StandAlone Controllers - Motion Control Tips

Automate 2019 April 8 through 11: See Elmo Motion Control + future of motion control

April 5, 2019 By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

Elmo Motion Control a leading provider of motion control technology, will be showcasing its latest innovation during the 2019 Automate tradeshow from April 8-11, 2019 in Chicago … booth #7729. Amongst Elmo’s state-of-the-art products, visitors will find the award-winning Double Gold Twitter servo drive, the Platinum Maestro multi-axis motion controller, and for the first time the 4-in-1 fully integrated motion control system.

With an insightful look to the future, Elmo has been creating products and solutions for more than 30 years, aiming to answer the ever-growing requirements and demanding applications of Industry 4.0.

The Double Gold Twitter stands out as one of the smallest STO-certified (SIL-3) servo drives in the market, delivering over 10kW of qualitative power, and providing continuous current of up to 160A (80V) and 140A (100V). Thanks to its compact size, this miniature drive can be placed on a moving load, within a motor, or in-between robotic joints, helping engineers to save space, improve machine performance, reduce the amount of cables, and eliminate electrical cabinets, while still delivering unprecedented power capabilities.

The 4-in-1 complete motion control solution is Elmo’s latest innovation to answer the market requirement for a highly integrated all in one solution taking care of both high-power servo capability as well as advanced multi-axis control.

The ultimate servo technology with the best of safety

As safety takes the forefront of many operations, Elmo ensures products comply with the highest possible standards (IEC 61800-5-2 SIL-3, Cat4 PL-e), by integrating safety over EhterCAT – FSoE (Fail/Safe over EtherCAT), and advanced functional safety. Elmo equips manufacturers with top of the line foolproof products that increase their operation’s productivity, lowers operational expenses, and improves safety methods to create truly smart and efficient operations.

Elmo Motion Control (Elmo) designs, produces and implements comprehensive, field-proven motion control solutions that helps clients discover their machine’s potential. The company’s R&D department combines intelligent motion control technologies, real-time programming and control algorithms with advanced digital hardware to enable leaner, more flexible machines. Controlled by the Elmo application studio (EAS)—a software environment that cuts integration time and maintenance costs—Elmo’s servo drives and multi-axes motion controllers minimize a machine’s footprint and cabling, improve throughput, and give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) a competitive edge. Founded in 1988, the company is headquartered in Israel, employs more than 300 staff worldwide, and has a dedicated presence in the United States, China, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Korea, Poland and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.elmomc.com.

Controller trends: edge, fog computing and more

March 30, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Edge computing and greater connectivity are some of the key trends controller manufacturers are seeing in their industry. Here’s what else they told us they’re seeing in the way of tech trends.

With respect to the IoT and IIoT, what kinds of capabilities do your components or engineered designs incorporate to support functions related to fog computing on local networks?

Lee Cheung
Product Marketing Engineer II (Controller/Visualization)
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.

Our iQ-F and iQ-R controllers feature a built-in web server that allows users to access status information, diagnostics, error and operation history from any connected device with a web browser. Advanced GOT2000 HMIs with GOT Mobile functionality offer even more capabilities with web pages that can be beautifully designed with simple drag and drop operation. GOT Mobile is easily configured even without any IT or web technologies knowledge, and can also serve up work instructions, manuals, and troubleshooting videos. Additionally, iQ-R controllers and advanced GOT2000 HMIs can deliver factory floor data directly to upper level IT systems databases.

Mike Chen
Director of Automation Center Americas
Omron Automation Americas

We’ve debuted our latest Sysmac AI Controller as an Edge based controller with machine learning engine embedded. To Omron, Edge is literally inside a machine, with direct access to data values being collected within the machine controller processing time. Data is analyzed within the machine and utilized within the user program without any data needing to go up into the local Fog or remote Cloud based IT infrastructure. We give our customers the option to connect their machine to Fog level SCADA software, in-house custom software solutions or long-term historian databases, but those systems are not required for high-speed high-accuracy anomaly detection on process data to be used for equipment maintenance or productivity optimization. Omron sells a robust line of Industrial PCs that reside on local Fog level networks that can run Omron InduSoft SCADA software, or other Windows/Linux based applications for visualization or batch data analysis.

The Gold Twitter servo drive from Elmo Motion Control delivers over 5,500 W of power and supports EtherCAT or CANopen networking. They weigh just 18 g and are less than 13 cubic cm in volume.

Rodney Rusk
i4.0 Business Leader
Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Fog or Edge computing is common both in our Bosch manufacturing methodology as well as an integral part of many of the connected solutions that we adopt. Like many companies, we jealously guard our data and our knowledge know-how. Thus Fog computing is one methodology that helps us to optimize.

