Brushless servomotor drive selection and control - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: mjkuwp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 01:23:19 pm
content: I am tasked with a project for work that is stretching my knowledge a bit..I am designing a single-axis test system that must lift a heavy load and do it in a very prescribed manner. It will use a motor, ball screw and linear guides (that's the easy part).The 'new to me' is connecting and communicating with an industrial servomotor drive. In my research I've found endless varieties of communication interfaces and I don't have experience with any of them. There appears to be a big learning curve from zero to getting a drive to move.Ideally I would like to drive the servomotor from a microcontroller with a series of timing pulses. This would be akin to having a handwheel control wired to the servo drive in which the drive would follow my movements. I am comfortable with the microcontroller side of things and also the mechanical design.Does anyone have suggestions for Permanent magnet servomotor motor drives that are easy to work with in a simple single-axis system? This will be about a 2kW drive and motor.thanks!

author: tatus1969
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 01:25:30 pm
content: double post!

author: mjkuwp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 01:28:37 pm
content: To expand on this, I don't just need to lift something from Point A to Point B. It is how I get there that is equally important because this system is testing an exercise machine. That is why I want to use a permanent magnet servomotor drive. I need the position over time to match what a human would do so that the implied forces match. I can handle that part of the system.Examples of vendors are Siemens, Allen Bradley, ABB, etc. there are many more. The drive systems get pretty fancy and I am hoping to shortcut that by finding one that has a simple means of control - as stated previously.thanks in advance for any advice!

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 01:43:37 pm
content: The obvious solution is to use an AC servo system including the servomotor+ built in encoder and its drive electronics or the "servopak". Those come as a matched pair such that once connected together you can command it either by PDM (position step pulses like a stepper) or analog voltage corresponding either to shaft speed or torque. One such that i am familiar with is Yaskawa Sigma II series - an older product series that powers my vertical cnc mill. They are similar 2 kW units that you are looking for. The motor encoder signals are available from the servopak for closing the position loop in an external computer running the cnc software.There are so many different brands and models of servo systems available that naming just one is pointless. They all work more or less the same so just pick one that has what you need. The Sigma II from Yaskawa (also sold as Omron) can be found used and reasonably priced in e.g. eBay if that works for you. Otherwise you can blow your money on a new one.Modify message

author: mjkuwp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 02:01:25 pm
content: thanks! yes I think you have the idea.ebay is not a good option because I may need to duplicate the system and make 2 or 3 more of the same system. Luckily! it is not my money to waste but that makes the choice slightly more stressful. if I choose poorly I have not wasted my own money but someone else's (my boss).I'll probably narrow it by having some local distributors quote the system.When I started this I assumed there would be a document for each explaining the serial commands and that I would use RS-485 but after looking...the serial communication types seem much more complicated. That is why I hope to find one that is easy to set up and drive with pulses.

author: CM800
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 02:13:57 pm
content: Quote from: mjkuwp on December 10, 2016, 02:01:25 pmI'd suggest checking these out:http://ingeniamc.com/We distribute them in the UK. Due to contracts we can't sell them to you over in the US... but there is a US distributor.They are a great product to work with. Easy to set up and use. Their tech support is great.US Distributor:http://store.grp6.com/