UltraDrive G-Series Digital Drives

ORMEC's UltraDrive G Series digital drives bring new levels of DSP-based servo performance, ease of use and value to digital servodrives.

Eight drive models range from 290 to 15,000 watts, and offer continuous current output from 2.4 to 60 amps RMS/phase. All G Series drives utilize reliable IGBT-based intelligent power modules and provide a cost effective solution for today’s motion control applications. UltraDrive G Series drives operate on 115 or 230 VAC input power, and provide both output short circuit and overvoltage protection.

G Series drives combine all-digital operation with DSP technology to produce fast update rates and current loop bandwidths up to 1200Hz. High bandwidth current loops teamed with high resolution motor feedback combine for quick and accurate torque and velocity control.

UltraDrive G Series drives have no pots, jumpers or field component changes whatsoever. Even factory adjustments are digital, automatically calibrated and stored in Flash memory. All user configurations are done in software using axis configuration tools in our UltraTools software. Motor types are selected from a database of ORMEC standard products or the custom motor editor can be used to add other motor types to the database.

ORMEC AC brushless servomotors can be used with the G series drives to provide continuous stall torques from 3 to 665 lb-in (0.56 to 75 Nm) and speeds up to 7,000 RPM. Or G Series drives can be used with any servomotors incorporating either Hall sensors (trapezoidal commutation) or Hall sensors plus encoders (sinusoidal commutation). Consult ORMEC for OEM applications of user-supplied brushless rotary or linear motors -- as well as DC brush-type and voice coil motors.

Digital signal processors (DSPs) and smart IGBT power blocks implement an all-digital system that provides software to eliminate internal analog circuitry — simplifying drive/motor matching and system tuning. All drive adjustments are in software, eliminating the need to "tweak" potentiometers, jumpers, R/C networks and switches. The result is greater simplicity and consistency in commissioning drives, as well as increased reliability.

The power of DSPs allows the G Series drives to implement elegant control algorithms for high performance, torque mode control.

The current loop is updated every 100 microseconds and, coupled with efficient current loop algorithms, produces current loop performance for demanding applications. Advanced sinusoidal commutation achieves low torque ripple & improves motor efficiency -- lowering motor heat losses and increasing application margin.

The G Series provides current loop control that’s beyond simple PI control. Most digital drive current loops accommodate simplistic load models that introduce a single pole. The current loops in the G Series implement P+Lead-Lag compensators to accommodate more complex dynamic load models that may introduce a pole and a zero. The results: greater dynamic bandwidth in the current loop and more robust servo performance.

Tri-state modulation technology cuts switching losses in half compared to traditional modulation techniques, and increases bandwidth near zero crossover, where most drives become non-linear. Our unique approach to PWM (pulse-width modulated) switching enables higher frequency output and allows use of low inductance brushless motors including basket-wound and circuit board motors.

UltraTools is an integrated set of Windows 95/NT software development and troubleshooting tools which provide a graphical user interface and simplify G Series drive setup, operation and maintenance.

UltraTools simplifies configuration of servomotor and drive system parameters. All manual adjustments and settings are eliminated, and are replaced with software dialog boxes and windows that are linked to your PC via serial communications and a standard cable.

The user defines drive & motor setup, and selects initial tuning parameters. A motor library defines standard configurations for all standard ORMEC servomotors, and can be expanded for user-defined motors.

UltraScope is a digital scope that uses the data sampling capabilities of the G Series drive to provide a visual picture of motion performance. A user can easily define a test motion profile, and adjust tuning for optimal performance. UltraScope allows the user to view (plot) all the standard motion parameters -- including current and velocity loop commands plus actual output -- that may be of interest in setting up the drive system. Defining the motion profile, the items to be plotted, the color of the plotted lines, the thickness and type of plotted lines, are all easily accomplished with UltraScope. Each plot can also be saved as a bitmap, easily printed for future reference, or sampled data can be saved to disk for analysis.

UltraLink is a communications utility that allows the user to talk directly to the G Series servodrive through its RS-232 serial port. Any of the G Series servodrive commands -- including software for adjusting drive setup and tuning parameters, velocity profiling and data collection -- can be entered using the UltraLink "console" window. UltraLink can be used to view all non-volatile software parameters and/or other setup parameter sets prepared for entry into the drive.

The UltraEditor can be used to edit text files used with the G Series. The editor provides basic editing tools to modify text --- as well as simple formatting tools.

A key to implementing a fully digital drive system is software access to system parameters. FlexROM technology in G Series drives utilizes Flash memory to create a software interface that can be accessed by our UltraTools setup software and/or your application program.

Non-volatile user parameters including setup system variables, application tuning values, configuration of motor characteristics and I/O are all stored using FlexROM technology. Since all drive set-up parameters are in software, drive commissioning is quick and repeatable. New systems are up and running faster, and field maintenance is simplified.

FlexROM technology also includes the ability to electronically update the drive’s firmware through a serial connection -- rather than replacing EPROMs or other components to update firmware. This allows us to cost-effectively provide customized features for specific volume applications. Users can also load factory upgrades and manage software versions in the field using a simple software utility.

The G Series drives offer software commands and memory to simplify data gathering and analysis. This information can be helpful in evaluating system performance and/or collecting data for statistical process control (SPC) applications.

One use of this capability is to upload a defined, time-sampled set of commanded and/or actual values from the DSP to the PC. Up to 8,000 data points can be captured and stored in DSP RAM, and can include commanded or actual velocity, commanded or actual current, analog input values, position information and values for digital I/O states.

The G Series also provides a set of serial commands which can be used to configure velocity profiles. The user can create simple velocity profiles by issuing a series of serial commands which define acceleration, deceleration and target velocity. The velocity profile is controlled with the GO and STOP commands.

This technique can be used to create velocity profiles that can be changed on-the-fly by specifying new accel, decel or velocity values.  By specifying time at commanded velocity, the user can create simple motion profiles, and the velocity profile can be repeated a specified number of cycles. 

G Series: At A Glance

• Continuous output currents from 2.4 to 60 amps RMS/phase.
• Digital design replaces all manual drive setup including tweaking potentiometers, jumpers and resistor/capacitor networks.
• Small footprint and compact packaging provides high power density and reduces control cabinet space requirements.
• Sinusoidal commutation provides low torque ripple.
• Integral shunt regulators add protection.
• UL/CE approvals
• Seven-segment status LED: Convenient interface to system status & faults including: (1) RMS current limit; (2) Output short; (3) Bus overvoltage; (4) Motor overtemperature; (5) Heatsink overtemp; (6) Servodrive command saturated; (7) Feedback Fault and; (8) Drive ready indicator.
• COM Port: Easy access to RS-232 serial communications (ASCII protocol), drive command & system parameters by motion controllers, PLCs and PCs.
• Motion Controller Interface: Single connector access to drive controls including analog inputs for torque or velocity control, encoder reference outputs and optically isolated enable and reset.
• Integral power supply: Universal voltage input (115/230 VAC) without modifying drive improves reliability by decoupling drives in multi-axis applications.
• Interface rotary and linear brushless servomotors: Motor parameters definable in revolutions or linear length. High encoder input rate allows high speed, accurate positioning.

Drive Specifications