Motion Control Technology

Controllers (Machine and Motion)

June 2008

Rack-Mount Motion Controller
ACS Motion Control (Plymouth, MN) has developed a rack-mounted motion controller that delivers smooth motion control at high speeds, without compromising accuracy, for the most demanding applications. The SPiiPlus 3U uses custom algorithms to achieve precise motion control for a wide range of application parameters.

The SpiiPlus 3U can be integrated into the company’s MC4U rack mount control module to control up to eight motor drives. It supports point-to-point, jog, segmented, master-slave, and arbitrary path with PVT cubic interpolation. The controller features third-order profile generation with on-the-fly velocity, acceleration, jerk and target position changes, and position event generator (PEG) with submicrosecond delay to ensure smooth motion and accuracy, even at high-speeds.

The controller provides sub-nanometer resolution using optional Sin-Cos encoders with a multiplier factor of up to 65,536. It also features a high-rate interface with digital incremental encoders for all axes with dual loop options. Optimized for motion control applications, ACS' software tools provide easy setup, tuning and programming and application simulation. The software enables the implementation of complex motion-time-event sequences with accurate positioning and timing.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/15132-300

Positioning Controller
EPOS, the second generation intelligent positioning controller from Maxon Precision Motors (Fall River, MA), is suited for applications requiring decentralized drive intelligence. Based on the CANopen standard, the drive covers a performance range of 1 to 700 watts. The controller can operate in position, speed, and current control mode, and can be configured to operate with both DC and EC motors, depending on software commands.

The controller is protected against electromagnetic interference and can synchronously run a path specified through interpolation points dynamically and accurately. Coordinated multi-axis movements and any profile can be carried out in a single-axis system. Online commands can be carried out using CAN Master, or a PC via an USB or RS- 232 interface. A USB to CAN and RS-232 to CAN gateway function is also available.

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Analog Input Modules
The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech (Cincinnati, OH) has unveiled two new ADAM analog input modules, the ADAM-5017P and ADAM-5018P. The ADAM-5017P has eight different independent configuration channels, supports power reverse, and has a wide unipolar or bipolar input range.

The ADAM-5018P is a Thermocouple Input Module which supports seven input ranges and types (J,K,T,E,R,S,B), and will filter functions to remove any unreasonable range. Both will support the high common-mode function, which means channel-to-channel differential voltages can be up to 200 VDC. They are also protected from overvoltage, transients, and electrostatic discharge. Both expansion modules are supported by the ADAM.Net Utility.

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Digital Motor Controller
The ION (R) digital drive from Performance Motion Devices (Lincoln, MA) now has power ranges of 500W and 3000W. This allows a wide range of motor types and sizes to be combined in multiaxes motion positioning applications. Both the ION 500 and ION 3000 are available for DC brush, brushless DC and microstepping motors, and are ideal for medical, scientific, semiconductor, industrial, robotic and general automation applications.

Based on PMD’s high performance Magellan(TM) Motion Processor, the drive provides CAN bus and serial communications, and accept commands over a network to control trajectory generation, position loop, current loop and other advanced motion control features. The ION controls a 3-phase brushless motor using field oriented control or sinusoidal commutation. User selectable profiling modes include S-curve, trapezoidal, velocity contouring, electronic gearing and pulse & direction. Other features include hardware performance trace, on-the-fly profile changes, and PLC-style inputs and outputs.

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April 2008

Single-Axis Motion Control
Maxon’s (Fall River, MA) Freedom Series motion control development tool is a motion control package offered with a choice of four brushless motor options sized from 16 to 40 mm in diameter and up to 1/16 hp. It comes with Maxon’s priority Graphical User Interface software and instruction wizards. The plug-and-play package includes all cables and connectors.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/15128-307

Industrial Joysticks
The J6 line of industrial joysticks from Elobou Sensor Technology (Lake Bluff, Ill.) is designed for heavy-duty use on vehicles and equipment including machinery, cranes, forklifts, and material handling devices. They are offered in standard analog (Hall-effect) or digital measurement styles, with voltage, current, PWM, and CAN-bus output versions. Housed in IP67 protection class enclosures, the joysticks are available in multiple mechanical configurations.

Each has a static load capacity of 750N in both the X- and Yaxis and can withstand a maximum actuating force of 12N. The units feature zero actuation or cross rate. Standard angular operating range is +/-25° in the X- and Y-axis. Operating temperatures range from -25° to +75°C. The joysticks are available with or without a multi-function lever.

