Motor Speed Controllers Specifications

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Drive Type Category of motor or system driven or controlled.



	Your choices are...
	DC Brushed Motor		Rotary brushed motors commutate via physical contacts, often spring-loaded graphite brushes biased against the commutation bar.
	DC Brushless Motor		Brushless motors commutate electronically with no physical brush contact. One common technique for positional feedback to control commutation is the use of Hall effect sensors to detect rotor position. Commutation options include trapezoidal and sinusoidal drive signals to the motor.
	DC Servomotor		DC servomotors can be of brush or brushless design, and are used for position control and other industrial automation applications. If brushless, the commutation of the three phases will typically be either trapezoidal or sinusoidal; the term "DC Brushless" often connotes trapezoidal commutation of a brushless motor with Hall Effect sensor feedback for commutation control.
	AC Induction Motor		Induction motors derive their name from the fact that current is induced into the rotor windings without any physical connection with the stator windings (which are directly connected to an AC power supply); adaptable to many different environments and capable of providing considerable power as well as variable speed control. Typically there is "slip," or loss of exact speed tracking with induction motors.
	AC Shaded Pole Motor		This motor contains an auxiliary winding around a portion of each pole of the motor. This winding, called the shading coil, provides the rotating magnetic field for the motor to run. These motors are often used for fans and can be varied in speed with TRIAC controls.
	Permanent Split Capacitor Motor		A PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) motor uses run and secondary windings, and a capacitor that is permanently connected to the power source. These motors are often used for fans and can be varied in speed with TRIAC controls.
	AC Synchronous Motor		Synchronous motors operate at constant speed up to full load. The rotor speed is equal to the speed of the rotating magnetic field of the stator; there is no slip. Reluctance and permanent magnet are the two major types of synchronous motors. A synchronous motor is often used where the exact speed of a motor must be maintained.
	AC Pole Number Control Drive		Pole number control is a feature that is applicable only to drives that work with Pole Changing Motors (PCMs). PNC is a method for changing the number of poles on the primary winding. PNC is useful in general-purpose speed control applications that involve two to four constant speeds.
	AC Sensorless Vector Drive		Vector drives employ independent control of both the voltage and frequency supplied to the motor for good speed control, and low-speed torque output approaching that of DC motors. Sensorless indicates that no feedback sensor such as an encoder or resolver is used.
	AC Vector / Feedback Drive		Vector drives employ independent control of both the voltage and frequency supplied to the motor for good speed control, and low-speed torque output approaching that of DC motors. An encoder, resolver, or other feedback device is employed to provide position and speed feedback for highly accurate speed control and maintenance.
	AC Servo / Brushless Motor		AC servomotors are typically permanent magnet, synchronous motors that can often have low torque-to-inertia ratios for high acceleration ratings. They frequently employ brushless commutation with feedback provided by Hall Effect sensors, and sinusoidal winding excitation.
	Unipolar Stepper Motor		In unipolar or bifilar stepper motors, the current flows in only one direction in each winding. Though simpler construction than a bipolar stepper, it does not typically generate as much torque.
	Bipolar Stepper Motor		Bipolar stepper motors employ two winding through which the drive current is alternated. Bipolar drives and motors typically generate more torque than unipolar systems, and they require more sophisticated electronic circuitry.
	Permanent Magnet Stepper Motor		Permanent magnets are used on the rotor. Step angles range from 1.5 to 30 degrees. It is the most common and versatile stepper motor. This includes both unipolar (bifilar) and bipolar types.
	Variable Reluctance Stepper Motor		Free-moving rotor; no residual torque is produced due to the lack of a permanent magnet. The rotor is instead composed of a soft iron metal. Rotor is also composed of its own very prominent poles, tending to stick out more than a rotor found on the PM version. Step angles: 7.5 to 30 degrees single power source required (like a bifilar PM motor). This is the least expensive stepper motor.
	Hybrid Stepper Motor		Consists of a heavily toothed PM rotor and toothed stators, plus prominent rotor poles like a VR rotor. Very fine step angles: 0.5 to 15 degrees. High-speed capability (less chance of a stall). Higher available torque than PM or VR stepper motors. Most effective but most expensive stepper motor type.
	Full-Step Motor		Full-step stepper motors move in increments of the actual magnetic "detent" positions. No electronic or control enhancement of resolution.
	Half-Step Motor		In half-step drive / control, the stepper motor can be positioned halfway between the magnetic stop positions. Resolution during drive is doubled, and the motor will advance to the next magnetic position when power is disconnected.
	Microstepping Motor		In "mini-stepping" or "micro-stepping" motors, a discrete number of angular positions are defined between each full step position such as 8, 16, or even much higher. Mini-stepping and micro-stepping are techniques using electronic control to enhance the position resolution of the control system.
	Linear Motor		Linear motors generate force only in the direction of travel. The motor technology resembles rotary motor technologies simply oriented in a linear fashion. Linear motors are capable of extremely high speeds, quick acceleration, and accurate positioning. Linear motor technologies include moving coil, moving magnet, AC switched reluctance design, AC synchronous design, AC induction or traction design, linear stepping design, DC brushed design, and DC brushless design.
	Voice Coil Motor		A voice coil motor consists of a magnetic coil placed in a magnetic field. When current is applied to the coil, electromagnetic flux is generated that causes the coil to move. So named due to its resemblance to audio speaker operation.
	Pneumatic Motor / System		Pneumatic motion control includes positioning and pressure / force control for systems composed of pneumatic valves and actuators such as cylinders, air motors, escapements and rotary stages.
	Hydraulic Motor / System		Hydraulic motion control includes positioning and pressure / force control for systems composed of hydraulic and electrohydraulic actuators such as cylinders, hydraulic motors, and rotary stages.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized or proprietary style of motor or axis drive.
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Product Classification


