Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, introduces their new 4-axis SDM-20640 amplifier board designed for microstepping four stepper motors. Like all Galil DMC-21x3 multi-axis drives, the SDM-20640 attaches directly to the 96-pin DIN connector of the controller without any need for a cable. For 2-axis applications, Galil also offers their new SDM-20620.

"These new microstepping drives demonstrates Galil's commitment to its growing family of DMC-21x3 Controller n' Drive Sandwiches," says Lisa Wade, VP-Marketing and Sales. "The SDM-20640 gives value-conscious OEMs a high performance, multi-axis controller-and-drive solution that saves money because it eliminates any wiring between the controller and drives. It's also more cost-effective when compared to using separate single-axis drives."

The compact, 6.92" x 5.10" SDM-20640 includes four microstepping drives on a single board, with each amplifier able to drive a two-phase bipolar stepper motor operating at 18 VDC to 60 VDC at up to 3.5 Amps. The drives also produce 64 microsteps per full step or 256 steps per full cycle, resulting in 12,800 steps per revolution for a standard 200-step motor. The maximum step rate generated by the controller is 3,000,000 microsteps/second.

Additionally, the SDM-20640 features four user-selectable current settings: .5, 1, 2 and 3.5 amps; a user-selectable low-current mode that reduces current power by 75% when the motor is at a stop; and 8 uncommitted analog inputs with 12-bit ADC (16-bit optional), which allows inputs from joysticks or other analog sensors to be read by the DMC-21x3 motion controller.

A four-axis SDM-20640 is priced at $395 in 100 unit quantities. When combined with a DMC-2143 four-axis controller that sells for $795 in 100 unit quantities, the combined amplifier

and controller price comes to less than $300 per axis. Since the SDM-20640 attaches directly to the DMC-2143, there is no additional cabling or interconnect hardware required, which provides even greater savings. Delivery is available immediately from stock.

Galil also offers multi-axis drives for other motor types. These include the SDM-20240 full- and half-step drives for four stepper motors, AMP-20340 linear amplifiers for driving four 20-watt brush servo motors, AMP-20440 PWM amplifiers for driving four 200-watt brush servo motors, and AMP-20540 PWM amplifiers for driving four 500-watt brushless or brush servo motors. For interface to external drives, the ICM-20100 interconnect is available. If required, Galil can customize amplifier boards for a nominal tooling fee.