Rack combines eight-axis motion control with an IPC

Published: 28 January, 2014

A British company has come up with an all-in-one motion control system which integrates an industrial PC, a touchscreen HMI, an eight-axis motion controller with servo or stepping motor drivers, and a 90–240V power supply, all in 19” rack. MotionLink claims that the Servostep PC is the first integrated system of its type.

The PC uses the Windows 7 operating system (with Linux as an option) running on a solid-state drive. A software keyboard displayed on the 7” touchscreen can be used for on-screen programming, with the option of using an external keyboard, mouse and monitor. The 3U rack includes Ethernet, USB, RS-232 and WiFi connections.

The system can drive brushed or brushless servomotors, or two- or five-phase steppers up to 3A/phase with selectable resolutions up to 12,800 steps per revolution. There are trapezoidal and sinusoidal servo amp options for servo and linear motors, and the amplifiers can deliver up to 600W.

MotionLink claims that it its integrated PC and motion controller is the first of its kind

There are motion commands for: jogging at a continuous speed; linear interpolation of any combination of axes; 2D linear and circular interpolation of any pair of axes; cam profile generation; and gearing and gantry modes.