	Number of Axes / Motors		Number of axes or independent motors that the device can drive or control. Follower or dependent axes are often listed as "half" axes.
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	Rated Power		Power rating for the driven motor or actuator, often a nominal rating. Specified in watts or horsepower.
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	Application Categories		The categories below are additional descriptions of drive types. Many drives and controllers can be categorized as one or more of these; this set of categories is based directly on supplier terminology, and multiple descriptions are possible.
	Your choices are...
	Battery Controlled		Battery controlled drives are designed to operate on battery power and may have additional design considerations to extend battery life or in general make more efficient use of the available power.
	TRIAC Control		A drive that uses a TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current) as the output method to control an AC motor.
	PWM Drive		DC motor drive using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to regulate the DC voltage level output to the motor.
	DSP-based		Digital signal processors (DSP) are special microprocessors used where real-time manipulation of large amounts of digital data is required in order to improve or modify it. They are used for fast and high-resolution motion control, and special programming equipment is used to program the DSP chip.
	Microcontroller Based		Microcontrollers are complete computer systems on a chip, typically combining an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), memory, timer/counters, serial port, input/output ports (I/O) and a clock oscillator. Microcontrollers require programming from external devices.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary motion control or motor drive technology.
	Variable Speed Drive		Variable speed drives monitor and control industrial motor applications where speed control and adjustment is required.
	Multi-axis Controller		Motion controllers that control and/or monitor multiple independent axes of motion, typically one motor per axis.
	Robotic Motion Controller		Robotic controllers use digital motion control hardware and software for the coordinated multi-axis control of industrial robots and robotic systems
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	*Computer Bus (if PC-Based)*		This selection is for boards only that plug into the exiting bus of an industrial computer. These buses collectively can be considered "PC-Based."
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	ATA		Advanced technology attachment (ATA) is a serial interface standard that extends the ISA bus of the IBM PC-AT to attach peripherals. The original ATA is better known as IDE. There are several types of ATA. ATA-33 (Ultra ATA, Ultra DMA, UDMA and DMA-33) supports multiword DMA mode 3 running at 33 MBps. ATA-66, an ATA version proposed by Quantum Corporation and supported by Intel, doubles ATA-33's throughput to 66 MBps. ATA-100, another ATA version proposed by Quantum Corporation and supported by Intel, supports 100 MBps.
	Compact PCI		CompactPCI is a high-performance industrial bus that uses the electrical standards of the PCI bus packaged in a Eurocard. The specifications of the CompactPCI bus were developed and maintained by the PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group (PICMG). It is used extensively in systems that require high-speed transfer of data, such as data communication routers and switches, real-time machine control, real-time data acquisition, military systems, etc.
	IDE / EIDE		Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is an electronic interface between a computer motherboard and the computer's disk storage devices. The IDE interface is based on the IBM PC ISA 16-bit bus standard, but it is also used in computers that use other bus standards. There are also enhanced and partially enhanced versions of IDE referred to as EIDE that are commonly used in modern computers. The "Integrated Drive" refers to the disk drive controller being built into the logic board of the disk drive.
	ISA / EISA		Industry standard architecture (ISA) buses can handle 16-bit data transfers at a clock speed of 8 MHz. They are also capable of handling memory under 16 MB. Extended ISA (EISA) is an enhanced version of the ISA bus. EISA buses run at 8 MHz, are capable of 32-bit data transfers, and can access all memory in the system.