Looking at this from three viewpoints, we find ways to merge technology into a holistic plant ecosystem that feeds the necessary data into our Edge devices and our cloud-based resources.

At the top level, Fog (or Edge) computing to drive localized data analysis, condition monitoring and helping to drive machine learning. Within this sphere we work with such Bosch products as our Nexeed Production Performance Manager, Nexeed Production Quality Manager and Improvidus OEE analysis tools.

In the middle level, we network these tools to smart devices on our manufacturing floor to not only empower our associates with up to date real-time information, but allow for localized data comparisons. One example here would be the utilization of the Active Cockpit in our production rally/meeting areas. Using this tool, we can look at performance from individual machines, compare data sets, set priorities, capture decisions and respond to the needs of our production environment quicker.

Moving down to the lowest level, the actual machine level, by using smart devices such as our MTX CNC controls; our PRC7000 Adaptive Welding Controller or our IoT Gateway devices, we can pull data up through the new or older system to drive continuous improvement. In the case of the PRC7000 Adaptive Welding Controller, we can make-real time decisions to adjust the current voltage being applied to the welding operation and optimize consistent weld spots while reducing material losses.

What edge devices do you supply or support to allow for use of feedback signals or distributed motion control?

Mike Chen
Omron Automation Americas

Our latest Sysmac AI Controller is an Edge based controller with a machine learning engine embedded as well as motion control. We give our customers the option to connect their machine to Fog level SCADA software, in-house custom software solutions or long-term historian databases, but those systems are not required for high-speed high-accuracy anomaly detection on process data to be used for equipment maintenance or productivity optimization.

Rodney Rusk
Bosch Rexroth Corporation

The Bosch Rexroth and Bosch portfolio of products is quite expansive in the amount of manufacturing technology solutions that have feedback capabilities or motion controls resident on the devices. These pieces of equipment represent one example of i4.0 ready products that we produce for the external market and use extensively in our own manufacturing operations.

For example, the IndraDrive XLC combines the performance of Bosch Rexroth drives with embedded logic capability on-board. The product allows for advanced PLC programming using state-of-the-art PLC kernel, IndraLogic 2G, integrated homogeneously into the IndraWorks software tool and the multitasking runtime system. With its motion control functionality, the XLC handles machine applications ranging from simple point-to-point motion to the synchronization of multiple axes that use Rexroth’s FlexProfile to integrate complex motion sequences.

Another example would be the Bosch Connected Industrial Sensor Solution (CISS). The CISS is a multi-sensor device detecting acceleration and vibration as well as environmental conditions. The robust housing and the small outline makes it perfectly suitable for industrial retrofit applications such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. Configuring the device lets customers address a broad variety of use cases by interpreting the sensor data by smart algorithms from eight possible inputs such as acceleration, temperature, vibration and humidity.

Describe what you’re seeing in time-sensitive networking (TSN) and its application in motion applications.

Mike Chen
Omron Automation Americas

All Omron motion control capabilities have been standardized on the EtherCAT open network standard, as well as MACRO for specialized OEM applications. Using these high-performance deterministic network architectures, multiple motion devices can be synchronized to create complex electronically coordinated motion profiles, completely re-programmable and simulatable with direct control over torque, acceleration, deceleration, and jerk.

Rodney Rusk
Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Given the strong position of Bosch in the on-board vehicle product segment and the need for time-sensitive networking, the company has a long history as an industry leader. This includes all three areas of time synchronization, scheduling and fault tolerances. Looking back, we can see the development and implementation of early CAN-BUS solutions within these on-board vehicles by Bosch, for example in airbag deployment systems.

One of those areas was the early adoption of CAN-BUS within the Bosch Rexroth DC Tightening Systems, Platform 200 and 220, to provide rapid transmission of torque control data from the DC Tools installed on the line, back to the control panel and line management system. Today, when we look at the current generation of DC Tightening Tools from Bosch Rexroth, we find a high sensitivity to TSN and the improved transmission speeds that have resulted in the Platform 350 and now the NEXO Cordless DC Tool. The ability to provide time-sensitive feedback in an on-going assembly process is critical when dealing with minimal variation windows on safety critical applications like seat secure or restraint installations.

Other examples of our experience in the TNS area can be seen in the full complement of our Controls Product Lines, whether we look at the MTX CNC, the IndraDrive Mi or the MLC PLC products. In each case the use of synchronization modes such as velocity and phase synchronization or standardized motion profile functionality that is built in to the systems have all become second nature to our development teams.

In other areas, when fast absolute position of linear technology applications are required (+/- 4µm/m), such as when small rail deviation needs to be combined with multi-axis interpolation we look at our IMS-A line (Integrated Measuring System). These types of products allow us world-class accuracy of position and allows us to communicate over interfaces, such as Hiperface, SSI and DRIVE-CLiQ.

Shown here is a new RIO-47162 Pocket PLC from Galil Motion Control. It has 64 digital I/Os (40 optically isolate digital inputs and 24 digital outputs) and 16 analog I/O as well as two Ethernet ports. Analog I/O includes an available 16-bit ADC/DAC option or 12-bit standard. The analog I/O is user-configurable for +/- 10 V, +/- 5 V, 0 to 10 V, or 0 to 5 V. DSUBs make for ease of assembly. the RIO-47162 measures 3.88 x 4.65 x 1.3 in.

How does your company ensure interoperability between its offerings and product families?

Lee Cheung
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.

Mitsubishi Electric uses a rigorous design and quality review process that includes testing to ensure seamless integration between product offerings. We are uniquely able to maintain this strict level of control because we design and manufacture our own products. This also guarantees that the latest software versions are always compatible even with older hardware regardless of the firmware version, which saves end users and technical support staff a lot of headache.

Mike Chen
Omron Automation Americas

Omron has standardized on open networks such as EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT to ensure the broadest interoperability with different automation devices, while still maintaining the high-performance that our customers expect. Between our own product families, Omron has created a single Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which provides a single interface for configuration, programming, commissioning, and troubleshooting across our core automation technologies: logic, motion, vision, safety, robotics, visualization, and enterprise connectivity.

Jonas Proeger
Trinamic Motion Control

All of our products use the same protocols and interfaces, especially Trinamic’s own TMCL protocol. One of the results is that you can get any evaluation board you want and connect them together using Trinamic’s modular evaluation system. In addition, our components always follow the same partitioning between hardware and software. We equip them with industry-standard interfaces such as SPI, Step/Direction and standard encoder interfaces. A typical setup consists of:

Microcontroller (not Trinamic product)
Motion control IC, that generates ramps and commands current or target position via SPI
Current control part, typically integrated in the motor driver, that generates a PWM-scheme
The actual motor driver

Tomer Goldenberg
Elmo Motion Control

Interoperability of Elmo Motion Control’s servodrives and multi-axis controllers is guaranteed through adequate networking communication. EtherCAT implementation ‘by the book’ is mandatory not only to assure interoperability between Elmo products, but also in order to interoperate with third-party devices. Ensuring high confidence levels of interoperability in terms of fieldbus communication is a result of ongoing efforts to follow strict industry regulations set forth by the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG). Elmo has built an in-house lab with hundreds of I/Os and third-party devices with which it continuously tests every version of its products.

Further, regular delegations from Elmo’s R&D team visit ETG for their European Plug-Fest events, of which the goal is to assure interoperability with other EtherCAT communication devices in the market.

Rodney Rusk
Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Interoperability is one of the great challenges for both the provider and user of manufacturing technology. From our viewpoint, this is best served by not focusing on the individual product, but focusing on the ability of any products to be as scalable, flexible and open to as many “systems” as possible. Thus we try hard not to rely on one type of industrial protocol, for example, and we work diligently to make our products as compatible with non-Bosch solutions.

On a more practical day-to-day level, especially on the manufacturing floor, we have developed solutions that empower the users to bridge technology differences and try to meet the user where they are. For example, the use of our IoT Gateway device, allows us to help bridge the gap between older equipment and pull data into useful analysis tools; and our Open Core Engineering (OCE) software lets the machine programmer program in the scientific language that they are most comfortable with.

Finally at the higher software level, we have taken many of our stand-alone software solutions and have been unifying them under the Nexeed Suite of Software, creating a stackable solution set where we are actively pulling in various software modules (such as our Track & Trace and Intra-Logistics packages). Of course, this is an on-going development that has no real end date; we simply apply our philosophy and drive toward increase interoperability to meet the needs of our clients.

Stepper cDriver Modules from Trinamic Motion Control can control and drive up to six axes standalone, or from a host over UART or CAN interfaces. The manufacturer simplifies programming with CANopen as well as its TMCL motion-control language.

What value-add services (or in-house engineering support) have you provided to an OEM or other customer during the last 12 months?

Todd Mason-Darnell, Ph.D.
Marketing Manager – Services & Safety
Omron Automation Americas

Omron provides automation and safety systems engineering and integration services to OEMs and end users. Combining our in-house engineering resources with a network of certified partners, we support automation and safety engineering at all stages of the machine life cycle.

Jonas Proeger
Trinamic Motion Control

Our business model is selling standard products. Nevertheless, we offer engineering support for key accounts and also design customized board level solutions, if this helps the customer to achieve their goal faster. A typical application is for the development we did for a customer specialized on motorized prosthetics, where we developed a servo drive for the knee joint in an artificial limb. The customer provided the AI algorithms for the kinematics and interpreting the patients’ movements, while we provide the electronics and the software for the motion control.

What are your thoughts on new trends in wireless connectivity and technologies related to wireless power transfer for industrial applications and machine designs?

Lee Cheung
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.

We see wireless connectivity being adopted in particular with the use of GOT Mobile functionality on advanced GOT2000 HMIs. This lets maintenance engineers remotely monitor machine status and gives them the flexibility to move around a machine while checking documentation when troubleshooting. Production managers also benefit from being able to monitor production status to ensure that production targets are being met.

Mike Chen
Omron Automation Americas

Omron puts 7% of its annual revenue back into R&D across many technology sectors that is then applied into industrial automation, healthcare, mobility, energy management, and other business units. At this point, the Omron Industrial Automation business has not yet productized any wireless power transfer devices, but has released battery-less wireless push-buttons and wireless Ethernet communication adapters that are available according to regional regulatory compliance.

Tell us about any selector, sizing, or sales software you use or offer to customers and how these tools are changing how design engineering is done.

Lee Cheung
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.

Selection tools that we provide for controller products help streamline the process for creating a bill of materials. These tools check to make sure that the system configuration is valid and even take out the tedious work of calculating power requirements.

Mike Chen
Omron Automation Americas

Omron has recently opened up its internal cloud-based Bill Of Material (BOM) generation tool to our customers, abbreviated ONSeT – Omron Navigated Selection Tool. This tool lets design engineers peruse and select Omron products by feature and application needs, identify optional or required accessories, and then add-in their non-Omron line items for a single point proposal generator.

Controller for voice-coil and single-phase motors features 192 kHz servo rate

January 9, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Aerotech’s XL4s linear amplifier is designed for closed-loop servo control of voice coil and single-phase motors, eliminating the non-linearities common with PWM amplifiers. The XL4s provides deterministic behavior, auto-identification, and easy software setup and features a multi-core, double-precision, floating-point DSP that controls the digital PID. All parameters are software-settable including control-loop gains and system safety functions. The XL4s helps achieve industry-leading settling times, long-term thermal stability, and sub-micron-level tracking accuracy with advanced features such as full state feed-forward, 192 kHz servo rates, and look-ahead-based velocity control.

The XL4s exceeds other single-phase motor controllers due to its servo rate of 192 kHz. This directly correlates to better tracking errors and part quality at high-speeds in applications such as fast-tool servos, high-dynamic optical focusing axes, and high-speed pick-and-place machines. The XL4s has an encoder interpolation feature, dedicated analog and digital I/O, fiber-optic interface, and separate power connections for motor and control supply voltages.

Unlike other fast tool servo controllers, the XL4s packaging allows it to be panel-mounted in a machine enclosure, resulting in a smaller machine footprint and requiring less overall floor space.

For more information, visit www.aerotech.com.

New entry-level PC-based controller from Beckhoff

December 6, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

The new CX7000 Embedded PC from Beckhoff opens up the convenience and efficiency of the TwinCAT 3 software environment to highly compact, DIN rail-mounted controllers. This further enhances the scalability of PC-based control technology from Beckhoff – ranging from mini-PLCs to many-core Industrial PCs. An advanced 400 MHz processor and built-in configurable I/Os mean this Embedded PC delivers an ideal price/performance ratio.

Equipped with an ARM Cortex-M7 processor (32 bit, 400 MHz), the CX7000 Embedded PC makes considerably higher processing power available in the low-cost, compact controller segment. Plus, all the advantages of the TwinCAT 3 software generation can be used. The compact design of the CX7000, with dimensions of just 49 x 100 x 72 mm, ensures optimum scalability of PC-based control for small controller applications that typically require minimum footprint.

With multi-functional I/O channels directly integrated, the CX7000 features eight digital inputs, 24 Vdc, 3 msec filter, type 3, and four digital outputs, 24 Vdc, 0.5 A, 1-wire technology. These integrated multi-functional I/Os can be configured for other operating modes via TwinCAT 3, including the option to use fast counting or processing of analog values:

Counter mode: 1 x 100 kHz digital counter input, 1 x digital input as up/down counter, 2 x digital counter outputs
Incremental encoder mode: 2 x digital inputs for 100 kHz encoder signal, 2 x digital encoder outputs
Analog signal mode: 2 x digital inputs configured as analog inputs 0…10 V, 12 bit
PWM signal mode: 2 x digital outputs configured for PWM signal

If additional electrical signal types need to be processed, the CX7000 can be expanded easily on demand by adding EtherCAT Terminals or Bus Terminals to the integrated I/Os. Additional I/O terminals can attach directly to the CX7000.

