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Starter kit brings Daleks to life

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 25, 2008

The MC206X Starter Kit includes the motion controller configured to suit the axis count and drive technology required along with all the cables, SD card memory, software and manuals.

When Trio Motion launched an evaluation kit special offer Windmill Studios decided to try out the MC206X motion controller in a special effects project that involved animating Daleks in a visual panorama of synchronised graphics and motion for the Dr Who Up-Close Exhibitions.

Organised by Martin Wilkie of Experience Design and Management of Shepperton Film Studios with the close co-operation of the BBC, these exhibitions showcase props, costumes, monsters and creatures from the TV show in animated and interactive stand-alone displays that feature TV episode sets with life-sized models of the TARDIS and other gadgets, plus monsters and villains such as the Daleks, Cybermen and the Slitheen.

Windmill Studios are sub-contractors for all the audiovisual content and special effects for the exhibitions which are currently showing across the UK in London, Cardiff, Liverpool, Blackpool and Land's End.

The MC206X Starter Kit includes the motion controller configured to suit the axis count and drive technology required along with all the cables, SD card memory, software and manuals required for the job in hand.

For Windmill Studios, the MC206X controlled each Dalek's floor movement via a two-axis servomotor driven carriage and with its own on-board digital I/O and an additional 16-channel CANbus I/O module, also sequenced the start-stop positioning of several brushed DC motor driven axes for the rotating and vertically actuated head, the Dalek's famous 'gunstick' and manipulator arms, as well as handling a variety of synchronised lighting and mechatronic effects.

Windmill Studios selected SEM AC servomotors and IRT servo drives.

Dave Black, a Project Manager with Windmill Studios was struck by how straightforward and fast it was to install and programme the MC206X.

Black said "I found the Trio MotionPerfect2 development software easy to use for configuration and programming".

"The project-based approach along with the axis and I/O monitoring and the simplicity of the Trio BASIC language allowed for really fast application development".

"I was particularly impressed with the plug-and-play CANbus I/O module which really was up and running in seconds - that's something we have rarely experienced with other motion controllers".

The din-rail mounted MC206X uses Trio's 32bit floating point DSP technology to provide high-speed, flexibility and connectivity for up to four axes of stepper or servomotor control plus a master encoder input and two virtual axes.

An expansion connector is also included for an optional fifth motion axis module or a daughter board to enable digital drive networks such as Sercos, Control Techniques SLM or CAN to be used to add additional axes, increase I/O or provide an interface for factory communications.

The controller is part of the motion co-ordinator family that offer from 1 to 64 axes of motion and machine control in modular designs that allow machine builders and OEMs to select their preferred drive, feedback and motor technologies in combination with a wide choice of factory and drive communication networks.

Benefiting from the scaleable MotionPerfect2 application development language with TrioBasic software or a choice of G-code or IEC 61131 programming options, a wide range of progressive features are included for reduced development times, increased production throughput, improved accuracy and higher levels of security for automation systems of all sizes.

With a complement of 16 opto-isolated I/O, high-speed registration inputs for each axis and an adapter for a fibre optic network for adding Trio HMIs, the flexible MC206X is aimed at small to medium sized control applications in manufacture and test, process control and research.