	MULTIBUS^® (I & II)		MULTIBUS^® is a popular, modular computer-systems architecture used in embedded applications in telecommunications, manufacturing automation, and networking. The original 16-bit design is referred to as MULTIBUS I. The current 32-bit version is called MULTIBUS II or IEEE 1296. MULTIBUS is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
	*PC/104 (PC/104-Plus, EBX, ETX)*		PC/104 derives its name from the acronym for personal computers (PC) and the number of pins used to connect cards (104). PC/104 cards are much smaller than ISA bus cards and stack together, eliminating the need for a motherboard, backplane, and/or card cage. PC/104-Plus combines the PCI bus with the PCI/104 form factor for faster data transfers. Embedded board expandable (EBX) is a small (5.75” x 8”) form factor for single-board computers that supports PC/104 expansion. Embedded technology extended (ETX) is a form factor for developing embedded systems that eliminates cables and connectors. The ETX-PC has a small footprint, 114mm x 95mm, and a maximum thickness of 12mm.
	PCI / PCI-X		Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) is a local bus system designed for high-end computer systems. PCI buses transfer 32 or 64 bits of data at a clock speed of 33 MHz. They also support 3 to 5 critical peripherals, which are either integrated directly onto the motherboard or added via expansion cards. PCI buses fully support cards that were developed for standard I/O buses. PCI extended (PCI-X) is an enhanced PCI bus that is backward compatible with existing PCI cards and features speeds up to 1 Gbps. PCI-X was designed by IBM, Hewlett Packard (HP), and Compaq to increase the performance of high-bandwidth devices such as Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and clustered processors. Versions of PCI-X include PCI-X 66, PCI-X 133, PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533.
	PMC		PCI mezzanine card (PMC) is a form factor, not a bus. It is electrically equivalent to the PCI bus, but has a different shape and bus connectors. PMC is designed for rugged applications and provides a secure mounting platform for VME mezzanine boards. It is connected as a daughter card to a special connector on a PCI board as a peripheral device.
	PXI		PCI extensions for instrumentation (PXI) is a superset of CompactPCI that adds timing and triggering functions, imposes requirements for documenting environmental tests, and establishes a standard Windows^®-based software framework. Windows is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.
	STD		STD is often called the "blue collar bus" because of its rugged design and use in industrial and process control applications. There are three STD bus types: STD Z80, STD80, and STD 32. The STD Z80 bus and the STD 80 bus use a 56-pin backplane with 0.125" contact spacing for card interconnection. The STD 32 Bus provides a 32-bit wide data bus to support 8, 16, and 32-bit data transfers. Dynamic bus sizing, which varies the data path size depending on the requirements of the peripheral card being addressed, gives the STD 32 bus added flexibility.
	VMEbus		VersaModule Eurocard bus (VMEbus) is a popular, 32-bit bus used in industrial, commercial and military applications. The VMEbus is based on the VME standard, which defines mechanical specifications such as board dimensions, connector specifications and enclosure characteristics, as well as the electronic specifications for sub-bus structures, signal functions, timing, signal voltage levels, and master/slave configurations. The VMEbus uses 3U and 6U Eurocards, rugged circuit boards that provide a 96-pin plug instead of an edge connector for durability. Several VMEbus varieties are available.
	VXI / MXI		VME extensions for instrumentation (VXI) are an electrical and mechanical standard used mainly with automatic test equipment (ATE). VXI allows equipment from different vendors to work together in a common control and packaging environment. Multisystem extension interface (MXI) is a general purpose, 32-bit, 8MB/s multi-driver system bus. Normally it is used for connection of up to 8 digital devices and expansion boards.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary bus.
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	*Resolution (if Applicable)*		Number of binary digits (bits) the device used to characterize an analog signal.
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Electrical Ratings


