Technical Information
The LINOS x.act Commander is an intelligent 3-axis stepping motor controller in a compact housing with an integrated joystick, and is offered in two housing versions.
The standard version of x.act Commander enables up to 3 two-phase stepping motors to be controlled. The maximum phase current is 3 amperes. An external 70-watt universal power supply (up to 130 watts optionally available) with a supply voltage of 48 volts is used to energize x.act Commander. Independently of the motor parameters set on x.act Commander, this joystick-style controller always operates with a microstep factor of 64 to ensure maximum precision. This technology enables a resolution of 100 nm to be attained, depending on the positioner used.
The high-end version of x.act Commander additionally allows stepping motor systems with encoder feedback to be connected. This function makes it possible to control stepping motors with even higher precision, thus providing the benefits of direct current systems. The x.act Commander can be configured directly on the touchpad or via the software supplied with this controller and installed on a PC. The convenient software enables easy access by PC to all settings required to operate the joystick. User-defined control programs are simple to configure using this easy-to-run software and just as convenient to load via interface in the x.act Commander. This controller lets the user directly and reliably control up to three axes by moving and turning the joystick. In addition, a Teach-in function is available that allows the manually adjusted position to be saved so that the joystick will automatically move to it later. At a simple touch of the button on the joystick, the user can switch from coarse to fine positioning. Therefore, following quick coarse positioning, all three axes can be precisely positioned down to the micrometer range.
During operation, the four-line display shows important parameters, such as current positions. Moreover, 24 status LEDs allow visualization of many different kinds of information, such as limit switch positions and data transfer. Using the function keys, control programs saved can be run without a computer. Thus, x.act Commander can be operated as a stand-alone unit.
In designing x.act Commander, LINOS engineers placed a premium on operating reliability and ease of operation. The connections are made to provide reverse battery protection and are short-circuit proof. A positioning process can be interrupted by the stop key to avoid equipment collision, for example.
A database of parameters for LINOS positioners enables the user to easily connect and start up the various LINOS positioning systems of the x.act series.
The firmware specially developed for this generation of joystick controller monitors the electronics and generates the real-time system. Programming that is closely adapted to the hardware allows optimal interplay between the electronics and the motion-control language specially developed for the joystick. The easy update capability of this firmware enables the user to implement new functions or modifications in no time. The software installed on the user’s computer lets the user control all x.act Commander functions and thus conveniently parametrize, program and operate the joystick. A wide selection of ready-to-use program modules are available so that the user can start operating the joystick immediately.
