| ¡@
Addressing
How
is motor addressing handled on the SmartMotor?
How can a command be sent to a specific motor or group of motors?
Every motor has an address register: upon power up or reset, the
value of this register is zero. The value stored in this register
can be changed by a SADDR# command arriving from the host or from
a command executed from within a stored user program. Valid addresses
range from 0 to 100.
The SmartMotor scans incoming RS-232 communications for high order
ASCII bytes (values between 100 - 128). When such a byte is received,
the SmartMotor
evaluates <byte> - 128 to get the address number. If the
address number is 0 or equal to the value of the motor address
register, subsequent commands are accepted. If neither condition
is true, all commands are ignored until an appropriate high order
ASCII byte is received.
Also available are motor unique states of SLEEP and WE. In the
SLEEP state, all commands are ignored until a properly addressed
WAKE command arrives. This allows global addressing techniques
to be directed at specific sub-sets of motors in an application.

Braking
Does the SmartMotor?have
braking capability?
The SM1720, SM23XX, and SM34XX can be ordered with the ?BRK option.
The SmartMotors Power and control the brake built onto the backside
of the motor.
Can the SmartMotor?do
dynamic braking?
The
SmartMotor?is a full four quadrant servo design: it can brake
dynamically up to the momentary torque/speed limitations of the
system.

Communication
What
are the maximum recommended distance between SmartMotor?and the
computer/controller for communication through RS232, RS485, Anilink,
and I/O connector?
This question is difficult to answer because so many factors are
involved. In most instances, we quote 30 feet (10 meters) for
RS-232, 1000 feet for RS-485, 10 feet (3 metres) for Anilink,
and 3 feet for I/O connector. (The 10PWR105 used for powering
Anilink devices allows the addition of multiple motors to the
network but does not increase separation.)
I keep getting junk
on my screen while polling with the monitor status window, what's
wrong?
There
could be a print statement in your program. Make sure that ECHO
is off. There is a chance that the memory module is corrupt.
What makes the SmartMotor?more
capable than other products in handling multi-axis, co-ordinated
motion?
Since Each SmartMotor incorporates it’s own integrated closed loop
controller, the Central Host is released of the task of closing
the loop. Instead, the host streams real-time data to each motor
and only deals with error checking and I/O control as needed.
This results in a faster throughput. Abbreviated command sets and efficient,
abbreviated addressing minimizes the data load.
What is the communications
rate through the RS-232?
The
SmartMotor?is designed for RS-232 communications at the following
user select-able baud rates:
38,400 / 19,200
/ 9,600 - Default
/ 4,800 /
2,400
Will the SmartMotor?operate
with Labview commands?
Labview
has the ability to communicate ASCII protocol via RS232 as a driver so the interface is compatible.
The User can readily send down code
strings in SmartMotor?compatible commands.
I have a system based on DEVICENET;
how can the SmartMotor?be used with such a system?
Background:
DEVICENET is a controller area network (CAN) protocol, high speed communications
link for industrial devices developed in the early 1980's by Allen
Bradley. Many designers choose DEVICENET for its interchangeability
(many vendors and products available), advanced diagnostics,
and its compatibility with distributed power networks.
Animatics Corp. provides Devicenet Gateway options for the 23
and 34 frame series SmartMotors.

What host communication
relationships will the SmartMotor?support?
The
following common communications relationships are supported by
the SmartMotor?
Host / Slave
Host / Interactive
Host / Independent
Stand-Alone
In a Host / Slave relationship, the PC host transmits
commands over the RS-232 one at a time for immediate execution
by the SmartMotor? In this relationship, the host assumes all
of the timing functions for the application. It is also clear
that certain SmartMotor commands don't work in this relationship,
for example the WHILE command.
In
Host / Interactive relationships, the host program and the SmartMotor?
program interact. There are two basic sub-categories of this relationship.
In one, the host interacts with a running program through RS-232
messaging or I/O level signaling. The SmartMotor?may or may not
be sending messages back to the host by similar methods.
In another, the host sends preparatory (program configuration)
data to the SmartMotor? then issues a RUN command. The SmartMotor?executes
its independent program, which may or may not include messaging
and host signaling. Upon program termination, the SmartMotor?simply
waits for further host instruction. This special category of host
/ slave relationships is called Host / Independent relationships:
Entire programs are downloaded from the host to the SmartMotor?
RUN may be initiated by either the host or by external hardware
input. One main feature of this type of relationship is the relative
autonomy of the individual motors: here the motors may signal
the host at appropriate times, but in general, host intervention
is not expected.

