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SmartMotor™ - fully-integrated servo motion control system
The
SmartMotor™ fully
integrated servo motion control systemThe SmartMotor™ is a fully integrated, powerful, compact unit that significantly
elevates state-of-the-art motion control technology.
It combines a controller, motor drive, encoder, and
network manager and packs it into the back of a high
quality brushless D.C. Servo Motor.Integrated
motion control features multi-axis coordinated motion,
network bus capabilities of RS232, RS485, DeviceNet™
and ProfiBus, highly flexible on-board and expandable
I/O. Any SmartMotor™ can control an entire machine.
Frame sizes range from standard NEMA 17 to NEMA 56 with
speeds in excess of 10,000 RPM.
While
the SmartMotor™ is very competitive with other solutions,
it can pay for itself several times over because it
is so much easier to service, especially from remote
locations. Anyone who can turn a screwdriver can replace
a machine's entire control system. What’s more, such
an occasion is far less likely because the SmartMotor™
solution has no inter-system cables to fail. Fewer components
(especially fewer cables) maximize the SmartMotor™ MTBF and make it a favorite for machine builders all
over the world. |
Coordinated
Motion
An array of SmartMotors™ can be daisy-chained over RS-232
or linked by RS-485, DeviceNet™, or Profibus®, to coordinate
motion and automate multi-axis machines. Position, Velocity
and Acceleration can be precisely controlled to within
32 bits of resolution, handling the most demanding of
applications.
Circular Interpolation
Circular Interpolation and Contouring is a snap with
the SmartMotors™ thanks to an advanced communications
format combined with a new micro-interpolation function
inside the SmartMotor™. Animatics provides host drivers
and even a full blown CNC G-Code interface program for
the host PC or LapTop. Do Linear, Circular, even Helical
Interpolation, along with M-Codes. This makes the SmartMotor™ perfect for applications such as Milling, Laser or Water
Jet Cutting, Routing, and Turning. Do it all, but without
a cabinet full of controls or an expensive and custom
CRT.
Torque and Velocity
Control Because of the SmartMotor’s low cost, it is
an excellent choice even for simple torque or velocity
control. In Torque Mode, the SmartMotor™ is a source
for highly controllable continuous torque, completely
independent of position. In Velocity Mode, velocity
is held to within a fraction of a percent, and velocity,
acceleration, and deceleration can be modified on the
fly.
Device Connectivity
The SmartMotor™ has internal Analog and Digital I/O,
and can also make use of the AniLink port to provide
access to extended I/O. In the future, we will also
offer Ethernet and Fieldbus extensibility. For communications,
the SmartMotor™ offers RS-232, AniLink (proprietary),
and RS-485 protocols.
Stepper Replacement / Substitution
Throughput on machines using traditional stepper (or
microstepper) motors can be dramatically increased by
replacing existing stepper axes with SmartMotors™. The
traditional drive-amplifier combination can be seamlessly
replaced by routing step and direction signals from
the existing motion indexing system directly to the
SmartMotor™. No hardware or software changes are required,
save for user-specified increases in speed allowed by
the superior high-speed performance characteristic of
servomotors.
Multi-Node Motion Networking
Multiple axes of SmartMotors™ (up to 100) can be networked
together (using RS-485 adapters), but without the usual
hassle of encoder and drive cables. Additionally, all
home and limit sensors can be connected directly to
the motors themselves, so cabling is reduced to an unprecedented
level of simplicity.
CE Certification
SmartMotor™ Brushless DC integrated motion control systems
are CE certified. During the overall machine certification
process, this can be a crucial benefit.
On-The-Fly
Motion Parameter Control
All motion parameters are accessible before, during,
or after any move. Position, Velocity, Acceleration,
Kp, Kd, Ki, Kl, Kv, Ka, Kg can all be changed continuously
during motion. No stopping is necessary for perfect
32-bit profiling.
Configuration Replication
Individuality is great for humans but not necessarily
desirable for machines. The SmartMotor’s unique all-digital,
downloadable, programming methodology means that each
system’s tuning and performance parameters can be exactly
replicated. After the prototype, never tune a servo
again, even in production. Download the same information
to each motor. Be certain that the performance and throughput
of machine #1001 will precisely match that of machine
#0001.
Encoder Following
The SmartMotor™ will follow an external encoder with
virtually any gearing ratio. This ratio is set in software.
While the motor is performing electronic gearing, it
can also run its internal program interpreter, and talk
to peripherals.
Alternatively, an external encoder can be used to increment
and decrement the internal 32-Bit counter, for later
use within the application program.
Intelligent Communications
Use the SmartMotor's second RS-485 port to talk to intelligent
peripherals like MFCs, light curtains, bar code readers,
absolute encoders or even other SmartMotors™. Once baud
rate, bit, and parity parameters have been set properly,
the SmartMotors™ can communicate with virtually any
serially addressable device!
Cam Following
Load a cam table for high speed cam following with interpolation
between table entries.
Battery Operation
Because the electronics within the SmartMotor™ are CMOS
and the amplifier is extremely efficient, it is also
an excellent choice for battery or remote operation.
Application Development Using SMI
All SmartMotors™ come with a terminal program, a program
editor, and a source level debugger. These can be loaded
from CD-ROM, or simply downloaded via the Internet.
Simply write your program, test it and download it to
the SmartMotor™. Either reset or re-power your SmartMotor™ and watch your program go to work. System parameters
can be monitored and modified in real time, all from
one screen. This Windows interface comes with source
code to a variety of different host and embedded applications
in both BASIC and C.
Complete Access to all Internal Resources
All input, output, and internal status information is
accessible through pre-defined variable names for program
monitoring and control. That information is available
for serial polling as well, and even includes such information
as bus voltage, internal temperature, instantaneous
current, and input status. The SmartMotor™ can even
be programmed to preemptively signal warnings or faults
based on this gathered data. Prompt an operator to lubricate
a ball screw, clear a jam, or perform PM before any
damage is done and before productivity is lost. Cheat
the statistics that dictate MTBF by taking advantage
of your SmartMotor’s “intelligence!”
Optically Isolated Connectivity
Every SmartMotor™ has an AniLink port that, with an
adapter, can plug right into a rack of optically isolated
I/O (such as OPTO-22). This adapter is designed to further
leverage the SmartMotor's ability to access external
I/O, creating a simpler, more tightly controlled machine. |
