The new PI C-867 piezomotor compact DSP controller is entirely self-contained with a powerful drive amp. The C-867 runs a patented algorithm which transparently adapts to resonant piezomotor's unusual physics.
Tuning-free control techniques and soft controllers will make motor controllers a component of the past
Software support stands out when selecting a motor controller. Does the vendor make it easy to move from model to model without big code rewrites? How about from interface to interface — can you move from USB to TCP/IP without lots of headaches? And you can’t forget about neat and serviceable cabling - one of the biggest contributor to reliability.
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Performance and cost are equally critical. Increased I/O count could eliminate a PLC entirely and it’s important to pay attention to the ease of programmability and commissioning. Motor parameter such as resistance, inductance, poles and moment of inertia, RPM range, environmental conditions, inrush limiting and efficiency also factor into the equation.
Looking Back
Motor controller technology has advanced in the past few years, driven by a need for faster throughput, a smaller footprint and added capabilities.
“Motion providers have gotten the message that motion applications require fast throughput and tight synchronization,” says Scott Jordan, Director of NanoAutomation Technologies & Business Development at PI USA. “Time is money and we're starting to see advances in interfacing and software capabilities.”
Incremental advancements in automation have been a rapid benefit when it comes to application repeatability and cost savings; and more powerful features are being packed into smaller packages. According to Max Wietham, VP Sales and Marketing at Intelligent Motion Systems, “more universal and open communication architectures will provide more flexibility to the user.”
Moving Forward
Further integration is the future. As controllers continue to be packaged in the same physical space of a motor, pump or blower, the component will continue to stray from standalone and into a more complete end product.
“I think we’ll begin to see the end of what users resentfully view as the burden of tuning and all its wizardry, complication and danger,” says Jordan. “[Users] don’t have to tune their other equipment; from their perspective it’s high time that motion providers addressed this difficult and mysterious process. Fortunately, after a couple decades of ineffective attempts, we’re starting to see tuning-free technology that actually works ... controllers’ presence will soon become as taken-for-granted as the automatic transmission in your car.”
“Companies that design more efficient and powerful basic core control components will enable controller manufacturers to apply them to new, more powerful designs,” says Wietham. “The leading edge controller manufacturers will be aggressive in integrating into new designs.”
Changes
Controllers, as they are known in the industry, will continue to change in functionality and form factor, but will remain a necessity.
According to Jordan, controllers won’t be rendered obsolete anytime soon, he simply thinks they'll be increasingly hidden and tucked away into motion hardware. It's already apparent as stages and some motors have controls and drives built into the hardware.