	Supply Voltage (AC)		Range of AC input voltage for which the drive or controller will operate.
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	Supply Voltage (DC)		Range of DC input voltage for which the drive or controller will operate.
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	Maximum Output Voltage		Maximum output voltage of the device.
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	Continuous Output Current		Continuous current rating.
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	Peak Output Current		Capacity for current output for a very short period.
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	AC Input Phase
	Your choices are...
	Single Phase		The AC input is single phase. Single phase is the more commonly used AC type. Usually, but not exclusively, for lower voltage applications.
	Three Phase		The AC input is three phase power. Three phase input is typically used for high-voltage power supplies.
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	AC Input Frequency
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	50 Hz		Will accept 50 Hz AC input.
	60 Hz		Will accept 60 Hz AC input.
	400 Hz		Will accept 400 Hz AC input.
	Other		Other unlisted frequency.
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Operating Parameters


	Setup & Control
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	Manual		Drive / control settings are made with manual settings such as knobs, DIP switches, jumpers, or potentiometers.
	Diskette / EPROM		Program is held in a removable, nonvolatile storage media such as a floppy disk, diskette, or EPROM.
	PCMCIA (PC Card) Slot(s)		Controller or drive contains slots or connectors for PCMCIA (PC Card) modules, which can contain memory, programming, and other peripheral capacity.
	Joystick		Controller or drive can be operated with a joystick for motion control.
	Computer Interface		Drive / control is configured, calibrated, and diagnosed via a computer connection.
	Control Panel		Integral control panel with interface such as a keypad, touch screen, or other local programming interface.
	Handheld Controller / Programmer		Device can be controlled or programmed from a handheld controller or remote control.
	Wireless Communication		Communication, setup, and control are possible via remote wireless control interface.
	Web Enabled		Device contains hardware and software protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) or Web Access Protocol (WAP) for being addressable to, or a node of, the World Wide Web for remote monitoring or communication.
	Other		Unlisted, specialized, or proprietary method of control or setup interface.
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	Mode of Operation
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	Digital Position Feedback		Uses digital position feedback to control motor, in addition to speed sensors. A very common feedback device is a rotary encoder, with either incremental or absolute position signals. Position errors are calculated and compensated by the drive in real time. Use of feedback is referred to as "closed-loop control."
	Analog Feedback		An analog signal from a device such as a LVDT or potentiometer is used as the feedback for position; errors are quickly corrected by the drive. Analog feedback is typically a voltage signal, but may include frequency or DC current signals also.
	Velocity Mode		Direct feedback of motor speed is provided to the drive, and corrections are made with the motion control algorithm.
	Voltage (BEMF / Open Loop) Mode		No direct feedback from the motor via encoder, resolver, tachometer, or other device. The motor speed is inferred from the back EMF of the motor.
	Current (Torque) Mode		Current to the motor is sensed and fed back to the drive.
	Encoder Following / Slave		Can be run via feedback from another axis in a proportional or other defined way; descriptions include "encoder following," "electronic gearing," and "slave axis."
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary mode of operation.
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	Motor Feedback
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	Hall Effect		Hall effect sensors detect the magnetic field induced by one or more rotating magnets on the motor rotor. The sensing of position or speed allows the drive to electronically commutate the motor at the correct sequence and timing.
	Resolver		Resolvers contain a rotating coil and two stationary coils 90° apart. By measuring the currents generated in the stationary coils through induction and comparing them, resolvers provide precise measurements of the rotor position. Resolvers depend on magnetic fields rather than electronics and thus work well in applications with high vibration, shock, and extreme temperatures.
	Tachometer		Tachometers sense rotational speed and provide the feedback to the drive for subsequent control signals.
	Incremental Encoder		Incremental encoders rely on multiple channels of position detection. A very typical configuration is two position signals 90° out of phase, or in quadrature, with an additional index or direction signal. Due to the limited number of signals, incremental encoders re-zero every time they are powered up. The most common technology is optical, with a glass disk with lines etched at precise angular increments providing position information.