Critical product features
to the Host / Interactive relationship are:
The
priority of host communications over the execution stored program
code: This allows the SmartMotor?to stop execution of stored code
in an orderly manner, and begin execution of incoming serial code
as soon as the one byte serial buffer is filled. Execution of
the stored program resumes as soon one of the two following conditions
is met:
1.
A valid command is executed
2. An incoming command is determined to be invalid and is dumped.
The non-interrupt-ability of the busy/search (code scan) state
of the SmartMotor? A busy/searching state occurs whenever the
SmartMotor? is searching for an address in memory at which it
can resume code execution. This address search occurs during the
negative evaluation of an IF statement. It also occurs during
a WHILE statement during a period after the last executable command
of the LOOP block and the execution of the WHILE's argument expression.
The relative freedom of action provided by the SmartMotor's change-on-the-fly
capability. Operational modes and trajectories can be changed
on the fly.
While it is possible for a supervisory host to interrupt the execution
a well-structured stored program, taking direct command of the
application during critical periods, the relative independence
of each SmartMotor? relieves the host of the direct processing
burden of each axes control, and reduces the required band-width
of the serial communications channel.
In stand alone applications, the SmartMotor?relies entirely on
its EEPROM memory for user program storage. The SmartMotor can
handle I/O from an outside source if desired, can communicate
through RS-232 or other mechanisms. RS-232 communications retain
their execution priority regardless of system design. Multi-axis
stand alone applications which use one SmartMotor?as a host platform
have been implemented and are currently operating in the field.
What is the 8-N-1 ASCII
protocol mentioned in the manual?
The
SmartMotor?uses an asynchronous serial interface often described
as a "three wire implementation of RS-232."
Asynchronous communications require a stable environment: if any
bit of a transmission is lost, there is a high probability that
the remainder of any transmitted message will be misunderstood.
It is therefore necessary to carefully define the structure of
the transmission. A serial bit is a defined period of time, and
the state of the bit can either be a 1 or a 0, depending on the
voltage state of the transmit line during the duration of the
serial bit.
When the RS-232 is in the idle state (waiting to transmit a message)
it rests in the high (on) state. When a character is to be transmitted
the TxD line is brought low for a carefully defined period of
time, the time period of the start bit is a function of the BAUD
rate. This low state is called the start bit.
Immediately following the start bit are a number of data bits.
The SmartMotor?must use 8 data bits, and this is the meaning of
the "8" in the string "8-N-1."

Following the data bits in the is an optional parity
bit. The parity bit used in some transmission schemes to check
the validity of received characters on a byte-by-byte basis. Since
this is an optional process which slows down communications, it
is not implemented in the SmartMotor? The "N" in "8-N-1"
stands for no parity bit. Following the optional parity bit is
a bit called the stop bit. On ancient teletypes and other old
machinery, a delay was required to ensure that the received character
could be handled before the next character arrived. For this reason
a stop bit was added at the end of every transmitted character.
Depending on the delay needed, either one, one-and-a-half or two
stop bits are added. The SmartMotor?uses the minimum required
period, 1 stop bit (8-N-1).
Following the above description, the SmartMotor?uses 10 bit data
structure to transmit an eight bit ASCII character. The SmartMotor?
requires a maximum of one signal change to transmit one bit, and
since the baud rate is defined as the number of signal changes
per second, this means that the data transmission rate is (BAUDRATE)
/10 = characters per second.
| Baud
Rate |
Characters
per Second |
| 2400 |
240 |
| 4800 |
480 |
| 9600 |
960 |
| 19800 |
1980 |
| 38400 |
3840 |
|

Encoder
How do I get encoder
outputs A+, A-, B+, and B-?
Use
the chip DS26LS31 that converts the encoder A and B signals to
differentials. The output signal from the encoder goes through
a 74LS04 chip.
What kind of encoder
is used with the motor?
The
SmartMotor?uses an Hewlett Packard HEDS incremental encoder which
can read position to an accuracy of 2000 counts per revolution
for the SM1720 and SM23XX and 4000 counts per revolution for the
SM34XX and above.
What does dual encoder
capability mean?
Dual
encoder capability means that the SmartMotor?can accept and read
an A-B signal from an external encoder. This capability allows
the user program running on the SmartMotor?to follow and react
to an independent axis.
Can an external encoder
input information to the motor to govern position?
External
encoder data can be input through the I/O channels A and B while
the SmartMotor?is in the following or camming mode. The CTR command
keeps track of external encoder position.
In case of a power
shut down, can the encoder continue to read position?
Yes, by ordering the motors with the ?DE?(Drive Enable) option,
the control power to the CPU can be maintained while the drive
power is dropped via E-Stop or Power Loss. Control Power can be
from 16 to 48VDC.
Note:
The –DE Option is not available on theSM1720 or SM2315 series motors.
What is the encoder
index mark?
Our
quadrature encoders feature two physical tracks, which generate
three signals. One track generates two of the signals, A and B.
These signals are phased in quadrature and carry both position
and direction information.
The second track generates the third signal; this signal changes
state only once per revolution, and defines a unique point in
the rotation. The mark on the second track which generates the
state change is called the index mark. The index signal is often
used to define a home position when used in conjunction with an
external switch wired to one of the I/O. See the I and RI commands
for details about how the SmartMotor?handles its index signal
in software.

Hardware
How much current does
the SmartMotor?electronics consume?
The
electronics consume about 70 to 90 mA. The motor can also supply
approximately 150 mA which may be used to drive limit switches
and/or user I/O's.
What is a 'skewed rotor'
design?
The
rotor is the component of the SmartMotor?that rotates inside the
stator coil. The rotor is surrounded by a permanent magnetic.
Electric currents in the stator coil create a changing magnetic
field. This magnetic field reacts with the magnet field around
the rotor and causes the rotor to turn. The stator contains a
number of coils. In a simple design of motor, the rotor will rotate
in such a way that its magnet tries to stay in alignment with
the field generated in the stator coils. At slower speeds, the
rotor turns in small steps or jerks, not with a smooth uniform
motion. This effect is known as torque ripple.
By building the rotor with a twist, or making a skewed
rotor design, the permanent magnet is twisted around the rotor
shaft. This causes a corresponding twisting of the magnetic field.
The field of any one rotor-magnet is now spread just beyond one
of the stator coils. The result is a much smoother rotation and
considerable reduction in torque ripple.
How long does ?/span>it
take to boot up or power up a SmartMotor?
It
takes about 40-60ms for the motor to power up from 0 to 5 volts.
It takes 100 ms for the hardware to reset, and _ second to complete
a software reset.
What is backlash?
Backlash is defined as the amount of
freeplay between the motor shaft and the load. It is determined
by measuring the amount of angular movement on the shaft which
produces no movement on the load across a variety of conditions.

Limit
Switch
I see there are
two limit switch inputs. How are home switches typically implemented?
Using one of the limits?
How do you recommend implementing abort/emergency kill
switches?
You can use the limit switches to trigger
the motor to execute its 'home' subroutine. Similarly, one of
the limit switches can be set up as a 'kill' or safety switch.
By setting a software command to read the status of this switch,
the motor will execute a stop in response to a change of state
of the switch. I think that, typically, if the state goes to '0',
or ground, you can get a fail-safe kill switch arrangement.
How can I stop
the shaft without powering down the controller using a limit switch?
There are two function states controlling
the behavior of the SmartMotor during limit switch activation.
F=0 allows the shaft to run free upon a limit switch hit. F=1
is equivalent to issuing an X command upon a limit switch hit.
Neither command causes the controller to power down: there is
no loss of position data or program execution upon such an event.
I am using normally
closed induction proximity switches.
Can I stop the motor when the limit input sees a +5V signal?
Since All I/O at the connector is 5VDC TTL
Level, only 5VDC or Dry contact switches should be used.
There are various ways to use limit switch inputs.
They can be set to Active High asserted or Active Low asserted
depending on Firmware revision.
Version 4.76 firmware ad above default to Active High only.
Note: 24VDC converters are available for the motor I/O connector
as well.
Please consult the factory for more detail.
How do your limit
switches work?
When a limit switch is asserted (dragged
to ground), the limit switch inputs interrupt the SmartMotor?processor,
causing motion to cease. Depending on the state of the F= command,
the SmartMotor?will either free the motor shaft, or command the
current trajectory to come to rest and servo in place at a position
determined by the current acceleration rate (A=).
If my ball screw
application runs into a hardstop, what will happen?
If the SmartMotor is operating in position
or velocity mode, when the axis run into a hardstop, the current
position error will begin to rise. As the PID filter senses a
rise in the current position error, and as the error is sustained
over time, the PWM command will grow, resulting in more output
torque. The output torque will continue to grow until the effective
current maximum, set by the AMPS command, is reached. Once this
limit is achieved, torque will remain constant until the current
position error exceeds the error limit (E=), at which time the
motor off flag will be set, and the drive will shut down (sending
output torque to zero). The controller will continue to run following
a position error event. Error handling routines based on the Bo
(motor off) bit can be implemented in the stored user program.

Miscellaneous
How is the SmartMotor?in
terms of electrical noise and EMI?
SmartMotors? are fully enclosed
and are constructed with a minimum of internal inter connects.
There are no internal wires, we use header pins to connect
between stacked circuit boards. The result is an electrically
quiet motor. We have a CE rating and meet the stringent requirements
of the German TUV standard. (We have been tested and passed
by TUV, but we are waiting for our certificate before we can
officially use their designation.)
Does the SmartMotor?have
a cleanroom rating?
Animatics has not submitted the SmartMotor?for
cleanroom compliance testing with any outside testing agency:
We therefor can not make any specific claims about clean room
category compliance.
However, since the SmartMotor?is based on a brushless DC servo
motor and a low-noise emission PWM amplifier, the SmartMotor?is
generally suitable for clean room service in all categories. In
fact, the bulk of our current sales go to OEM companies manufacturing
semiconductor handling and processing equipment; the end-use of
almost all of our production is in the high-category clean rooms
of semiconductor fabs, world-wide.
The cost of machine footprint is extremely important in cleanroom
applications; the "all-in-one" integrated construction
of the SmartMotor?is widely considered a critical advantage by
many clean room equipment designers. Several of our customers
are manufacturing machines which would not be practical if they
had to provide footprint for separate controllers, amplifiers,
and feedback devices, not to mention the cabling required to integrate
these separate devices. To extend this idea, an article in December
'97 edition of Control Engineering cited Animatics as the only
manufacturer of such an integrated servo motion control package.
What is the PWM
switching frequency in the motor?
Depending on the motor, (SM42XX and
SM56XX) 16kHz, (SM1720, SM23XX, and SM34XX Ver. 3.4) 25kHz, and
(SM1720, SM23XX, SM34XX Ver. 4.0 and above) 33kHz.
Is the SmartMotor
explosion proof?
The current SmartMotor?design is not
explosion proof. An explosion proof version of the motor is technically
possible, consult an Animatics Applications Engineer for details.
What is the maximum
number of revolutions that the SmartMotor?can count?
The SM23XX can count 1,073,741 revolutions
in each direction.
(+/-31 bits or 2,147,483,648 counts / 2000 counts/ revolution
= 1,073,741 revolutions)