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December 2006

Digital Motion Controller
The EPOS P 24/5 from Maxon Precision Motors (Fall River, MA) is a programmable digital motion controller capable of position, velocity, and current mode. The unit’s supply voltage is 11 – 24 V DC; the controller is capable of 5 A maximum continuous current and 10 A peak current. The device, after initial programming, can operate standalone or to control other non-programmable EPOS units. Communication is by RS-232 or CANopen. Programming is done via the IEC 61131-3 standard with various editors (ST, IL, FBD, LD, and SFC) Maximum motor speed is 25,000 rpm for 2-pole motors; maximum encoder input frequency is 1 MHz. The unit features six digital inputs, four digital outputs, and two analog inputs. Dimensions are 105 × 83 × 24 mm.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/10958-323

DIN Motion Controller
From Trio Motion Technology (Pittsburgh, PA), the MC302X DIN railmounted motion controller features two axes; the first can be configured in software for servo (with encoder feedback) or high-speed stepper control. The second axis may be either a reference encoder or a stepper axis. Differential line driver stepper outputs can be configured for standard simulated quadrature encoder outputs to synchronize multiple units. Each axis can run moves using linear or circular interpolation, electronic cams, and gearboxes. Two inputs may be configured for accurate hardware registration. The device operates from 40 mA to 24 V DC, and has four 24 V inputs and four bi-directional input/output channels built in with optical isolation. Other features include an RS232 programming port, and a user selectable RS232/485 port for peripherals. The controller is programmed using Trio BASIC.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/10958-312

3-Phase Motor Control
TURCK (Minneapolis, MN) released the BL20 xStart motor starter modules that allow 3-phase motor control to be connected to the same rack as standard I/O. The units may be mounted next to other BL20 modules, allowing motors to be controlled via DeviceNet, Profibus-DP, or CANopen fieldbus protocols. The starters contain a base and power module and are available in direct online and reversing models. The base contains the I/O and communication electronics, and can be configured for power modules of various ratings, while the power module contains a circuit breaker and contactors. Power modules are hot-swappable, and enable the connection of motors rating up to seven horsepower at a rated operation voltage of 480 VAC.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/10958-330

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Ethernet Controller
Galil Motion Control (Rocklin, CA) released the DMC-40x0 Ethernet/RS232 controller family as part of the Accelera line, coming in 1- to 8-axis formats. Accepting encoder input frequencies up to 22 MHz and providing servo update rates up to 32 kHz, the line can complete program instructions in 40 microseconds. The device operates in a standalone configuration or can be interfaced with a PC via the Ethernet 10/100Base-T or RS232 ports. Memory is up to 510 symbolic variables, 16,000 array elements in 30 arrays, and application program space up to 2,000 lines × 80 characters. Mode of motion capability includes: point-to-point positioning, position tracking, jogging, linear and circular interpolation, contouring, electronic gearing, and ECAM. Other features include isolated I/O, eight uncommitted analog inputs and outputs, and PID compensation.

For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/10958-324

August 2006

Motor Controller
New Scale Technologies (Victor, NY) offers the SQ-2300 series benchtop motor controller for computer control of the company's SQUIGGLE motors and closed-loop linear nanopositioning stages. Using the controller, SQUIGGLE motor speed can vary continuously from micrometers per second to millimeters per second with better than 20-nanometer position resolution. Multiple controllers can be connected to one PC and driven simultaneously from a single screen, enabling multi-axis set and hold positioning. The unit comes with an ActiveX command library and USB connection, and can also be controlled by an analog input (0 to 3.3 volt) or optional manual handset.

For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5786-304

Multi-Axis Motion Control
Elmo Motion Control (Westford, MA) has unveiled its Maestro Multi-Axis Supervisor with firmware for support of the DS305 configuration protocol, DS401 CAN network IO integration protocol, and the DS402 motion control protocol. The Maestro is based on distributed motion control architecture and is now also integrated with CAN network IOs according to the DS401 protocol. The system is a network-based multi-axis motion controller, which operates in conjunction with intelligent servo drives. It operates as an Ethernet-CAN gateway as well as a full motion controller, and has two CAN ports; each port can handle up to 64 axes. Other ports allow it to handle up to 16 digital inputs, 16 digital outputs, and four analog inputs.

