Posted to News on 11th Dec 2008, 18:08
Integrated stepper units incorporate motor, drive and control
Mclennan Servo Supplies is launching a new range of NEMA 23 stepper motors with integrally mounted microstepping drives and a choice of on-board controls. The STM series from USA motion control specialist Applied Motion Products Inc is available in two lengths with stall torque ratings of 88Ncm and 148Ncm from a 12-70V DC supply. The neat drive and control housing is rear-mounted and includes all interfacing power and signal connections, making installation straightforward and reducing wiring time and cost over separate stepper motor + drive + control systems.
With a common configuration and programming capability, the STM may be freely mixed with all Applied Motion Products ST series standalone intelligent stepper drives, which are available for torques up to 13Nm and bus voltages to 320V DC.
As with all ST series drives, the STM power stage is fully protected and features selectable microstepping resolutions up to 51,200 steps/rev, with advanced 20kHz PWM current control, automatic anti-resonance waveform damping and torque ripple smoothing.
Choice of controls
There are two levels of control available, both offering three digital inputs, one digital output and one analogue input. The STM-S version handles step and direction, CW/CCW pulse, A/B Quadrature encoder following and a basic level of host control using Applied Motion Products' SCL programming language. All configuration data is held in FLASH memory.
An advanced STM-Q controller version uses Motion Control Products' high-level Q programming language to write sequences of complex multi-tasked motion and machine control with full electronic gearbox, maths and registration functions. Q programmer software, to create and edit standalone programs, is also supplied free. When fitted with the rear-mounted encoder option, the STM may be programmed through the Q version to provide basic stall detection or a more advanced stall prevention measure that monitors motor command position to encoder lag and will finish its move under stall conditions. Configuration and program data is saved in FLASH and EEPROM memory
Both S and Q control options include self-test and auto-setup routines to ensure optimal performance and fault-free operation. Configuration and program upload/download is made easy with Applied Motion Products' ST Configurator software.
Intelligent drive options for both stepper and servo technologies from Applied Motion Products may be combined to provide cost-effective open and closed-loop motion control systems. The range of control options includes open-loop step and direction input, +/- 10V servo control, encoder following, graphical point and click programming for simple machine control and motion sequencing, and high-level ASCII host control for complex multi-axis motion and machine control.
Follow the link to download a broshure (3MB PDF) for the STM motor/drive/control units.
