Keywords
Citation
(2003), "Trio new controllers", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930ead.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Trio new controllers
Trio new controllers
Keywords: Motion control
Trio has introduced two new products. The PCI 208 Motion Coordinator brings the latest technology to the PCI bus, providing unprecedented computational speed, flexibility and connectivity to users requiring a PC-based motion control solution. Also on display will be a new Sigma II SERCOS Interface for Yaskawa drives. In addition, a new development allowing Modbus TCP/IP communications to be implemented on Motion Coordinators will be demonstrated.
The PCI 208 Motion Coordinator incorporates a 120 MHz DSP processor, PCI 32 bit 33 MHz bus, 8 Mb SRAM, 128 kb DualPort RAM, 256 kb Application Memory and 32 Mb Flash Memory. Equipped as standard with 20 opto-isolated inputs and ten opto-isolated outputs, the PCI 208 will provide any mixture of stepper axes or stepper axes with encoder feedback or encoder verification up to a total of eight axes. An optional board provides 16 bit resolution voltage outputs for servo drives. Two built-in CAN channels are supplied, with the option to expand using Trio's CANbus digital and analog modules.
The PCI 208 is specially designed for motion control applications centred around a PC. The Motion Coordinator is programmed via a supplied OCX component using PC development languages such as C, Delphi or Visual Basic. Further, Trio's free Motion Perfect development software (available to download from the Web site at www.triomotion.com) may be used to monitor complex motion such as cams, gears, linked axes and interpolation.
Demonstrating Trio's highly flexible development capabilities, the new Sigma II SERCOS Interface brings the benefits of this universal digital communications protocol to users of the popular Yaskawa range of drives. A custom-designed module simply clips into place on the side of any suitable Sigma II Drive. No modifications are required to the drive, and the interface module will operate with any SERCOS Class B compliant motion control system. Employing a noise-free fibre optic ring to connect all drives and the controller, the SERCOS system can significantly reduce wiring connections whilst ensuring precise control and system synchronisation at up to 16 MHz data rate.
In response to customer demands, Trio has added the Modbus/TCP protocol to the suite of fieldbus communication protocols which it supports. Applying the company's extensive experience in Modbus serial line and TCP/IP Ethernet systems, Trio has quickly added Modbus TCP support to the Ethernet daughter board.
It is possible to run the Modbus protocol via a local Ethernet network - and even across the Internet - providing remote access to the Trio Motion Coordinator's global registers and I/O. The Motion Coordinator acts as a Modbus slave and responds to commands and data requests made by the Modbus master. Both integer and floating point data formats are supported.
Modbus has become a de facto industry standard for factory networking, due to its open specification, ease of use and low cost. It simplifies network construction, with intelligent master and slave devices from many different vendors able to exchange control and data information using the same protocol.
For more information, please contact: Roy Bamforth, Sales Director, Trio Motion Technology. Tel: 01684 292333; E-mail: rbamforth@triomotion.com