Peripherals
What is the "AniLink
Network"? - As mentioned in the SmartMotor?brochure:
The AniLink Network is a network management
system for the Smart Motor peripherals. The AniLink network allows
the SmartMotor?to control up to sixteen daisy-chained external
devices (eight of the DIO-family, and eight of the AIO-family).
These devices extend the system functionality of the SmartMotor
controller. AniLink is only meant for a single motor to talk to
it’s own peripherals. AniLink cannot be used to control a motor
or to communicate between two or more motors.
What network protocol
are you using for the Anilink network?
What speed does it run at?
The Anilink Network does not run on
a protocol, the system is specific to Animatics motors and peripherals.
The network is designed for transmission over short distances
(inches) across circuit boards. The simple system does not require
expensive chip sets to communicate between devices. Devices read
data byte by byte according to the clock cycles in the processors.
What is the EEPROM?
The EEPROM (electronically erasable
programmable read only memory) is used in the SmartMotor?to store
user programs. A unique feature of an EEPROM is its ability to
permanently store data. This allows the memory module on the SM
to be removed, and a new program inserted, even with the SmartMotor?under
power. The EEPROM can store up to 8 KB of program data, programs
are stored in ASCII. A 32 KB chip will soon be available
What are the options
for networking SmartMotors?
Daisy-Chain
You can daisy-chain up to 100 SmartMotors?using
a single RS-232 port. Motor addressing is accomplished by command
in the initialization segment of the stored user program. Commands
are passed from the host to the first motor over the RS-232, then
are repeated from on motor to the next until they arrive back
at the host.
Multi-Drop
Using the optional RS485 converter,
you can build a star configuration network with all motors in
parallel. The RS-485 communication protocol is less susceptible
to common mode noise than RS-232.
In what applications
is the I/O connector necessary?
I/O connector is used in almost all
applications where the SmartMotor? is expected to interact directly
with its application or environment.
Common uses for the I/O connector are:
Program Start Button
Program Stop Button
Emergency Stop Button
I/O signaling from application
Encoder following signal transmission
Step-and-Direction signal transmission
Monitoring of SmartMotor?position by external device

Power
Supply
What is the maximum
input voltage for a SmartMotor running off a DC power supply?
The voltage input for the SmartMotor?ranges
from 20VDC to 48V DC maximum. Any voltage above 48 VDC will reduce
the life of the SmartMotor? and possibly damage it, especially
if the application allows the motor to be back driven.
(In this mode, the load is driving the motor, which acts as a
generator, and induces a voltage in the stator windings).
Will one power
supply drive three motors?
It is necessary to match the power supply
to the combined peak and rms power demand of all three motors.
Power supplies are generally sized according to the procedure
for sizing multiple motors. Account for IR losses in the supply
and saturation.
What is the cable
length limit between a power supply and SmartMotor?
The limit is dependent on wire resistance,
which limits the current and voltage to the motor. These resistive
losses affect both acceleration and steady state velocity. There
are minor acceleration issues and cases where the motor will not
reach torque or speed. The length depends on the application.
For more information, contact the applications engineer.
What kind of power
supply do you recommend for the SmartMotor?
Linear Unregulated power supplies are preferred
over regulated power supplies for durability in high-demand motion
control applications. Regulated Power supplies typically cannot
absorb high peak demands as are often demanded by servo motors.
Can multiple SmartMotor?operate
from a single DC power supply?
Many SmartMotors?can operate from a
single power supply if the combined power demand (both peak and
RMS) of all the motors does not exceed the capacity of the supply.
The normal rules for sizing power supplies apply to sizing for
multiple motors, be sure to account for line drops and demand
saturation. In applications with multiple power supplies, remember
that all power supplies must share a common ground configured
to avoid ground loops and supporting the communications circuitry.

