maxon is known for producing controllers: the ESCON, which is a 4-quadrant speed controller, and the EPOS, a digital positioning controller. With the acquisition of ZUB Machine Control AG in 2017, the portfolio of products has now expanded to include master controllers.
The ESCON is a speed and current controller that is commanded by analogue and digital signals, and the EPOS is a CANOpen slave, that requires a master controller via a variety of communication protocols, including CAN, EtherCAT, USB and RS232. Both models require some form of communication, whether it be a simple 24v enable signal for the ESCON, or data exchange from a higher-level controller such as a PLC for the EPOS. This can all be achieved with the use of a master control system from ZUB.
The core of the ZUB product range is master controls, offering the following:
The three main ZUB products are:
MiniMACS
The MiniMACS is a compact controller which is fully programmable and is suited for less complex applications.
MACS5
The MACS5 is a flexible product range offering high performance, with various add-ons being available, such as up to 6 encoder inputs and integrated amplifiers.
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MasterMACS
The MasterMACS offers the highest computing power and offers a range of bus interfaces as standard, typically used in highly sophisticated and dynamic motion control applications.
The MACS controller range offers a sophisticated range of motion features, including the following:
APOSS-IDE
The APOSS IDE is a windows-based tool for programming and networking for a range of fieldbus interfaces and is also used for testing with its integrated functionality and analysing existing solutions.
APOSS ® win
The APOSS win allows easy implementation of highly complex motion control applications. The programming language is similar to that of a high-level language, such as C; however, it is more suited towards motion control with an extended range of commands.
The following are typical applications which are suited towards the MACS product range:
The ZUB team, located in Rothenburg, Switzerland consist of highly experienced application engineers who are more than happy to develop an application for you based on your requirements; this is subject to a feasibility study and NRE costs. In addition to this, the team offer introductory training courses for customers who are looking to understand more about: Connectivity, initialisation, parameter configuration, oscilloscope functionality, APOSS programming, state machine programming, CAN/EtherCAT integration, and additional features such as CAM editor, path editor, WebServer, etc.
The integration of ZUB Machine Control AG within the maxon group has helped to expand the company's capabilities to now include master control systems. If you have any enquiries or applications you wish to discuss, please feel free to contact Amir Janjua on 01189 733337 or [email protected].