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Stepper Motor Controller
Nippon Pulse America (Radford, VA) has released the RoHS-compliant Motion Checker MCH-5, a palm-sized, standalone stepper motor controller with a built-in constant voltage driver. Front panel controls enable setting of rotation direction, speed control, position control, operation mode, stop time of the stepper motor, and homing operation. Motion profiles can be run indefinitely or for a set number of times. It allows connection to other external driving circuits enabled by pulse/direction output signals and to connect to external inputs. The built-in driver is intended for tin-can stepper motors. It is available in a bipolar or unipolor driver configurations.

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June 2006

Contouring Control
The TNC 320 contouring control from Heindenhain Corp. (Schaumburg, IL) features the ability to control five axes, an analog drive interface for interfacing to existing drive systems, and one-piece construction, the device sports a 15" TFT color flat-panel display (1024 x 768 pixels). The unit’s main computer contains several onboard cycles to simplify most machining operations such as drilling, probing, and milling. The compact flash memory card withstands vibration and shock, stores the PLC program and commissioning information, and offers more memory for NC files. Data interfaces include RS-232, USB, and Ethernet. G-code programming is possible with the addition of a USB keyboard.

The unit is based on the NC Kernel software platform that includes an interface between the PLC and NC, eliminating redundant operations. Help can be called for each parameter by pushing a button. The unit also has expandable I/O capabilities for complex machine applications.

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Ethernet Motion Control Card
Saelig (Pittsford, NY) offers the FMOD-IPDCMOT motion control card that uses an Ethernet bus to communicate data and supply power simultaneously at distances of several thousand yards. Via its integrated Web server, the unit combines a 32-bit motion controller and the speed of the Ethernet communication protocol. The card may be powered externally, as well as through an Ethernet cable at powers up to 15W.

An embedded RISC processor, programmed with a 4-quadrant, 32-bit RISC PID regulator, refreshes power regulation up to 4KHz with a sampling rate of 20 to 2000 Hz. Brushed DC motors can be controlled in position or speed. Available modes include brake and free mode, open-loop, position control, speed control, and 10 different homing modes. Current limitation is automatic and configurable over TCP/IP to prevent motor overheating and wear.

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Servo Controller/Driver
QuickSilver Controls (San Dimas, CA) has added multi-thread capability to its SilverDust servo controllers/drivers for NEMA 17 and 23 frame motors. Users can execute two programs simultaneously in the same controller for motion applications where the servo controller is used as the main logic controller. One thread can be used to execute motion-oriented programs, while the other is dedicated to I/O processing. Either thread can change position or velocity by modifying the respective registers. With both program threads running, execute time is 240 microseconds. The 8-kHz servo loop, 1-MB CANopen, and 230-KB serial channels execute as normal.

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Servo Converters
The KE/KW series of digital intelligent servo converters from AMK Drives and Controls (Richmond, VA) is comprised of infeed and modules in the power range up to 60 kVA. A compact system, the unit measures 170 × 320 × 160 mm. Using coldplate cooling, power losses in the control cabinet are reduced by placing the unit on a cooled backplane. Up to 32 synchronous servo axes can be controlled for each infeed module, allowing freedom to position the modules.

Networking the modules with an ACC bus allows access from any module to all data at the other modules, with synchronized, timed transfer. The open system offers compatibility with a number of globally standardized interfaces, and can integrate a PLC with preprogrammable, high-speed, open and closed loop control functions.

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Cable Assemblies
W.L. Gore & Associates (Elkton, MD) has introducedGore™ Eye-Opener® DensiShield cable assemblies to transmit high-speed differential signals while reducing size and weight. A short cable exit and lightweight cable allow a tighter fit between the chassis panel and door. The high-speed cable incorporates ultra-low-dielectric materials.

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February 2006

Motion Controller
The RMC75E one- and two-axis motion controllers from Delta Computer Systems (Vancouver, WA) support Ethernet communications that can be used to download parameters and variables to modify motion control programs from a master controller such as a PLC or industrial PC. The interface features speeds of 10/100 Mbps with full- or half-duplex operation analog with auto-negotiation and auto-MDix crossover detection.

The device provides closed-loop position, speed, and pressure/force control for hydraulic, pneumatic, and electric servo applications. Feedback transducer module options include analog, magnetostrictive, and synchronous serial interface. The controller provides a 12-Mbps USB interface that is used for controller configuration and programming through a standard “B” receptacle for communication to PCs.

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Motion Controller/Driver
A CAN bus interface has been added to the SilverDust™ IGB servo motion controller/ driver by QuickSilver Controls (San Dimas, CA) for servo control of NEMA 17 and 23 frame step motors. The CAN interface is fully isolated and supports up to 64 devices on the 1- MB bus. The new bus enables one servo to modify the motion of another servo using its I/O. The CAN bus may be used to interface to other CAN products or as a local bus for peerto- peer data sharing for encoder position, velocity, torque, and I/O. The motion controller’s serial port remains available to interface to a host such as a PLC, HMI, or PC.

