Sensor Technology has extended its new range of torque sensors with a model that has the sensing head and electronics in separate housings. This has two advantages: the sensing head can fit into very confined spaces, and the electronics can be located in a position where they are protected from physical damage, dust, dirt, moisture, […]
Motor and Motion Control
Unipolar vs. Bipolar drive for stepper motors, Part 2: Tradeoffs
Stepper motors can be configured for unipolar or bipolar drive; each approach has different performance attributes and tradeoffs. The previous part of this article presented the basics of different coil windings and connections for unipolar and bipolar stepper-motor configurations. As in most engineering situations, the next questions are: what is the impact of these differences? […]
The brushed DC motor: Still a very viable option, Part 3: Drivers
Brushless DC and stepper motors may get more attention than the classic brushed DC motor, but the latter may still be a better choice in some applications. The attractiveness of brushed DC motors for some applications and the challenges of optimizing their performance has attracted vendors of special driver ICs which are well-suited for this […]
The brushed DC motor: Still a very viable option, Part 1: Operation
Brushless DC and stepper motors may get more attention than the classic brushed DC motor, but the latter may still be a better choice in some applications. Most designers looking to choose a small DC motor – a sub- or fractional-horsepower unit, typically – usually look initially at just two options: the brushless DC (BLDC) […]
Connectivity building blocks for motion control
Servo and variable frequency drive designs depend on compact and reliable electrical connections. Matt Hou • Sales Engineer • Dinkle International Today’s machinery and equipment — whether built for the consumer, commercial, or industrial markets — are increasingly relying on servo and variable frequency drive (VFD) devices to provide intelligent, efficient, and precise motor control. […]
Basics of motion-control profiles, Part 3: Implementations
How a motor ramps its angular position or rotational velocity from a starting point to the intended target value is a complicated topic which modern motor controllers address in many ways. Part 2 of this article looked at the basic ramping trajectories of the motion-control system. This final part briefly explores some standard motion-control ICs […]
Basics of motion-control profiles, Part 2: Ramp profiles
How a motor ramps its angular position or rotational velocity from a starting point to the intended target value is a complicated topic which modern motor controllers address in many ways. Part 1 was an introduction to issues related to motor and motion control. This part will focus on the topic of motor ramping and […]
Basics of motion-control profiles, Part 1: Context
How a motor ramps its angular position or rotational velocity from a starting point to the intended target value is a complicated topic which modern motor controllers address in many ways. Controlling the motion of a motor is a major design challenge since how a well a possible motor choice can ramp its speed and […]