Reliability
What do the reliability
studies look like for the SmartMotor?
The SmartMotor?MTBF has been calculated
at over 100,000 hours using MILSPEC 17 methods. Motors are currently
under long term test for verification. The SmartMotor?is designed
and manufactured for industrial environments where reliability
and durability are critical. The SmartMotor's reliability is a
function of:
1. Total system integration
2. Animatics' 15 years experience in design and mfg of servo motion
control products
3. Extraordinary quality of components used
Is the MTBF value
a theoretical or real achieved value ?
MTBF can be statistically calculated
from the sum of the theoretical component lifetimes of the elements
of the SmartMotor? amplifier, controller etc. SEMI E10-96 is an
industry standard that defines how to do this, as is the method
described in MIL-HDBK-217. However, we have also conducted accelerated
aging tests to produce data that confirms our MTBF value.
In situations where high loads, or high temperatures are experienced,
we recommend increasing the motor size. This allows the motor
to perform at the required level without operating above the temperature
range of the electronics. Of course, operating at a temperature
comparable to the recommended temperature for the electronics
increases the MTBF of the system.

Software
What kind of software
do you use to control the SmartMotor?
We supply a host terminal development
system for the SmartMotor?for Windows or DOS. This program acts
as an RS-232 translator for host-to-slave interaction, and as
an integrated development environment for the writing and testing
stored user programs.
What host options
are available for the SmartMotor?
Can the SmartMotor?receive commands from other software
packages
or devices other than a PC?
Since the SmartMotor?receives commands
in ASCII, any host which can transmit the appropriate ASCII strings
can communicate with the SmartMotor? A number of customers have
used PC programs other than SMI or TERM as a host terminal program.
LabView, Think and Do, Wonderware and PROCOMM are commonly used.
Each program has unique advantages for particular applications.
Several customers have written their own host terminal programs
on a variety of hardware platforms: PC, Mac, Next, Sun (Unix)
and SGI (Unix) . The SmartMotor?has also been integrated to accept
ASCII commands from a variety of PLC's and bar code readers.
Can I download
program comments and headers with my SmartMotor?program?
Comments can be placed in you user source
(.src) file using the (') character to the left of any comment.
However, comments and headers represent illegal character strings
within the SmartMotor processor, and should not be downloaded
to the SmartMotor's memory.
Does the SmartMotor?operate
on fixed point or floating point math?
The SmartMotor?processor is a 32 bit
signed integer machine. We can help you produce code allowing
your operator to interface in standard decimal units for both
input and output.

Speed
I have a SmartMotor?servo,
but I cannot reach anything near the maximum speed, even with
no load on the motor?
Check the voltage supply! The motor
needs a voltage supply equal to the desired speed multiplied by
the voltage constant (rpm x Kv). If the supply voltage is too
low, the motor will not attain its maximum theoretical speed.
The maximum speed will be (supply voltage/Kv).

Temperature
What´s the maximum
and minimum temperature for the SmartMotor?electronics?
The maximum temperature is 70 degrees
C. This is a standard industry temperature limit for CMOS components.
Although almost half the components in the SmartMotor?servo are
rated above 70 degrees C (100 to 150 degrees C), microprocessors
are very vulnerable to higher temperatures. Temperatures above
70 degrees C may reduce the reliability of circuit components
and could corrupt data held in registers or in the processor.
The SmartMotor is limited to 70 degrees C by an electronic thermostat.
This can be disabled to allow the system to run at higher temperatures,
but system lifetime is reduced.

