Drives key on soft motion over FireWire

The industrial argument for leveraging the high volume and low cost of IEEE-1394 networking technology (Apple Computer's FireWire) is as persuasive as its technical merits. Larry O'Brien, director of research for ARC Advisory Group, says, "FireWire has ignited the motion control market." And with suppliers such as Acroloop, Kollmorgen, Yaskawa, MDSI, NEC, Mitsubushi, Nyquist, and Ormec solving motion control applications using FireWire, it's no surprise that "FireWire-based motion control networking" made ARC's list of Top Ten Automation Technologies to Watch in 2001. Check out http://www.arcweb.com/arcweb/newsmag/auto13_tech.htm for more information.

Ormec just took FireWire for motion control one step further with it's introduction of ServoWire(rm) SM. The new approach to soft motion control combines PC hardware and software standards, soft motion technology, and Ormec's IEEE-1394 servodrive network called ServoWire. The technology lets engineers cost-effectively control from one to eight servos directly from a standard PC running Windows NT and the VenturCom real-time extensions (RTX), instead of using a board-level motion control card.

"Since the tasks normally performed by the motion adapter have been distributed between the host PC and the ServoWire SM drives," explains VP of marketing Allen Presher, no board-level motion controller is required. This gives engineers more flexibility in hardware selection and integration, and reduces costs and complexity."

The drives offer a power range from 300 to 15,000W, continuous output currents from 2.4 to 60A RMS/phase, and provide 3 to 665 lb-inches continuous stall torque. For the full story check out http://www.ormec.com/servowire .