UIROBOT Stepper Drives

[uirobot]

About the heat. We have tested too much, if you motor generate heat much higher than 70 degree, we would say your motor is bad one or bad condition.
Our Stepper Motor Controller with aluminium heat sink enclosure and thermal grease and so on for heat dissipation, the controller itself generate little heat.

[liaoh75]

Uirobot, does that mean your stepper driver can take 60-70 degrees C day in and day out on the back of a NEMA 34 body stepper? Isn't that pretty close mil-spec thermal ratings? I know mil-spec rated PLCs have to be able to take 70 degrees for a set amount of time but not indefinite. My OM 7.2 geared 296 motor runs at about 50-60 degrees easily in the summer time. My Geckos in a well ventilated cabinet hums along at about 40-45 degrees when the ambient temperature is about 33-35 degrees C. I don't know of too many electronic goods being able to take that kind of punishment long term.

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by liaoh75

Uirobot, does that mean your stepper driver can take 60-70 degrees C day in and day out on the back of a NEMA 34 body stepper? Isn't that pretty close mil-spec thermal ratings? I know mil-spec rated PLCs have to be able to take 70 degrees for a set amount of time but not indefinite. My OM 7.2 geared 296 motor runs at about 50-60 degrees easily in the summer time. My Geckos in a well ventilated cabinet hums along at about 40-45 degrees when the ambient temperature is about 33-35 degrees C. I don't know of too many electronic goods being able to take that kind of punishment long term.

I really appreciate your question. I am the Product Manager not Product Engineer. But I want to tell you that we tested our UIM24008 Stepper Motor Controller clockwise setting the current 8A and after we measured out the tempreature of our Controller is 68 degrees while the motor tempreature is higher. What I want to tell is that we design our products strictly according to our technical figures given out but for different application, we are glad to have your reports. Thanks!

[uirobot]

I like this wonderful forum, I am a fishing website owner I wrote on my website that I'd think a forum to spare spams the best way is setting a area for ads. In my eye you and I will find some related ads are useful.

Sorry, a little far away. Our English website is coming soon, now the User Manual of our stepper motor controllers are available in English. If you wanna take a look, please write me letters to tiger@uirobot.com

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by bradm

I think the key question is how to integrate these CAM or RS232 protocol drivers into Mach3 or EMC2.

Tiger, we normally use four motors on three axis. The X axis uses two motors. In some cases, five motors are used for four axis.

Can you tell us more about how these motors are interfaced to a (standard Windows) control computer, please?

Hello Bradm,

First thank you for your question. Our stepper motor controllers are integrally mounted onto motor through corresponding flanges. If your motor have rear shaft, a "L" type flange will be needed.

To control many motors at different Axis, you may adopt our CAN protocol stepper controller. A CAN/RS232 Converter is needed here. One Converter could at most connect to 112 motor at the same time and then be connected to your computer, you give out orders, we have Global Command so you can drive your motors synchronous. Also you can drive one by one.

UIrobot
Tiger Huang
tiger@uirobot.com

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by Richards

There are a lot of factors that are hiding in the background. Most of us use the Geckodrive products, particularly the G203v, which has 2000 steps per rotation, automatic current reduction, LED indicator (yellow) that shows when the drive is pulling too much current, and fail-safe operation that protects the user from self-inflicted self-destruction.

What does this drive offer that the Geckodrive does not offer?

Richard,

Thank you for your feedback!

Our UIM 240 Series may do all the work Geckodrive can do.
UIM 241 with RS232 and UIM 242 with CAN will different from theirs. UIM 241 and UIM 242 Series are standalone, you don't need an extra controller to control driver. We can control at most 112 motors at the same time using UIM 242 Series and the CAN/RS232 Converter.

I am glad to send you our User Manual if you wanna know much more. Thanks again.

UIrobot
Tiger Huang
tiger@uirobot.com

[Gerald D]

Originally Posted by uirobot

. . . I'd think a forum to spare spams the best way is setting a area for ads. In my eye you and I will find some related ads are useful. . . .

