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High-speed USB keeps motion control data running

A NEE Controls product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Feb 25, 2003

NEE Controls has added a USB2 interface to the AMC range of motion control systems.

NEE Controls has added a USB2 interface to the AMC range of motion control systems.

The next generation of engine cards will have the option of being supplied with a USB2 interface to allow job data to be transferred in excess of 4000 times faster than the current system.

Where complex three-dimensional job data are being transferred to the control system 'on the fly', it is essential that data are available to allow the AMC to efficiently blend many thousands of short moves together to achieve a constant surface speed through smooth high speed contouring.

If the control system is executing data faster than it can be transferred from the CAD/CAM system then the overall contouring speed has to be reduced or worse still stop/start which increases tool wear and reduces part quality.

Although the AMC range of motion controllers can accept serial data at rates up to approximately 11Kbit/s, which is already three times faster than the majority of its competitors, even this is not fast enough for some applications.

The objectives for the new interface were: to provide an alternative to RS232 as serial ports are disappearing from PCs; to increase bandwidth to reduce job download times; to provide reliable data transmission; to offer a well proven interface, with obsolescence unlikely; it must be freely available, with no additional "black boxes" to be purchased; and it must use inexpensive components to keep system prices down.

USB2 meets all of these requirements and more, offering data transfer rates of 480Mbit/s.

As the USB2 interface is being supplied on one card, the option can be retrofitted to all the AMC range of motion control systems.

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