	Absolute Encoder		Absolute encoders provide many signals concerning motor position, so many that it is possible to determine exactly the angular position at power-up. Like incremental encoders, there are different technologies, with optical being the most prevalent.
	Analog Position		Analog position signals include infinitely variable voltage signals from devices such as LVDTs, potentiometers, and other analog devices.
	Sine / Cosine		Sine / cosine feedback typically comes from optical encoders whose signals, in quadrature, have not been conditioned into square waves. Such signals have a theoretically infinite resolution; they may be practically limited by the electronics processing the signal.
	Other		Unlisted, specialized, or proprietary method of motor position or speed feedback.
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	Configuration
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	IC / PCB-Mounted		Integrated circuit (IC) chip, chipset, or module that mounts onto a printed circuit board (PCB).
	PC Board		Device is a printed circuit board that installs into a backplane or motherboard of an industrial or personal computer, PLC, etc.
	OEM Module		Designed for incorporation by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) into their products.
	Stand Alone		Fully packaged unit that stands alone and communicates with other devices through a standard communication protocol.
	Panel Mount		Device mounts onto a panel, wall, or chassis of a larger system; includes slot or "bay" modules.
	DIN Rail		Device is designed to mount onto a standard size DIN rail.
	Rack Mount		Mounts into a standard rack system, such as a 19" rack enclosure.
	Other		Unlisted, specialized, or proprietary mounting configuration.
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	Features
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	Soft Start		Control circuitry designed to allow the controlled motor to ramp up to full speed over time. This is often designed as a safety feature for motors moving large or fragile loads, and as a preventive measure for excessive current draw.
	Dynamic Braking		Method of motor braking in which the power supply is disconnected from the motor windings; the rotating motor then functionally become a generator whose power (heat) is dissipated through an often sizable resistor shunt across the windings. Also referred to as "rheostatic" or shunt resistor braking.
	Injection Braking		Applicable to AC motors only. The AC power is disconnected from the windings and a DC current is "injected" into the windings, creating a magnetic field opposing the motor rotation, thereby slowing and stopping the motor.
	Regenerative Braking		Method of motor braking somewhat similar to dynamic braking, in which the motor is disconnected from the power supply, and the power generated from the rotating motor is sent back to the supply. In some configurations, this generated power is used to recharge a battery that supplies the power to the drive.
	Brake Output		Relay or switch output designed to activate or control an external brake.
	Home / Limit Switch Input		Device has inputs for home and/or limit switches, indicating start, stop, or end-of-travel positions of the associated axes.
	Auxiliary I/O		Additional channels of input and/or output for communication with or feedback from the device.
	Alarm / Status Monitoring		Function in which one or more parameters are monitored for compliance with design operating parameters. In the case of a fault or non-compliant operation, an alarm or other signal can be generated to alert the operator or control system for appropriate action. Examples include overvoltage, overcurrent, and overspeed protection, temperature monitoring, and torque limiting interlocks.
	Self-Configuration / Auto-tuning		The unit is designed to detect operating conditions and independently adjust its settings for optimal system performance.
	Self-Diagnostics		Device can intelligently detect fault conditions or other system problems, and report the specific problem to the operator or control system.
	Electric Vehicle Design		Designed primarily for control of electric motors in industrial, recreational, or other electric vehicles. Many include application-specific features such as reverse alarm output, signal for speedometers and tachometers, etc.
	Other		Other unlisted or specialized features.
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	Operating Temperature:		The operating temperature of the power supply.
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Motor Speed Controllers Specifications

Drive Type:

Number of Axes / Motors:

Rated Power:

Application Categories:

Resolution (if Applicable):

Supply Voltage (AC):

Supply Voltage (DC):

Maximum Output Voltage:

Continuous Output Current:

Peak Output Current:

AC Input Phase:

AC Input Frequency:

Setup & Control:

Mode of Operation:

Motor Feedback:

Configuration:

Features:

Operating Temperature:

Help with Motor Speed Controllers specifications: