Credit-card sized control drives most servos

A Californian company has developed a servo control not much larger than a credit card that, it claims, will operate almost any small brushed or brushless DC servo motor. Animatics Corporation says that its RTC3000 controller incorporates all of the elements - controller, amplifier, power supplies and memory - needed to create a standalone servo controller.

The card`s technology and its command set are similar to those used in Animatic`s SmartMotor servo motor that integrates a complete control and amplifier system on the back of a standard brushless servo motor. The card, which operates from a 24V supply, incorporates inputs for encoders, Hall sensors, and general-purpose I/O, as well as a port for connecting peripherals such as displays and pushwheels.

Up to 120 RTC3000 cards can be linked via an RS-485 network with individual cards located next to each motor. This allows complex multi-axis machines to be controlled with a minimum of system wiring, and with control and I/O functions being distributed throughout the machine.