Free GUI Motion-Control Software Expedites Designs

Oct. 15, 2001

Designers who use Performance Motion Devices' Developer's Kit (DK) for motion-control designs now have a new tool from the company to expedite their work. Known as Pro-Motion, this Windows GUI software uses dialog boxes and point-and-click features to let designers quickly display and modify all motion-processor parameters. With it, designers also can manually tune a motor and graphically monitor trace data.

The company is providing this development tool free of charge with each DK purchased. Each DK includes a motion-control board with the selected Performance Motion chip set, appropriate cables, manuals, and a CD-ROM that includes the new software. According to PMD, the software helps designers reduce their learning curve and save time, whether they are using the DK to evaluate a PMD product or exercising the full functionality of the chip set.

Pro-Motion is now available. Future releases will offer enhanced functionality, including event-driven scripting and multi-axis contouring, jogging, and homing, as well as an enhanced motor-turning function. The DK costs $995.

Performance Motion Devices Inc., 12 Waltham St., Lexington, MA 02421; (781) 674-9860; www.pmdcorp.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.