The Embedded PC is equipped with 512 MB MicroSD flash memory (with the option to upgrade to 1, 2, 4 or 8 GB) and is suitable for operating temperatures between -25 and +60 °C. An Ethernet interface (10/100 Mbit/sec, RJ45) serves as the programming interface. This makes the CX7000 suitable for use as a cost-effective, stand-alone compact controller. In the CX7080 version, peripheral devices such as displays, scanners or weighing systems can be connected via an additional serial interface (RS232/RS485).

For more information, visit www.beckhoffautomation.com.

New ICs for step-motor control from Performance Motion Devices

December 6, 2018 By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

Performance Motion Devices now sells new Juno Step Motor Control Integrated Circuits (ICs) in a 56-pin VQFN package. The new Juno Step Motor Control IC is the latest addition to the Juno Velocity and Torque Control IC family … the industry’s first family of compact ICs with full four-quadrant motion control; direct input accepted from quadrature encoders; profile generation; and advanced current control.

Juno ICs are for designs with limited space that need to control noise, vibration, and power consumption. Juno ICs are also easy to deploy with embedded motion commands and onboard intelligence.

Performance Medical Devices recently released the Juno Velocity and Torque Control IC series — the industry’s first family of compact ICs with full four-quadrant motion control, direct input quadrature encoder, profile generation, and advanced current control.

The Juno Step Motor Control IC 56-pin VQFN package has the highest PWM frequencies offered by Performance Motion Devices and the smallest IC parts — measuring 7.2 x 7.2 mm. Juno Step Motor Control ICs are available both with encoder input and without.

The Juno Step Motor Control IC also comes with numerous safety features … including stall detection, over- and under-voltage sense, overcurrent detection, over-temperature, and i²t current foldback. Coupled with compact MOSFETs, the Juno Step Motor Control IC can replace older step motor amplifiers and dramatically reduce the size and heat output.

“Juno Step Motor Control ICs offer embedded motion and use a proprietary current control technique that results in ultra-smooth, quiet, and efficient motion of the step motor,” said Chuck Lewin, CEO of Performance Motion Devices.

“By driving step motors more quietly and rapidly, existing step motor-based systems can get a performance boost and avoid an expensive transition to a brushless dc motor. In short, this IC lets step-motor users upgrade the controls but keep the motor … and get a big jump in machine performance.”

The Juno IC family is suitable for a wide range of applications including precision liquid pumping, packaging and lab automation, pick and place machines, flow rate control, XYZ tables, and many other robotic, scientific, and industrial applications. For more information, visit www.pmdcorp.com/JunoIC.

Performance Motion Devices supplies high-performance integrated circuit, board, and drive-based motion control solutions to OEMs and contract manufactures around the globe. Its technology controls more than five million motors worldwide, providing motion solutions to some of the world’s largest manufacturers. If speed, efficiency, and reliability are top of mind, Performance Motion Devices has proven motion control technologies that can decrease development time.

New microcontroller-based brushless dc motor controls from American Control Electronics

December 4, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

American Control Electronics (ACE) has introduced the PML Series, a new family of versatile, feature-rich, configurable controls for brushless dc motors. PML drives can control motors that range from 90 to 280 Vdc, up to 5 A/1.5 HP, using either 115 Vac or 230 Vac line sources. On-board trim pots allow operators to quickly set maximum and minimum speeds, acceleration and deceleration rates, motoring and regening current limits, as well as the proportional and integral feedback gains.

An onboard microprocessor allows for custom programming the PML Series for tasks as simple as changing the purpose of a jumper or trim pot, or as complex as programming an entire application-specific routine. The PML also seamlessly integrates PLC-like functionality into operations, allowing users to eliminate the need for a separate PLC altogether or enhance a system that currently doesn’t have one. These controls are positioning-application capable, with feedback sampling rates of 16 Khz. Each drive is designed for feedback from 120° Hall effect sensors and can be commanded with a wide range of analog inputs with ACE’s built-in isolation.

