PC-based Motion Control / Drive Motion Controllers
Last Updated: January 16, 2025 Reviewed by: Jon Lowy, consulting engineer
Description
PC-based motion control systems are designed to manage and control the movement of machinery and equipment using a personal computer as the central processing unit. These systems integrate hardware and software to execute precise control over multiple axes of motion, enabling complex and coordinated movements in industrial and manufacturing settings.
Working Principle
PC-based motion controllers operate by utilizing the computational power of a personal computer to process and execute motion control algorithms. The system typically involves a host PC that runs motion control software, which communicates with motion control cards installed at the PC board level. These cards are responsible for providing multi-axis motion control for various types of motors, such as brushed servo, brushless servo, stepping, and microstepping motors. The use of advanced algorithms allows for real-time processing, optimizing the control of movements and ensuring high precision and accuracy. The integration of a real-time operating system in some controllers, like the UltimET Advanced, reduces latency and enhances performance by dedicating processing power specifically to motion control tasks .
Applications
PC-based motion controllers are widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, where precise control of movements across multiple axes is crucial. They are also employed in robotic systems for the coordinated control of industrial robots, enabling tasks such as assembly, welding, and material handling. Additionally, these controllers are utilized in CNC machines for tasks that require high precision and complex motion paths .
Advantages over other Motion Controllers
One of the primary advantages of PC-based motion controllers is their ability to handle complex and demanding applications that require high computational power. By leveraging the processing capabilities of a PC, these systems can execute sophisticated algorithms and manage large amounts of data efficiently. This makes them particularly suitable for applications that demand high precision and real-time processing. Furthermore, the flexibility of PC-based systems allows for easy integration and customization, accommodating a wide range of industrial applications .
Limitations
Despite their advantages, PC-based motion controllers can face limitations in terms of speed and code size due to the dependency on the host PC for executing control algorithms. This can result in increased latency and reduced performance in some scenarios. Additionally, the initial setup and configuration of PC-based systems can be complex and may require specialized knowledge and expertise .
Considerations
When considering the implementation of PC-based motion control systems, it is important to evaluate factors such as initial costs, which can be high due to the need for specialized hardware and software. Operating expenses should also be considered, as these systems may require regular updates and maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Durability and accuracy are critical factors, as the system's ability to maintain precision over time can impact overall productivity. Replacement and maintenance costs should be factored into the decision-making process, as these can vary depending on the complexity and scale of the application .
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Digital servo controller for BIX piezo inertia drives E-881 n For two-phase inertia drives n Position-controlled operation n Open-loop step operation n Emulator available Integrated power amplifier and voltage generator for two-phase piezo inertia drives. Position-controlled operation with encoder. [See More]
- Product: PC-Based; For two-phase inertia drives
- Axes: 1.0
- PC-Based Bus: Other; TCP/IP | USB
- DC Input: -10 to 10
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Key Features. 62.5 µs (250 µs) microsecond per axes servo update rate. Up to 8 axes of motion control. Controls servo motors, step motors, and hydraulics. Maximum encoder input rate up to 22 MHz (Accelera). Non-volatile program memory. Multitasking of four independent programs. Modes of... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 12
- Axes: 1.0 to 4.0
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Recommended Controller Configuration for Drives with Incremental Sensors, 1 to 3 Axes. For PiezoWalk ® NEXLINE ® drives. Up to 3 axes. Highly stable 20-bit D/A converters. Control frequency 50 kHz. Extensive software package. Coordination of motion. The E-713 motion controller coordinates... [See More]
- Product: Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- Axes: 3.0
- PC-Based Bus: Other; TCP/IP | USB
- AC Input: 100 to 240
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
For operation of the P-616 6D NanoCube ®. Ideal for silicon photonics applications. Integrated scanning routines for fiber optic alignment. High-resolution analog inputs for detecting the optical signal. Comprehensive software package. Coordination of motion. For controlling 6-axis parallel... [See More]
- Product: Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- Motor / System: For piezo-driven positioners with strain gauge sensors
- Axes: 6.0
- AC Input: 100 to 240
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Recommended Controller Configuration for Drives with Incremental Sensors, 3 Axes. For PiezoWalk ® PICMAWalk drives. Up to 3 axes. Highly stable 20-bit D/A converters. Control frequency 50 kHz. Extensive software package. Coordination of motion. The E-713 motion controller coordinates the motion... [See More]
- Product: Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- Axes: 3.0
- PC-Based Bus: Other; TCP/IP | USB
- AC Input: 100 to 240
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
For PICMA ® piezo actuators. Up to 6 axes. Highly stable 20-bit D/A converters. Control frequency max. 50 kHz. Optional: high-resolution analog inputs and outputs. Comprehensive software package. Coordination of motion. The E-713 Motion Controller supports piezo nanopositioning systems with... [See More]
- Product: Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- Motor / System: For piezo nanopositioning systems with capacitive sensors
- Axes: 6.0
- AC Input: 100 to 240
from PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Fully-integrated servo-controller with drive. Compact benchtop device, external AC/DC-power supply. For voice coil drives, DC motors, and brushless 3-phase motors; quiet PWM drives. Encoder inputs support incremental (analog sine/cosine) and absolute (BiSS-C, EnDat 2.2) encoders. Output current up... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- Motor / System: DC Brushed; DC Brushless; Voice Coil
- Axes: 1.0
- DC Input: 24 to 48
from Mad City Labs, Inc.
