5th generation design rejuvenates dc drives, goes all digital

Alpharetta, Ga. —New to North America, Simoreg 6RA70 DC Master—a 5thgeneration dc drive—has joined Siemens’ MasterDrives family. With modular design in the forefront, the same micropro-cessor (MPU) board and firm-ware work across the drive’s entire output range and five operating voltages (400-830 V ac), which make 6RA70 a truly global product. Typical pow-er rating is 7.5-1,000 hp at 500 V dc; but special designs go up to 8,000 hp. DC Master commonality with AC MasterDrives now extends to option cards, operator interfaces, and setting of parameters to offer an integrated series of applied ac and dc drives.

6RA70 DC Master also adds muscle for controls. Processing power is six times greater than the previous generation Simoreg drive. Two, 16-bit processors handle 83 nsec execution time. To increase power output, a “paralleling function” allows linking of up to six drives in a master/slave arrangement that includes redundant capability. Siemens calls 6RA70 DC Master a fully digital drive. No potentiometers or jumpers are used—even for analog input selection and bus terminator settings. “So if a part needs replacement, no hardware settings will be missed,” says Craig Nelson, dc drives product specialist.

A flash EPROM eases firmware upgrades, while an Ecks, Boolean logic, and control functions are built in. “This approaches the functionality of an onboard PLC,” adds Mr. Nelson. 6RA70 DC Master communicates via Profibus-DP, DeviceNet, CAN, Simolink, and various other protocols. www.sea.siemens.com .

Siemens Energy & Automation

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