SERCOS connectivity provides enhanced OEM benefits from small, cost-effective – and readily available – digital servo range

Citation

(2001), "SERCOS connectivity provides enhanced OEM benefits from small, cost-effective – and readily available – digital servo range", Assembly Automation, Vol. 21 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2001.03321dad.009

SERCOS connectivity provides enhanced OEM benefits from small, cost-effective – and readily available – digital servo range

SERCOS connectivity provides enhanced OEM benefits from small, cost-effective – and readily available – digital servo range

Keyword: Control

Already 40 per cent smaller than equivalent brushless digital servo drives, and designed to offer more value, flexibility and performance, the Pacific Scientific all-digital PC800 range from Inmoco now offers even more functionality, with the addition of SERCOS connectivity (see Plate 8). With its noise-immune fibre-optic cable and ring network topology, SERCOS greatly reduces wiring costs, installation and set-up times, and speeds tuning and troubleshooting by supporting a rich set of diagnostic capabilities.

Plate 8 The Pacific Scientific all-digital PC800 range from Inmoco offers more functionality with the addition of SERCOS connectivity

Designated the PC840 series, the newest addition to the PC800 range uses the latest SERCON816 ASIC, to deliver network communication rates for distributed motion control up to 16kHz. The new drive also complies with IEC/EN 61491, the industry's only open control standard, assuring integration with controls or devices supporting SERCOS.

In common with all drives in the PC 800 range, the PC840 series is a compact, cost-effective servo drive that has been introduced to enhance OEM competitiveness in packaging, electronic assembly, semiconductor manufacturing, speciality equipment, printing and materials handling applications. In addition to its extensive on-board facilities and speed of set-up, the fact that the PC840 series is 40 per cent smaller than equivalent and similarly specified servo drives helps to reduce the cost of enclosures and cabling, and allows more efficient use of production space.

All digital control solution gives smoothest low speed performance

In operation, the PC840 series matches the high performance of all Inmoco's Pacific Scientific range of servo drives. Rated for up to 7.1A_RMS continuous and 21.2A_RMS peak output power, it has a 400Hz velocity-loop bandwidth – the highest in the industry – which simplifies drive set-up and tuning. This, together with inaudible, high frequency, digital PWM current control, yields a control solution which provides the smoothest low speed performance in its class.

The task of getting PC840 series online quickly is greatly assisted by an on-board RS232/485 serial interface which allows communication with an IBM-compatible PC for set-up configuration, tuning and diagnostics. The software for the system offers the facility to alter parameters during tuning, and provides a powerful digital oscilloscope function which streamlines the start-up of any application by enabling the PC840's auto-setup feature to be combined with the diagnostic graphic representation of the servo's parameters.

Matched drive motor combination optimises system performance

The fact that the PC840 series includes Quadrature encoder, Hall/encoder or resolver feedback options in the same package, gives OEMs a head start in the motor selection process. However, the best way of optimising the performance of the PC840 series is to combine the drive with Inmoco's rugged and cost-effective PMA brushless servo motors. The advantage here is that the windings of the PMA motors are matched to the PC800 range. This results in improved system performance and also more usable torque, from 0.5 to 48.5 Nm, for a particular application.

World product with the best lead time in the industry

With UL, cUL and CE approvals pending, the PC840 series is the ideal world product for the export-orientated OEM. Indeed, especially so, since, like all the PC800 range, the PC840 is available for shipment in just days, courtesy of one of the best lead times in the industry.

For further information contact Gerard Bush, Sales Aplication Engineer, INMOCO Limited, 4 Brunel Close, Draytonfields, Daventry NN11 5RB, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1327 300320; Fax: +44 (0)1327 300319; E-mail: GerardB@inmoco.co.uk