PURPOSE: To provide a vacuum pump engaged with a power source unit for supplying power to a pump driving motor by a disconnectable connection cable and a method for running the vacuum pump composed of a nonvolatile memory as an essential constituting element to be driven by the proper circuit of the power source unit.

CONSTITUTION: A vacuum pump 1 like a turbo molecular pump is connected to a power source unit 3 by a disconnectable disconnection cable 2, and the power source is disconnected from the pump. The power source unit includes an electric converter 4, and a power supply connection cable is a cable 5. The pump includes a nonvolatile memory 6. An electrically erasable readable read- only memory is provided to prevent the loss of data in the memory even if the power source unit is replaced by another for supplying power to the pump. The memory is controlled by the power source unit including a microprocessor 7 having I/O connections to the converter. Then, a data input key pad 10 is connected thereto.