Highlights of the PML Series include:

UL 61800-5-1 listed (NOTE: this standard will obsolete UL 508C in 2020)
NEMA 4X packages available in both steel and plastic
Doubler mode: Able to convert 115 Vac input into 280 Vdc output.
Isolated inputs: Accepts floating or grounded signals 0 ± 5 Vdc, 0 ± 10 Vdc or 4-20 mA
Diagnostic LEDs: LEDs for power and status (e.g. undervoltage, overvoltage, short circuit/current trip, overheating warning/trip)
Thermally protected: Drive recognizes when overheated as a result of overload
Hall effect sensors: 120°, 5 Vdc, 75 mA combined
SEPARATE current limits for operation and regen braking
16-bit microcontroller on board, ready for mission-specific configurations

For more information, visit www.americancontrolelectronics.com.

Aerotech debuts scanner controller with 192 kHz servo rate, position-based laser control

November 29, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Aerotech’s GL4 scanner controller is optimized for Aerotech’s family of AGV scanners to provide industry leading settling times, long-term thermal stability, and micron-level tracking accuracy due to advanced features such as full state feed-forward, 192 kHz servo rates, and look-ahead-based velocity control. The GL4 uses advanced interpolation electronics to provide up to 26-bits of effective resolution while onboard real-time 2D calibration ensures accurate beam placement over the entire field of view.

The ability to accurately place a laser spot as a function of X/Y axis position is a key feature of Aerotech’s linear positioning tables for laser processing applications. With the release of the GL4, this functionality is now available for scanner applications. The ability to accurately trigger the laser as a function of position removes the need to program mark, jump, and polygon delays, resulting in reduced programming complexity. By using the Position Synchronized Output functionality, scanner-based processes can now be programmed in the same fashion as traditional X/Y stage-based applications.

Most competitive scanners have the power devices integrated directly into the head, along with the galvos and feedback devices. These power devices inject thermal energy into the scanner head causing drift in the feedback positions and changing offsets between the mirrors, which reduce marking accuracy. Some systems use PWM power stages to minimize heat input. However, this approach results in reduced tracking accuracy due to nonlinear effects when the galvo motors and control currents reverse polarity. By moving the power stage out of the head, it’s possible to use higher performing transistors to drive the galvos and the heat source is effectively removed from the scanner resulting in improved system accuracy.

More information on the GL4 can be found here.

www.aerotech.com.

Galil launches latest programmable motion controller for servo, stepper motors

November 27, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

The DMC-40×0 motion controller is Galil’s highest performance, stand-alone motion controller. It belongs to Galil’s latest generation motion controller family, which accepts encoder inputs up to 22 MHz, provides servo update rates as high as 32 kHz, and processes commands as fast as 40 microseconds – 10 times the speed of prior generation controllers. The DMC-40×0 is a full-featured motion controller packaged with optional multi-axis drives in a compact, metal enclosure. The unit operates stand-alone or interfaces to a PC with Ethernet 10/100Base-T or RS232. The controller includes optically isolated I/O, high-power outputs capable of driving brakes or relays, and analog inputs for interfacing to analog sensors. The DMC-40×0 controller and drive unit accepts power from a single 20 to 80 Vdc source.

The DMC-40×0 is available in one through eight-axis formats, and each axis is user-configurable for stepper or servo motor operation. With a powerful RISC processor, the DMC-40×0 controllers provide such advanced features as PID compensation with velocity and acceleration feedforward, program memory with multitasking for simultaneously running eight applications programs, and uncommitted I/O for synchronizing motion with external events. Modes of motion include point-to-point positioning, position tracking, jogging, linear and circular interpolation, contouring, electronic gearing and ecam. Like all Galil controllers, programming the DMC-40×0 is simplified with two-letter, intuitive commands and a full set of software tools such as GDK for servo tuning and analysis.

For more information, visit www.galilmc.com.

Chip-level connectivity and design sees synergies for motion and robotics

November 2, 2018 By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

In a recent interview with Brendan O’Dowd, general manager for industrial automation at Analog Devices, we got the chance to hear about new devices — even to the chip level — that allow better integration of robotics into motion designs and machines for automation.

Eitel • Design World: We cover motion control as it relates to motors, power transmission, and automation. What new developments in these areas do you consider most significant?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Our company has been around for 50 years. For some time, we’ve investigated the systems into which our parts go … to create better solutions for these designs. For example, sometimes engineers asked us to reduce power consumption. Usually there was something specific prompting the question — such as thermal dissipation being an issue. We learned that it’s not always the posed question needing addressing — but something related to it. So we began using technology and our silicon experience to solve problems in new ways.

On connected motion and servos and drives, several parts are involved in the sequencing. There’s the processor — the system brains — and the PWMs driving the signal … as well as the isolated gate drivers (IGBTs) … and the measurement of the currents returning — for a complete control-loop algorithm. We’ve worked to optimize many of these.