For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5655-332

October 2005

Brushless Motor Controller
Maxon Precision Motors (Burlingame, CA) offers the DECV 50/5 digital velocity controller for controlling brushless motors up to 250 W equipped with hall sensors. The controller has a speed range of 1,000 to 60,000 RPM for 2-pole motors. It requires a supply voltage of 12 to 50V DC, and delivers 95% of the supply voltage to the motor at 5A continuous current or 10A peak current. Velocity and torque can be controlled via a 0 to 5V signal or via external potentiometers. Enable, direction, and stop inputs can be activated via external switches. A ready output and speed and current monitor outputs also are available. It weighs 6.3 ounces and has an ambient operating temperature range of 0 to 45ºC. The controller is suitable for applications where 4-quadrant control is required, such as in pumps, blowers, conveyor belts, and semiconductor manufacturing.

For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5292-303

Motion Control System
The TA821 Copper Reduction modules from Trust Automation (San Luis Obispo, CA) convert electrical encoder, hall sensor, and limit signals to an optical signal, and then back into electrical signals for applications in robotics, machining, linear slides, and other applications in high electrical noise areas.

The transmit and receive modules measure 3.5 × 3.03 × 0.75" and can be mounted with the motor and on a linear stage. Available in 1-, 2-, and 4-axis models, they accept standard signal inputs such as 5V DC differential encoder, 5V DC differential hall sensors, and 5-24V DC home and limit sensors. Each unit features a power-on status LED.

For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5292-308

August

Multi-Axis Network Solution
Elmo Motion Control (Westford, MA) offers Maestro, a network-based motion supervisor that provides for synchronized motion control (interpolated 2D / 3D) and sequencer controlling for event handling of axis and I/O. Operating as a CANopen master, it offers network management and clock synchronization. As an Ethernet-CAN gateway, connectivity to a host PC or machine PLC gives direct access to the axis level for setup, monitoring, and general analysis.

Maestro is available with either single or dual CANopen ports that allow control of up to 126 axes and 2-6 interpolated axes per CANbus port. Included software tools provide ease of implementation and connectivity.
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5215-300

Digital MMC
G&L Motion Control's (Fond du Lac, WI) new Digital MMC mounts directly in 230-V and 460-V MMC Smart Drive servo amplifiers. It controls the amplifier it resides in and up to 15 additional MMC Smart Drive servo amplifiers, which are daisy-chained together with a RJ- 45 connection.

The field-installable Digital MMC is available in 1-, 2-, 4-, and 16-axis versions, and has eight DC inputs and eight DC outputs on-board. The I/O on each drive is accessible to the application program over the digital network.
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5215-305

April

Micropositioning System
The M-824 Hexapod 6D micropositioning and alignment system from Physik Instrumente (PI, Auburn, MA) provides high-resolution motion in 6° of freedom. It is designed to work in vacuum environments and combines multiaxis motion to 50 mm/36° with sub-micron resolution (0.01 µm) and repeatability (< 0.5 µm). Features include compact size (280 mm D x 190 mm H), 10 kg load capacity, and 0.2-µm minimum incremental motion. Applications include multi-axis alignment of optics, semiconductor technology, X-ray microscopy, and X-ray monochromators.
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/4834-310

February

PC/104 Motion Controller
The Magellan™-PCI/104 Motion Controller from Performance Motion Devices (PMD, Lincoln, MA) is available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-axis versions and supports DC brushed, brushless DC, and step motors. This motion card provides advanced motion control features including trajectory generation, servo loop closure, quadrature signal input, motor output signal generation, performance trace, on-the-fly changes, commutation, and more. It can communicate through the PCI-bus via a serial port or using CANbus. Card features include S-curve, trapezoidal, velocity contouring, lectronic gearing, and user-generated profile modes.
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/4465-900

Servo Controller
LinMot® (Delevan, WI) offers the MPC (Multi-Position Cylinder) Servo Controller to make full use of the versatility of its new MPC guided multi-position actuator. This compact unit provides for the precise control and fast positioning offered by MPC actuators. It provides the instant response positioning systems require executing stored corresponding commands immediately upon receiving transaction input signals. The controller can store up to 256 positions or commands in a table, allowing for pre-configuration of multiple programs.
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/4465-909