OMEGA Engineering, Inc. Performance Stepper Drives ST

The ST-series performance stepper drives incorporate advanced features that will derive the highest performance from today's stepper motors. The Anti-Resonance and Waveform Damping control algorithms make this drive a clear market leader. The "-S" models are step and direction drives, compatible with PLCs which feature high-speed pulse output, such as our ELC-PLC series and OCS XL series. The "-Si" models are stand-alone programmable drives which are programmed with the simple-to-use Si Programmer software. Some of the advanced features of the ST-series drives include: Self Test and Auto Setup: At start-up the drive measures motor parameters, including the resistance and inductance, then uses this information to optimize the system performance. It also compares this information from the last configuration and checks to see if the motor data has changed (this could indicate a fault or system change). The drive can also detect open and short circuits. Anti-resonance: A disadvantage of the step motor is a tendency to "resonate" at some frequency. By entering some system data this natural frequency can be calculated and a damping term entered into the control algorithm. This significantly improves midrange stability and allows higher speeds and more use of the available torque. Command Signal Smoothing: Dynamic smoothing can soften the effect of immediate changes in velocity and direction, making the motion of the motor less jerky. An added advantage is that it can reduce the wear on mechanical components. Torque Ripple Smoothing: All step motors have an inherent low speed torque ripple that can affect the motion of the motor. By analyzing this torque ripple the system can apply a negative harmonic to negate this effect, giving the motor much smoother motion at low speed.