ACS Motion Control has developed an EtherCAT slave Universal Drive Module that directly drives one or two axes. Designated the SPiiPlus UDMnt, the Universal Drive Module operates as an EtherCAT slave device to any SPiiPlus EtherCAT master controller. The SPiiPlus UDMnt supports AC servo, DC brushless, DC brush, closed and open loop 2- and 5-phase step motors. In addition, many UDMnt devices can be linked together on a network, allowing up to 32 axes of fully coordinated control.
"The SPiiPlus UDMnt drive is an economical, yet high performance product that can be used as part of a completely distributed control network or as an auxiliary drive to complement an ACS MC4U integrated control system," said Jason Goerges, sales and support manager at ACS Motion Control. "ACS' SPiiPlus EtherCAT family of products offer advanced, high-level machine control with a smaller footprint and lower cost when compared to competing control solutions. Our universal drive technology provides a flexible solution for all motor topologies, helping to reduce costs by enabling users to run multiple axes from one drive module."
The SPiiPlus UDMnt is available in a 5A, 10A, or 20A peak current rating at up to 60Vdc bus voltage, and has dedicated encoder and limit inputs as well as general purpose I/O and robust fault protection. The drive performs real-time control of position, velocity and current at a 20kHz update rate for each axis.