How fast are the
Analog to Digital pins on the SmartMotor?read and converted?
The acquisition time is 25 to 30 microseconds
and the conversion time is about the same.
The literature
mentions "4kHz 32-bit motion".
Does this mean a position update loop of 250usec (1/4kHz)?
Yes, a position update every 1/4000
seconds.
What is the best
time resolution that you can get trying to synchronize motors
over the network?
Your literature indicates that you can
synchronize the motors via hardware (presumably the I/O port).
Can you provide me details on how this is done? I am still curious
about what performance can be attained over the network, so could
you also ask your software people what the latency is when synchronizing
motors via the network.
At its most basic, we can
synchronize motors by hardware. In this mode, a motor will wait
for a signal from a limit switch, another motor or external source
before commencing a position change. This is perhaps the slowest
method because movements are timed according to 'mechanical' events.
Our network options are possible with series (RS232) or parallel
(RS485) configurations. In RS232, each motor receives its commands
preceded by that motor's unique address. A command for a specific
motor must travel through the each motor that lies between the
controller and the specific motor before it is 'seen' by the target.
Each motor takes approximately 0.25 milliseconds to receive and
re-transmit a command. The command for the target motor will be
delayed according to the number of
motors between it and the controller, and the number of other
commands coming down the network. If the network may carry commands
to and from other devices and the motor has to wait while this
traffic passes before it can receive and read its instructions.
Response rate is a real
differentiator of servomotors and an indicator of the capability
of the on-board processors. In a worse case scenario long instructions
and low baud rate, we take 5ms to read,
receive and process an instruction. With typical faster baud rates
and command lengths, the time can come down to 1 ms. Using RS485
mode, the motors are connected in parallel to the network and
all motors read instructions simultaneously. A motor will ignore
an instruction unless it is addressed to that specific motor.
How long does it
take until a command is executed?
Depending on the PID tuning values,
execution time is around 0.3 milliseconds. The time taken for
RS-232 commands to pass along a set of SmartMotors in series is
as follows:
The time for the SmartMotor controller to process a 14 character
command, at 107 micro seconds per character is 1.5 ms.
The process time can be 1 to 6 servo cycles.
The servo rate is 4 kHz, 6 servo cycles in 1.5 ms.
Latency, the time for an incoming signal to be read, processed
and retransmitted as an output to the next motor on the RS-232
is 2 to 3 ms.
How long does it
take to transition out of Mode Follow to Position or Velocity
Mode?
Transition time to Position and Velocity
Mode is around 5.4 ms and 6.2 ms, respectively.

Torque
How long can a
SmartMotor?supply its peak torque?
The SmartMotor can supply peak torque
until the heat generated from the maximum current in the stator
winding raises the temperature of the electronics above 70 degrees
C. This time will depend on the ambient temperature and way the
application allows the motor to disperse heat. If a motor is fan
cooled, in cold air, or bolted to a large metal surface (which
aids cooling from heat conduction and radiation) the motor will
sustain peak torque for longer periods. A general answer is that
the motor could supply peak torque for 10 seconds every minute.
If it runs longer, more heat is generated which raises the temperature
of the microchip and electronics. Then the motor must run at a
lower power output, or stop, until it has cooled.
How will the torque-speed
curve change with a lower input voltage?
The downward slope of the curve will
remain the same, just shifted to the left by the ratio of the
input voltage and torque-speed curve voltage.
What do you mean
by peak torque and continuous torque in your brochure?
Peak torque was measured using a dynamometer
by attaching the SmartMotor? face place to a 10" x 10"
x _ " Al plate at room temperature. A pulley, attached to
the shaft, connected to an adjustable brake and data was collected
across a number of velocities.
The continuous ratings were the highest torque/speed SOAC readings
found for continuous operation.
The published peak torque values will cause a SmartMotor?starting
from room temperature to shut down within 30 to 45 seconds. Normal
de-rating techniques must be applied when considering any applications
temperature and loading requirements. Note that the continuous
operation specifications appear lower than those that would be
calculated for a standard BLDC servomotor given our motors specifications
and thermal capacitance. Thermal loading of system by the drive
circuits account for these losses.
Is there a formula
to relate torque speed characteristics when a SmartMotor?is used
with a power supply delivering less than 45V?
There is a complex relationship between
the torque-speed curves and the applied voltage. You can predict
the peak torque at a given speed by the formula:
Torque = Maximum current x Torque constant
Maximum current = the unit's current limit or max motor coil current,
whichever is lower. For the SM17 and 23s, the unit current limit
is 12.5A, while that for the SM34 is 40A. The RTC is 3A.
The max coil current is calculated as follows:
max coil current = (bus voltage - back EMF)
coil resistance
(where back EMF = motor voltage constant x RPM)
The continuous torque is a function of heat dissipation. Bus
voltage has a negligible effect, as long as it is within the specified
operating range.

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