. Of course, the spindle is not spinning when the switch is flipped to off, and the VFD is not feeding the motor power outputs when the switch is flipped to on. Starting and stopping the motor is of course done by the CNC software, in my case through Modbus commands.

Power transistors provide ZERO safety, quite the opposite, they give you a false sense of safety and may not operate when needed. A mechanical switch will always work because it is just what it is, simple and 100% independent from electronics and software/firmware.