The limit is to have only one thread per advertiser. Your new thread has been joined to this one.

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by isladelobos

and about electrical noise? and wire lenght?

RS232 100M and CAN protocol 10 killometers.

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by Gerald D

The limit is to have only one thread per advertiser. Your new thread has been joined to this one.

That's fine.
Here I claim that our User Manual in English are available, welcome asking for a look. Our Stepper Motor Controllers are 14 non-condtional refundable and changeable.

[liaoh75]

Uribot, would you be willing to post a video of your drivers working (mounted on the back of the stepper) with nema34 steppers running under Mach3?

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by liaoh75

Uribot, would you be willing to post a video of your drivers working (mounted on the back of the stepper) with nema34 steppers running under Mach3?

I am sorry that we cann't run under Mach 3.

[Kobus_Joubert]

Don't you have Mach3 or is your drivers not capable ? Mach3 takes in standard G-code. I not understand.

[bradm]

Kobus, as suspected above, it appears that these drivers will not accept a simple step/direction signal. They can be controlled via RS-232 or CAN bus. Both of those are too slow to transfer the pulse train that Mach3 and/or EMC2 generate.

There's an outside chance that with serious software rework, someone could write a (software) driver for these that sent the higher order commands from the trajectory planner inside Mach3 or EMC2, but that would be a lot of work, and has not been demonstrated successfully in other attempts. The issue is that keeping the movements of multiple axis in precise synchronization while using a slow communications link is extremely difficult.

[Kobus_Joubert]

I am not so sure. I think he is shoothing himself in the foot.

From the data in previous post nr.14 this is what I see.

UIM2400Series.JPG

[bradm]

True, that would work, assuming you find a way to get the signals there.

[Kobus_Joubert]

No problem, leave the controller in your box and only extend the motor wires like we do in any case.

This thing does not have to be mounted ON the stepper, even if it has the facility.

[normand blais]

they dont even need to be in the box

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by Kobus_Joubert

Don't you have Mach3 or is your drivers not capable ? Mach3 takes in standard G-code. I not understand.

I am sorry that I don't know Mach3.

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by bradm

Kobus, as suspected above, it appears that these drivers will not accept a simple step/direction signal. They can be controlled via RS-232 or CAN bus. Both of those are too slow to transfer the pulse train that Mach3 and/or EMC2 generate.

There's an outside chance that with serious software rework, someone could write a (software) driver for these that sent the higher order commands from the trajectory planner inside Mach3 or EMC2, but that would be a lot of work, and has not been demonstrated successfully in other attempts. The issue is that keeping the movements of multiple axis in precise synchronization while using a slow communications link is extremely difficult.

High speed RS232: 115200 bps
high efficient CAN (UI CAN): 1M bps
One full CAN message takes: ~100 micro seconds (tested)
total node number x: ~100 (designed for, not tested)

[bradm]

100 microseconds = 10,000 updates per second.

200 steps/rev stepper motor at 10 microsteps = 2,000 steps per revolution.

10,000 / 2,000 = 5 revolutions per second = 300 RPM on the stepper motor.

Assuming 20 tooth, 20 pitch gear on a MechMate = about 3.14 inches per revolution. Times 5 revolutions per second is 15.7 inches per second or 942 IPM.

That sounds good, until you factor in updates to 4 or more motors on that bus, and you're down to 235 IPM or less, and that's assuming perfect performance.

And that is direct drive, and we generally have either gearbox or belts in the range of 3.6 to 7.2 to 1. So cut that down to 32 to 65 IPM. That's very slow.

Even with a dedicated CAN bus for each motor, it's still only 128 to 256 IPM.

Somebody check my math, I've been mistake prone lately

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by bradm

I think the key question is how to integrate these CAM or RS232 protocol drivers into Mach3 or EMC2.

Tiger, we normally use four motors on three axis. The X axis uses two motors. In some cases, five motors are used for four axis.