QS-PLL ™ is an atomic force microscope (AFM) controller designed for use with resonant probes, such as tuning forks, and Mad City Labs nanopositioners and micropositioners. The controller integrates motion control and phase lock loop (PLL) control thus streamlining the hardware interface. [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- Frequency: 50 Hz; 60 Hz
- Axes: 1.0 to 3.0
- Power: 90 to 260
from Prior Scientific, Inc.
The Prior PCI II incorporates a 32 bit BUS that communicates at speeds of 133 MBps. This yields a communication response time of less than 250 nanoseconds - over 100 times faster than standard RS232 communications. The Prior PCI II controller is capable of driving the stage at step sizes as small as... [See More]
- Product: Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 6.0
from Galil
The CDS-3310 is a single-axis controller and drive system for precisely controlling a brush or brushless servo motor. It combines a high-performance, programmable motion controller with a 500W PWM drive in a compact, cost-effective package. The CDS-3310 provides a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet port and up... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; PC-Based; MCU
- Axes: 1.0
- Resolution: 32
- Motor / System: DC Brushed; DC Brushless; DC Servo; AC Servo; Microstepping Motor; Linear
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Complete motion capabilities include: point-to-point; linear, circular, helical, and spherical interpolation; velocity profiling; electronic gearing; on-the-fly trajectory modification; high speed I/O; camming. 1 to 32 axes of scalable, synchronized motion. Utilizes the power of the... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- Axes: 32.0
- Resolution: 16
- Setup: Computer
from Yushin America, Inc.
It offers excellent operability with a 7.5 inch colored LCD panel and function keys. Quick response of picture conversion enables fast operation.SD card is adopted as a memory medium. SD card is adopted as a memory medium. Teaching data can be backed up in the SD card and data copy to another robot... [See More]
- Product: Robotic; PC-Based
- Setup: Manual; Computer; Control Panel; Handheld
- PC-Based Bus: Other
- Operating Mode: Other
from Parker Hannifin / Automation / Electromechanical Division - Europe
1-8 axes of stepper/servo control (any combination). Outputs standard +/- 10V or step & direction. Servo update rates of 62.5 axis. Motion Planner Software provided 10 Mbps twisted pair Ethernet. TCP/IP and UDP protocol. 4-8 digital outputs [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: Other; Ethernet
- Resolution: 12
- Axes: 1.0 to 8.0
from Galil
The DMC-18x0 PCI motion controller is a member of the Optima Series, Galil's prior-generation, multi-axis motion controllers. The DMC-18x0 controller accommodates 1- through 8-axis formats and allows control of step or servo motors on any combination of axes. Any mode of motion can be programmed... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 1.0
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Rugged design. Panel mounting/rack mounting. Reliable 24 x 7 operation. Eight USB 2.0 ports. Four serial ports. Optional SSD. Horizontal or flat mounting [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- AC Input: 120
- PC-Based Bus: ATA; Other; USB; Serial Ports; SATA
- DC Input: 24
from Yushin America, Inc.
