This paper is a study on the real-time implementation of a position-control based electric elevator drive. The information contained within this paper serves as a framework to expand the usefulness of electric drives through the addition of digital control systems and switching power supplies. The tangible example of an elevator driven by a permanent-magnet DC motor with position control is used to relate to the work and apply it to various mechanical systems. The tasks to be accomplished to achieve an electric elevator drive with position control are as follows: determining the parameters of the motor, designing a control system to direct the motor as desired, and verifying the performance of the system through the use of computer simulations and real-time Hardware-In-The-Loop (HIL) experimental testing.