The purpose of a servo drive is to convert low-power signals from the controller to high-power signals to the motor, instructing it to produce the desired torque or velocity. Servo drives (also referred to as servo amplifiers) can operate on either analog or digital input signals. Analog servo drives receive ±10-Volt analog signals from the […]
Servo Drives
Applied Motion Products expands SV200 servo drive offering into DC-powered applications
Applied Motion Products, Inc. has now expanded the SV200 Servo Drive offering with the release of new drives designed for use in DC-powered applications. Existing SV200 servo drives are designed for 120 or 220 VAC operation, while the new DC-powered drives are designed to operate on 24, 48 or higher DC voltages — up to 60 […]
How are servo system velocity control loops tuned?
Servo systems typically use a combination of three types of control loops: current, velocity, and position. The velocity control loop serves two purposes—it enables the system to respond to changing velocity commands, and it allows the system to resist high-frequency load disturbances. But the velocity loop by itself can’t ensure that the system maintains a […]
Why is the bandwidth of a servo control loop important?
A servo drive can include any combination of three types of control loops—a position loop, a velocity loop, and a current loop. While each loop’s purpose is to control a different aspect of the motor’s performance, they are all characterized by a common parameter: bandwidth. The bandwidth, or response time, of the system is a measure […]
STSPIN250 STMicroelectronics launches tiny 2.6-A brushed dc motor driver for portable, battery-powered IoT devices
The STSPIN250 single-chip 2.6A driver for brushed DC motors extends STMicroelectronics’ family of miniature, low-voltage, energy-efficient drivers for battery-powered portable and wearable applications. The driver integrates a full power-MOSFET bridge and fixed off-time PWM current controller in a tiny 3mm x 3mm package that saves space in portable equipment. The low on-resistance of the power stage (200mΩ […]
Panel-mount brush servo drives work for centralized motion controls
The AxCent (Axes for Centralized control schemes) product platform brings the proven and powerful performance expected of ADVANCED Motion Controls, with improvements to the design architecture that utilize years of experience in the industry and the latest advancements in modern servo system design. As technology continues its shift from analog to digital, there is still strong demand for […]
What are typical drive-based safety functions?
Functional safety standards EN/IEC 62061 and EN/ISO 13849-1 ensure safety via electronic solutions, unlike traditional safety systems, which used electromechanical components to achieve safety. And while functional safety applies to a machine and its control system (not to individual components), the drive lies at the heart of the safety implementation. In fact, functional safety specifies that […]
What are functional safety standards for servo drives?
Safety is a serious concern for machine builders, system integrators, and end users. Not only do they have a responsibility to provide a safe production environment, they must also meet regulatory requirements for machine safety. And of course, all of this should occur with minimal impact on operational efficiency and productivity. Fortunately, functional safety features […]
What’s the difference between single-axis and multi-axis (rack or cabinet) controls?
By Craig Dahlquist • Application Engineer at Lenze Americas || As with most applications, the requirements of the application can determine what type of drive architecture is selected. The single-axis control means that the DC power supply is internal to each drive. The multi-axis control utilizes a central DC power supply that a number of axes share through the […]
How to use servo drives with asynchronous (induction) motors?
With high construction costs of rare earth permanent magnet synchronous servo motors, asynchronous (induction) motors are more acceptable, when possible. By Craig Dahlquist • Application Engineer at Lenze Americas One way to get servo control of an asynchronous motor (on 400 to 480 Vac supply voltage) is to use a conventional 230/400 or 230/460 Vac (delta/wye connection) […]