But from a system point of view, communications have become more critical — and deterministic Ethernet is increasingly a part of these communications. Even in factory control and process automation where 4-to-20 mA and fieldbuses have reigned for a long time, Industrial Ethernet is coming to the floor … in an array of standards.

Eitel • Design World: Our industry sees a lot of proprietary standards — all good for certain things — but not always able to work together.

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: They’ve been successful … but now as we need higher speeds, there’s migration towards unified standards — with the TSN collection of standards currently leading. In fact, nine or 10 different IEEE standards are part of that TSN bundle. They cover things such as ingress policing (for the prevention of traffic overload conditions on a network) and other network functions. We expect TSN standards to supersede most existing industrial Ethernet protocols.

Eitel • Design World: But it’s unlikely that those invested in existing industrial Ethernet networks will abandon what they use … and those networks’ unique benefits — especially for real-time functionality.

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Yes — and with the growing tide of robots and especially cobots, real-time functionality is absolutely critical. So we’ve invested in multi-protocol solutions … because it’s okay if you’re Siemens, Rockwell, or Beckhoff with all your equipment the one standard you sponsored — but many smaller players must deal with these different standards. For them, it means unless they’re designing for an all-Siemens factory or an all-Beckhoff factory, they must support multiple standards.

Eitel • Design World: What kinds of products support all major protocols?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Some of our Ethernet switch ICs have built-in TSN features to support several IEEE TSN standards. We aim to offer compatible updates to next-generation TSN as those standards are finalized. As any latency-controlled Ethernet standard, TSN standards allow synchronization of the Media Access Control (MAC) physical interface on different boards at different parts of the system.

For a drive, motor, or robot, actual motion is controlled by PWM output. The time synchronization then has to make its way through the communications stack and through the motion-control stack and out to the PWM output — to drive the actual gate drivers to time the motor. So many view TSN from the Ethernet point of view — and focus on getting that synchronization down to the boards … a significant problem itself. But they leave the rest of the problem to individual designers.

That’s why we bring motor-control and motion-control signal-change domain expertise to our Ethernet work. We aim to deliver system solutions, and not just pieces of silicon.

The key point is when a semiconductor supplier can apply domain expertise to silicon design, it is possible to solve wider system-level problems.

Eitel • Design World: How does that relate to robots and the new wave of cobots in automation?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: The latter are about sensing and understanding the environment … with many offerings today being very much in the analog domain. But using technologies borrowed from other fields — such as radar and LiDAR from automotive, for example— will come to expand the array of system-level domains in robotics. People often ask why we’re acting more as system suppliers and not acting as a traditional component supplier. Well, it’s because we’re working to be relevant at higher levels — by leveraging our domain-level expertise and newer expertise in robots, motor control, condition monitoring, and Ethernet.

Eitel • Design World: Just to be clear for engineers who don’t usually think of design work at the chip level — would you explain what you mean by domain in this context?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Sure. There are IC technology silos — for A-to-D converters, performance amplifiers, processors, and power supplies, for example. We also have experience silos for automotive, motor control, and process control. Some we developed internally from work with customers on applications. Some we’ve hired into the team — for example, in robotics and motor control design — to get views that are different from a silicon designer’s view.

The challenge is that silicon designers think in terms of what they know — transistors and fab processes and so forth — whereas motor-control designers think in terms of PWMs, and current feedback, and control loops. So having them work together for weeks, months, and years spurs richer conversations and solutions that wouldn’t have been created otherwise. That’s what constitutes domain-level design.

The fido5200 REM switch (one version of the fido5000 series) supports industrial Ethernet protocols such as EtherCAT.

Eitel • Design World: You’ve been gracious in not mentioning specific Analog Devices products for such flexible functionality. But may I ask what those are?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Our single piece of silicon — the fido5000 REM Switch IC — is configurable with a binary download we supply.

That means engineers can setup for an EtherCAT version of a field instrument … or a PROFINET version … or Ethernet IP version … and it’s the same hardware, just with a different binary download. With less designing and debugging, that in turn reduces time to market and models in inventory … and boosts assurance that what gets shipped to the end user will be the right version, as it’s just a software image.

In this way, the fido5000 REM Switch IC is a flexible part — with TSN protocols ready to go and pin-for-pin replacement compatibility.

Eitel • Design World: Many proprietary offerings provide real-time functionality. Does your new offering adhere to IEEE standards for that?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Our Deterministic Ethernet Technology Group (DET) director Jordan Woods also represents us on the standards bodies — so we can sell standards-ready silicon from day one. Even when standards aren’t finalized, we have customers evaluating our ICs’ functionalities to deliver on what’s coming.

