EVA Robotics has developed the EvoDrive ST-17 controller said to change how stepper motors are driven and controlled.
The company received a $70,400 COMET grant from AusIndustry to help in the commercialisation of the motor controller, which will be launched in February 2010.
While stepper motors are cheap, robust and extremely torque dense, the traditional stepping and micro-stepping controllers cause them to be inefficient, hot, and very noisy, electrically and through vibration.
The developers say the new controller uses the Phase Vector Control system, based on flux vector control. This is said to provide a clean sinusoidal drive current on each phase of the stator.
The company claims the controller makes the drive very efficient, resulting in cooler running and reduced electrical EMI and vibration.
The unit can be configured for open loop or closed loop control. When configured for closed loop control the stepper motor is driven as a true servo motor.
The drive is rated to a 3Amp output at 24VDC, and includes RS232, RS485 and USB communications channels for debugging and configurations. It also has four general purpose digital inputs and four digital outputs at the motor.
Industrial applications include web tensioning, high performance robotics, pressure application and control, and high speed servo motion.