Drive's auxiliary PID loop controls tension

API Control's centennial controller series uses 40-bit DSP technology to control brushless-servo and induction-motor torque and velocity. Moreover, API President Greg Woods claims the built-in programmable PID controller is ideal for controlling and maintaining tension or pressure without using a separate controller outside the drive.

The drive controls 1.5 axes of motion while running concurrent PLC tasks on its auxiliary PID loop using ±10V analog or step-type commands and encoder feedback. The PID controller runs in tandem with all the other control loops (position, velocity, current, spline and CAM) within the drive and executes at 10,000 times per second.

APImate(TM), the setup, programming, and diagnostic tool, features a virtual oscilloscope that captures and plots internal drive data. This is especially useful when using the PID controller, explains Woods, as the reference, feedback, and output of the PID controller can be monitored and plotted over time.

Centennial drives use DeviceNet or RS-232/485 communications, and include dynamic-adaptive compensation, cam profiling, master/slave mode, and offer a large complement of programmable I/O and the ability to run concurrent I/O tasks. Line-operated, the controllers don't need a separate power supply or transformer. Fully protected against typical operational hazards, the device uses battery-backed program storage, and is UL- and CE-compliant.