Nanotec's new PD4-N series of Plug&Drive motors are ideally suited for distributed tasks

Nanotec's new PD4-N series of Plug & Drive motors is ideally suited for distributed tasks

The PD4 models are the result of continual advancement of Nanotec's successful Plug & Drive motor series. The motors integrate a positioning controller and an encoder. Compared to a solution with an external controller, a large part of the cabling expense has been eliminated – just the power supply and the fieldbus interface still need to be wired. Additional sensors and actuators can be connected to the motor inputs and outputs.

dspDrive for silent operation

The latest generation of Nanotec hardware is no longer controlled by a standard IC; instead it is controlled directly by a digital signal processor using dspDrive® processing. While conventional ICs measure the winding current and the target current value with only 6 or 8 bits, the new dspDrive carries out the entire control loop with a resolution of 12 bits.

The parameters of the PI current controller can be adjusted to the motor and its target speed. The advantage is very smooth, low-resonance operation with a sinusoidal current in the windings.

In the ClosedLoop mode, the Plug & Drive motors of the PD series behave like servomotors because of the field-oriented control. In contrast to the position readjustment which was typical of stepper motors up to now, here the stator magnetic field is controlled via the rotary encoder, just like a servomotor. The conventional stepper motor noise and resonances disappear – up to its maximum torque, the motor can no longer lose steps. Particularly with speeds up 1500 rpm or, respectively, torques of up to 10 Nm, the sinusoidal commutated stepper motor is an economical alternative to conventional servosystems, as – unlike them – direct drive is possible without gearing.

Executable programs stored in the controller

With the Windows-based, user-friendly NanoPro software, customers are able to create and test complex axial movements without prior programming knowledge via the RS-485 interface. Together with movement sequences, machine parameters – such as spindle pitch, gear reduction and motor parameters, i.e. microstep mode, – can be adjusted via the software. After configuration, the 16 movement profiles stored in the PD4-N can be controlled by external signals via 6 inputs, enabling cost-effective and flexible integration in machinery.

NanoJ is readily available for comprehensively programming sequential controls. The polling and setting of digital I/Os – and access to all the parameters of the movement programs in connection with variables, loops, mathematical functions and everything else that distinguishes a fully functional, high-level programming language – makes a full control system out of the stepper motor controller. NanoCAN also offers convenient commissioning software for control via CANopen. Through the support of interpolated mode according to the CiA 402 standard, it is now possible to drive Plug & Drive motors for powerful CNC applications under CANOpen.

Plug & Drive motors

Plug & Drive motors with an integrated controller are ideally suited for economical drive solutions where speed and precise positioning are paramount. Thanks to their compact construction, they offer space-saving implementation and are compatible with standard stepper motors. In the optional IP 65 version, they can also be deployed under rugged ambient conditions.

Technical data: Operating voltage: 12-48 V Holding torque: 0.5-3 Nm