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ethercat
- Posted: March 10, 2015
YouTube 50minute Video by Galil Motion Control
Topics include an overview of the communication scheme, physical layout and applications where EtherCAT is the right solution.
There is an increasing demand in the automation and motion control industries for a localized motion control solution that can coordinate motion between multiple remote components. Previously, field bus protocols such as Modbus or Ethernet/IP have been implemented to address remote I/O connectivity. Although successful in moving data across automation networks, these protocols lacked the real time performance necessary for a distributed motion control system.
The EtherCAT communication protocol provides a high speed, low overhead communication scheme that...
- Posted: January 26, 2015
A New White Paper by Advanced Motion Controls
Servo-based motion control systems have traditionally been categorized into two types: centralized or distributed. Centralized systems use dedicated motion control cards that account for all aspects of the system including servo commands, motor feedback and I/O to close all control loops while simultaneously running complex programs that plan motion profiles and maintain machine operations. Increasing the number of axes involved places an ever increasing burden on the processing power of the DSP quickly making the system unmanageable simply due to scalability.
- Posted: October 01, 2014
Authors: Robin Riley, Ann Keffer, Wayne Baron Galil Motion Control
Ethernet was developed in the 1970’s and was started being used commercially in the 1980’s. By the end of the 1980’s it was the dominant network technology. It was initially used to connect computer systems and peripherals in a Local Area Network (LAN) and quickly evolved to be the protocol used for Wide Area Networks (WAN). Then came the world-wide web and the incorporation of the internet into every aspect of communication.
In the mid to late 1990’s, Ethernet’s popularity spread to control systems. The engineering team here at Galil Motion Control determined Ethernet was a viable protocol in 1999 and introduced its first Ethernet Motion Controller. Even today, Ethernet is the most popular method of network communication in control systems.
Before Ethernet
Before Ethernet was considered viable... - Posted: August 01, 2013
A motion control system is a system that controls the position, velocity, force or pressure of some machine. As an example, an electromechanical based motion control system consists of a motion controller (the brains of the system), a drive (which takes the low power command signal from the motion controller and converts it into high power current/voltage to the motor), a motor (which converts electrical energy to mechanical energy), a feedback device (which sends signals back to the motion controller to make adjustments until the system produces the desired result), and a mechanical system (including actuators, which physically produce the desired end result).
A motion controller is the primary intelligence, or brain, within a motion control system. It is responsible for calculating and generating the output commands for a desired motion path or trajectory. Motion controllers vary in complexity; sophisticated motion controllers typically consist of a trajectory generator...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: July 18, 2013
This document describes the evolution of motion and control system architectures and what new benefits are realized today when using EtherCAT®, whether for a large number of axes or simple systems using just a few. OEMs have many choices available and naturally gravitate to a given architecture in order to speed development and reduce costs. Machine systems, and mainly motion control, are normalized to meet the requirements of the application.
Highlighted too is not only the rise and acceptance for network connected motion control applications but also why they are here to stay. In fact, the continued demand for servo solutions like those provided by EtherCAT-based systems will grow faster than most others and come at lowered system costs to implement…
Click on the link below to view the complete White Paper.
https://www.a-m-c.com/download/whitepaper/EtherCAT_Performance_Advantage.pdf...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: March 20, 2013
Reprint of March 13, 2013 Automation.com Article
March 13, 2013 – The use of Ethernet with motor drives and motion controllers will more than triple to 2016 from 1.8 million new connected nodes in 2011. According to IMS Research, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for new motor control Ethernet nodes is projected to be the highest across the whole industrial space at nearly 30%.
IHS analyst, Tom Moore, commented “Ethernet, particularly certain industrial variants, is very well suited to drive and motion control applications. The growing number of Ethernet protocols, which are high-speed, deterministic, and low jitter, mean its application...Categories: Technical Support