Eitel • Design World: What in the motion and robotics markets are driving innovation?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Motor control and robotics are driving the need for higher bandwidth. Some in factory automation resist the idea of needing GbE — accepting 100 Mb as enough. But they’ll need higher bandwidth in the future. Even in residential homes, the number of Internet-connected things has risen dramatically. Factories are no different — and high-bandwidth items such as cameras and radar (for time-of-flight measurement and positioning, for example) are leading the charge. Such technologies are key to knowing where people are around a robot, for example. Having a work cell’s cameras execute auto recognition on workpieces … or artificial intelligence — these too demand big bandwidth.

What’s more, some design engineers are frustrated with accommodating lots of standards.

These two things are driving the trend towards standard TSN. So I predict the big players will continue to support legacy equipment with proprietary standards — even while next-generation standards are still being worked out. Rest assured we’ll be there to support the latest solutions.

Eitel • Design World: Do you offer software for configuring your chips?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: We sell preconfigured chips — and supply the binary … already certified with the standards body — so the chips are ultimately pre-certified to EtherCAT or PROFINET or to the applicable standard. That minimizes work for the engineer. But higher-level software — that lets engineers configure networks — that’s not something we offer yet. At the moment these offerings are tied to more integrated designs.

Eitel • Design World: On the topic of more connectivity between motor-driven machine axes and robotics — what’s particularly innovative here?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: We’ve supplied lots of I/O for PLC-based control … analog out and in … digital out and in. We see such controls moving to higher data rates as well — and I think TSN standards will become very prevalent here. But at Ethernet IP becomes standard in the factory everywhere — and not just in parts — it will replace some 4-to-20 mA and fieldbus connections. So while motor controls and drives will spur higher bandwidth, maybe not factory automation but certainly process control — including oil and gas and pharmaceutical industries — will increase use of lower bandwidth over longer distances.

Eitel • Design World: Another area of interest is network security.

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: Standard approaches to using PCs and IT infrastructure with firewalls and certificates doesn’t work well at the factory level. After all, firewalls between machines could quickly bring down production. So configuration and setup must be well engineered. Our security company subsidiary Sypris Solutions works on this for us.

Eitel • Design World: How does this relate to another connectivity-enabled function — that of condition-based machine health monitoring?

O’Dowd • Analog Devices: We’ve been doing MEMs vibration sensors for 25 or 30 years … with most airbags in the world controlled with our MEM sensors, for example … and first-generation Nintendo Wii consoles as well. With our motion and vibration-sensing expertise, now we’ve begun exploring ways to use MEM sensors in motor control … as a lot of information can be gained from monitoring motors over time to understand their states — as bearings wear or loads begin to have issues, for example. We’ve all heard stories of that one guy who can hear problems or lay his hands on a machine to detect issues — or skillfully use probes for measuring various characteristics.

In short, there is now a way to have this level of monitoring using technology rather than a highly skilled “machine whisperer” …

Omron debuts programmable multi-axis controller with fast output speeds

November 1, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Motion controller output speeds are reaching an industry-leading 50 µsec/5 axes with the introduction of the new CK3M programmable multi-axis controller from Omron. The company combined motion control capability originally developed by Delta Tau Systems (now part of Omron) with its own advanced design technologies inside a compact and streamlined housing.

Built with the needs of automotive and semiconductor manufacturing in mind, the CK3M controller achieves nanoscale motion control designed to keep production lines flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the future. Both of these industries are facing more complex manufacturing requirements, such as increasingly miniaturized, 3D-structured semiconductor devices and more complex automotive components (both internal and external) that incorporate more diverse materials than ever before. Conventional motion controllers cannot easily handle these needs.

Today’s manufacturing machines – as well as those of the future – require increasingly precise positioning and path control that can be most effectively achieved through the synchronized control of high-resolution encoders, motors and other devices. Whereas conventional controllers can only connect with specified devices, the new CK3M facilitates fully synchronized motion control by providing connectivity to virtually any motor or encoder using EtherCAT and encoder communication protocols.

Machine builders can avoid developing their own controller boards as well as specialized control algorithms to integrate a separate controller for each device when just a single controller is needed for high-speed synchronized control. As an all-in-one control solution, the CK3M significantly lowers the cost of design changes due to the discontinuation of used parts. In addition to the benefits of fully synchronized motion control, the CK3M makes it possible to use ANSI C or an original programming language so that machine builders can create their own control algorithms.

The new CK3M programmable multi-axis controller helps optimize system configuration with its ability to interface with various encoders and motors, providing high-precision synchronous control and increasing machine performance.

For more information, visit www.industrial.omron.us.