Controller Selection

What controller is best for your application? Learn about the different controllers and how to choose the right one in this short video.

Transcript

00:00:01 [Music] this video tutorial shows you how to find a suitable maximum controller for your application the controller being at the heart of a drive system has to fulfill several requirements the most important one is to match the required task what has to be controlled in the

00:00:25 application speed position or torque the second point to consider is the type of command and the general system architecture where do the commands come from and how do they look like is the master system a plc a pc host or a microcontroller or is there a simple voltage set value of course the controller needs to be

00:00:48 made for the motor type to be used be it brushed or brushless dc and it must match the sensor types in terms of supplying power and understanding the sensor signals the controller should be adapted to the supply voltage range and be able to handle the required electrical currents modern controllers are quite versatile concerning motor and encoder types

00:01:12 communication and operation modes this requires proper setup or configuration let me first give a very general overview on the maximum controller families the ascon family is the first choice when it comes to dynamic speed control with analog set value cost effective electronic commutation of

00:01:36 brushless motors and simple speed control can be achieved with the deck modules the members of the epos family are the standard positioning or motion controllers with can open interface the maxpos is a high-end position controller for extremely dynamic applications the control performance increases from

00:01:59 bottom to top in this representation deck and s-con are speed controllers epos and max pos are position controllers we need to have a look at the maximum controller families not only with the focus on what kind of control they're made for but also with the focus on how they communicate

00:02:21 the simplest way of commanding is by digital and analog in and outputs for example setting a speed by an analog voltage or changing direction with a digital high low voltage signal more sophisticated systems use bus communication with the master unit at maximum views the cost effective can open under high performing ethercat

00:02:43 interfaces it's quite clear that the general architecture of the system the master and the communication of the application at hand will have a major influence on the controller selection the second feature is the kind of control there are three main types torque control speed control and position control

00:03:06 torque controller motors is equivalent to current control it's the lowest control level controller with a torque control mode may be used as in a loop in an external speed or position control loop in speed control we have to distinguish between simple one quadrant speed control

00:03:26 usually working with low resolution feedback and dynamic four quadrant speed control with higher resolution feedback position controllers can usually also be set up as speed controls let us place the max and controller families in this scheme the deck modules are simple one quadrant open loop or closed loop speed

00:03:50 controllers based on the low resolution hull sensor feedback an analog 0 to 5 volt signal serves as a speed set value s-conservo controllers are four quadrant dynamic speed controllers for brushed or brushless motors the s-con controllers are commanded by digital and analog ios

00:04:12 there's no bus interface the usb connection serving for configuration purposes only the s-con controllers are very versatile concerning feedback and set value options as well as the configuration of the inputs and outputs epos positioning controllers are can open slaves

00:04:32 set values and all loader commands are sent across the can bus lower performance alternatives are the serial rs-232 or usb interfaces epos controllers are not only position controllers but can also be set up as torque or speed controllers epos 4 is the newest generation with

00:04:55 improved performance and power and a modular design that allows further implementation of additional features and communication options the max pos position controller is a high end ethercat slave with an extremely high control performance it is used in demanding application in terms of

00:05:16 dynamics precision and synchronization in summary the pure speed controllers deck and s-con are commanded by simple digital and analog i os only the position controllers e-pos and maxpos need a master system with more sophisticated bus communication simple ios will not do the job a short look at possible motors and

00:05:44 feedback sensors the main task of the deck modules is to provide block communication for brushless motors with hall sensors the hall sensors are also used to get a low resolution speed feedback there's no encoder feedback possible and the deck modules cannot be used with brushed motors s-con server controllers come in

00:06:09 different versions for brushed or brushless motors speed feedback can be provided by encoders or dc tachos or by hull sensors only open loop operation is possible as well there's even an escort module for sensorless ec motors feedback from encoders is mandatory for the positioning controllers

00:06:31 be it epos or max pulse depending on the exact controller type a variety of encoders can be used epos and maxpos can power brushed motors or brushless motors with hull sensors some practical issues when selecting a controller power the main difference between the different versions within one controller family

00:06:55 is the supply voltage range and the current capabilities indicated in the designation the maximum current rating is typically twice or three times higher than the continuous current rating and can be available up to a minute between the different controller types there may also be differences in the number and functionality

00:07:16 of the additional ios select the version that fits best to your application maximum controllers are made for a wide variety of motors and sensors check in the max and selection guide if the electrical interfaces of the particular motor and controller match or if special adapters cables and connectors are needed some combinations may also need

00:07:40 additional inductances or motor chokes this is particularly the case when using modules the intention of the controller modules is to be integrated in the electronics of the application however for testing there are evaluation boards available with all the necessary electrical connections capacitors and motor chokes in place

00:08:02 for all the controllers all the documentation and software is for free and can be found on the maxim website as a summary what are typical application fields for the maxim controllers the deck is a simple speed controller typically used for applications such as roller blind drives blowers and pumps or cutting and

00:08:26 grinding devices the s-con is a very versatile dynamic current and speed controller it can be used when the requirements about control performance are higher as in conveyor drives all kinds of handheld tools and scanners the epos is the standard solution for positioning and or if a bus communication is

00:08:48 required typical applications include all kind of actuators laboratory automation door drives and similar maxposs is a high dynamic and fast controller requiring a high speed ethercat master system it's perfect for demanding multi-access control as in robotics

00:09:09 pick and place and on-the-fly processing that's it an introduction to maximum controller families and how to select them [Music] you