IC Controls Motion Of Single Axis In Microstepping Apps

Developed to control the motion of a single axis in microstepping applications, the Pilot MC3410 CMOS chip requires a 5V supply and is driven by a host microprocessor through an asynchronous bi-directional serial port, giving users the ability to offload resource intensive motion control functions from the application's host. The motion processor outputs a selectable 10-bit, 20-kHz PWM, an 8-bit, 80-kHz PWM, or a 16-bit, DAC-compatible motor command signal. The microstepping rate can be programmed to designate the desired number of microsteps per full step, from 1 to 256. The microstepping Pilot offers user-selectable profiling modes including S-curve, trapezoidal and velocity contouring. Driven by the host, the motion control chip accepts input parameters such as position, velocity and acceleration to generate the trajectory. Price of the 132-pin Pilot MC3410 is $28 each in OEM quantities.