Motion control: Automation solution provides four-axis motion control

Baldor Electric launched a new version of the company’s 'all-in-one' motion automation solution supplied in a rugged, ready-to-use packaged form. The company says its NextMove-ESB2 offers control for servo and stepper motor axes, together with onboard I/O and fieldbus connectivity.

By Control Engineering Staff December 27, 2007

Baldor Electric launched a new version of the company’s ‘all-in-one’ motion automation solution supplied in a rugged, ready-to-use packaged form. The company says its NextMove-ESB2 offers control for servo and stepper motor axes, together with onboard I/O and fieldbus connectivity. It expands servo control capability from three to four axes, allowing designers to provide a complete x, y, z,θ positioning control solution. Among the target applications are pick and place machines, high speed printing, packaging, labeling and machine tools, and common process automation needs including positioning stages, robotics, and rotary knives.Based on an advanced DSP core, controller delivers exceptional real-time performance. The company says it supports servo-loop closure times of 100μs with six-term closed-loop control (PID, velocity, acceleration feed forward, and velocity feedback). The unit’s four stepper axes provide pulse and direction outputs at up to 500 kHz.In addition, the product includes a free encoder input that designers can use as a master axis. The servo axes could be programmed to perform actions that follow the master at some synchronized interval, for example. Depending on the drives chosen, the module’s stepper outputs may also be used for servo motor control, making the module capable of controlling up to eight precision servo motor axes.Onboard I/O connections allow users to employ the module for machine control as well as motion—potentially eliminating the need for a separate controller such as a PLC. The I/O comprises 20 digital inputs, 12 digital outputs, two 12-bit differential analog inputs, a CANopen-compatible fieldbus port, and two serial ports including a 12 Mbits/sec USB interface.The USB interface provides automation OEMs who build machines with PC hosts or user interfaces with opportunities for enhancing the ruggedness of their equipment, and simplifying manufacture, by allowing the motion control subsystem to be panel mounted in the optimal location inside the machine, instead of a PC expansion slot.For other Baldor news from Control Engineering, also read: Motion control: Fast feet for largest animatronic human figure ; see video, photos —Edited by C.G. Masi , senior editor