Eye-Friendly, Large, Full-Color Touch Panel It offers excellent operability with a 10.4 inch full-color touch panel and function keys. User-Friendly Operation "Operator Panel" offers simple, no-fuss operation. "Audio Guidance" function gives audible support to make even complicated operations easy. [See More]
- Product: Robotic; PC-Based
- Setup: Manual; Computer; Control Panel; Handheld; Wireless; Web Enabled
- PC-Based Bus: Other; Wireless
- Operating Mode: Other
from Galil
The DMC-41x3 motion controller is Galil's latest generation Econo motor controller. Compared with the DMC-21x3 Econo controller, the DMC-41x3 offers the following enhancements: 100BASE-T Ethernet, aux RS232 port, USB port, uncommitted analog inputs, accepts 15 MHz encoder frequencies, more program... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 1.0
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Family of industrial PCs preconfigured with Aerotech's A3200 motion controller. Intel i5 and i7 processors. Rack or panel-mount versions. DVI and HDMI video outputs. Optional EtherCAT ™ or PROFINET interface. Real time, high-speed TCP stack ideal for smart cameras and... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- AC Input: 85 to 230
- PC-Based Bus: USB
- Power: 300
from Yushin America, Inc.
The E-touch Web controller has various networking functions. By establishing a network, you can conduct unitary control of all programs and data, and send data to/from remote plants. Functions available with this E-touch Web controller are copying of teaching data and programs, remote control, and... [See More]
- Product: Robotic; PC-Based
- Setup: Manual; Computer; Control Panel; Handheld; Wireless; Web Enabled
- PC-Based Bus: Other; Wireless
- Operating Mode: Other
from Galil
Galil's Econo Series motion controllers deliver precise, multi-axis control in a low-cost package. Prices for the 4-axis Econo controllers are as low as $395 in 1,000 quantities which is less than $100 per axis. Econo controllers don't stint on performance and can handle any mode of motion with... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 1.0
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Up to 4 axes of brush, stepper or brushless AC motors. Aerotech's FlashConfig feature automatically configures axis parameters based on the connected stage type. Touch screen with intuitive menu-driven interface for quick and easy access to system functionality. Joystick input for... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- Motor / System: DC Brushed; DC Brushless (optional feature); Stepper Motor
- Axes: 4.0
- AC Input: 100 to 230
from Yushin America, Inc.
Equipped with the eye-friendly large LCD. This display has a high level of visiblity. Icon selection is possible on the menu panel. The user-friendly raised silicone keys are featured on the pendent. Designed for operators to push the keys firmly. SD card is available. Backup and copy of teaching... [See More]
- Product: Robotic; PC-Based
- Setup: Manual; Control Panel; Handheld
- PC-Based Bus: Other
- Operating Mode: Other
from Galil
The DMC-18x6 motion controller is Galil's highest performance PCI bus motion controller. It belongs to Galil's latest generation motion controller family: the Accelera Series, which accepts encoder inputs up to 22 MHz, provides servo update rates as high as 32 kHz, and processes commands as fast as... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 32
- Axes: 1.0
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Up to 10 axes of coordinated motion. Multiple 10-axis systems can be controlled by a single PC via Ethernet or USB. Controller architecture capable of coordinating motion of up to five independent tasks. Capable of driving and controlling linear or rotary brushless, DC brush servo... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: Other; Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 10.0
from Galil
The DMC-40x0 motion controller is Galil's highest performance, stand-alone motion controller. It belongs to Galil's latest generation motion controller family: the Accelera Series, which accepts encoder inputs up to 22 MHz, provides servo update rates as high as 32 kHz, and processes commands as... [See More]
- Product: Controller / Drive; Multi-Axis; PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: PCI
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 1.0
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Complete motion capabilities include: point-to-point; linear, circular, helical and spherical interpolation; velocity profiling; electronic gearing; on-the-fly trajectory modification; high speed I/O; camming. 1 to 32 axes of scalable, synchronized motion. Utilizes the power of the... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- Axes: 32.0
- PC-Based Bus: Other
- Motor / System: Linear
from Aerotech, Inc.
Design Features. Positioning control for brushless, DC brush-type or stepping motors. Available in models up to 150 A peak current. Ethernet, USB or RS-232 connectivity. Digital current loop. Integral shunt resistor network or optional external shunt. Optional encoder multiplier (opto x1000). CE... [See More]
- Product: PC-Based
- PC-Based Bus: Other; Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP
- Resolution: 16
- Axes: 1.0