Can you tell us more about how these motors are interfaced to a (standard Windows) control computer, please?

USER <<==High speed RS232==>>UIM250 Converting Controller <<== high efficient CAN (UI CAN) ==>>UIM242xx Motor Controller (Node 1) <<== high efficient CAN (UI CAN)==>> UIM242xx Motor Controller (Node 2) ...<<== high efficient CAN (UI CAN) ==>> UIM242xx Motor Controller (Node x) .

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by Richards

There are a lot of factors that are hiding in the background. Most of us use the Geckodrive products, particularly the G203v, which has 2000 steps per rotation, automatic current reduction, LED indicator (yellow) that shows when the drive is pulling too much current, and fail-safe operation that protects the user from self-inflicted self-destruction.

What does this drive offer that the Geckodrive does not offer?

Richards,

Our UIM 240 Parallel Model is a driver, UIM 241 Serial and UIM 242 CAN protocol are intellegient controller, no need extra control card or so. UIM 242 can control synchronous 112 motors at most, who can make it.

[uirobot]

Originally Posted by KenC

I do see some advantages, by mount the driver on the motor, we will eliminate any potential noise within the control panel, just wire the DC power & smaller shielded signal wires from the bob to the motors.

Cheaper cable cost as we can use cat 5 instead of those expensive big 1mm2 shielded power cables... the power cable can be a 2 core 1.5mm2 normal cable....

Maybe we don't even need the cat5 for the signal to the motor...

Maybe we can build (smaller) dedicated power supply units & install them right next to each motor....

Yeah, Ken
You do not need shielded power cables and even the cat 5. Normal cable with do all the work. It can connect User Device by RS232 cable with DB9, DB15 or DB25

[liaoh75]

Do you have a model that will work with Mach3 and take step and direction pulses?

[Kobus_Joubert]

I think this one will do it at 4 Amp David
UIM24004B
1-9pcs 48USD

[danilom]

Look on this page

http://en.uirobot.com/robot-archive-a-357.html

Communication: 3-wire, Step, Direction, and Enable signals
DIR, SPD, CUR, STP, Microsteppers

UIM240XX Stepper Motor Controller

[uirobot]

UIM24302 Parallel Micro stepper motor controller

Product Feature:

Micro Size, 16mm*24mm*2.5mm
Embedded stepping pulse generator, adjustable frequency
ON/OFF, Reset, Direction 3-wire control
10-35V DC, 2A adjustable phase current, 16 microstepping
TTL Logic control

[Kobus_Joubert]

I found more info on the UIM24004 driver....the one that will take STEP and DIRECTION pulses.

http://www.slidesandballscrews.com/p...ish_%20_2_.pdf

In the documentation is states:

Low-Level pulse duraion should > 8 uS
Max Pulse frequency is 50 kHz

How does this compare to the Gecko ?

[Gerald D]

Kobus got his MM to run on UI Robot drives today.

[Richards]

The Geckodrive G203v requires a minimum High-Level pulse of 2uS. It has a Maximum Pulse Frequency of 333kHz.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Supply Voltage: 15 to 80 VDC
Phase Current: 0 to 7 Amps
Auto Current Reduction: 71% of set current, 1 second after last Step Pulse
Size: 2.5”W, 2.5”D, .85”H (63.5mm, 63.5mm, 21.5mm)
Mounting Pattern: 4 6-32 screws, 1.75” by 2.375” (44.5 mm, 60 mm)
Weight: 3.6 oz. (100 gm)
Quiescent Current: 20 Ma or less (drive disabled)
Short-circuit trip current: 10A, 3uS response time
Step Frequency: 0 to 333 kHz
Step Pulse “0” Time: 2uS min (Step on rising edge)
Temp: 0 to 70 C
Step Pulse “1” Time: 1 uS min
Humidity: 0 to 95 % (non-condensing)
Direction Setup: 200nS before step pulse rising edge
200nS hold after step pulse rising edge
Power Dissipation: 1 to 13 W (0 to 7 Amps)