Product category:
Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls
News Release from: API Portsecap | Subject: Ethernet Drives
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 27 March 2000
Ethernet Drives Eliminate Motion
Controllers
API Motion's new APInet*-enabled Intelligent drives utilise universally standard fast Ethernet to directly connect with a host PC.
API Motion's new APInet-enabled Intelligent drives utilize universally standard fast Ethernet to directly connect with a host PC to provide high speed all-digital motion control APInet enables PCs running Microsoft's NT operating system to directly control multi-axis systems without the need for expensive motion controllers or motion control cards
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 2 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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How it works An APInet motion system consists of three primary elements: an Ethernet network; Component Object Model (COM) objects; and API Motion Intelligent Drives.
Ethernet forms the backbone of the APInet system connecting the drives to the PC.
Originally developed in the 1970s as a high-speed communications network for computers, Ethernet has evolved into the most widely used computer network in the world.
Ethernet today is an open, vendor-neutral network.
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Operating over Fast Ethernet at 100 Mbps, an APInet motion system can have as many as 64 drives dispersed conveniently throughout a machine at distances up to 100 meters from the host PC.
Physical connections are simple and reliable using standard Ethernet cabling, hubs and connectors.
On the host end of the connection an NT PC utilizes API COM objects to replace most of the control functions typically provided by a motion card.
COM is Microsoft's replacement for traditional DLLs.
They are active software objects that operate in the background on the PC to provide additional functionality to a system.
The programmer can access these objects in a higher level control program such as C++, Visual Basic or Java in the same way that commands were used with a motion control card.
The big difference is that instead of sending the command to the motion card for execution, the command goes directly over Ethernet to an API Motion Intelligent drive.
API Motion's Intelligent drives receive commands over Ethernet, and then execute them locally.
Status information is continuously sent back to the PC for use by the application program.
All API Motion drives incorporate fully digital loop control technology that closes the position loop at up to a 10 kHz rate.
The drive's processor handles all servo and stepper loop control as well as local high speed I/O so that the PC's resources are not taken up with these demanding tasks.
This distributed control architecture minimizes the required bandwidth on the network and allows for a deterministic control implementation over Ethernet.
Benefits APInet offers the benefits of a fully digital system.
By eliminating the traditional analog-to-digital conversions used in most motion control cards between the card and the drives it controls, the typical system noise problems associated with analog control are completely eliminated.
Full digital control provides increased flexibility and consistency.
It also provides advanced bi-directional communication between the drive and the PC that allows complex command sequences or detailed diagnostic information to be easily communicated.
The distributed Ethernet architecture of APInet dramatically simplifies the wiring of a typical motion control system.
Simply connect power, the motor, any drive-controlled I/O and the Ethernet plug to the drive.
There is no need for all of the feedback, I/O and drive status wiring required with motion control card-plus-drive systems.
All drives have a unique Ethernet address that is automatically recognized by the API COM object software.
System layout can be optimized to place the drives in convenient locations, since Ethernet does not have the short distance limitations of other networks.
Of course, one of the most significant benefits of this approach is the elimination of the motion controller.
Over 80,000 motion control cards and controllers were sold last year in North America alone.
These cards come in a confusing array of bus styles, feature sets, drive interfaces and prices.
Prices for a typical four-axis card range from $1000 to $4000, depending upon features and manufacturer.
This cost is only the most obvious one saved with APInet.
When the other benefits of system wiring simplification and performance enhancement are added, we believe APInet represents a true breakthrough in motion control technology.
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