Created Date: July 24,2008

Created by: shoupdaddy

From my experiences I'd say the 24VDC supply isn't your problem, unless your really loading the motor up. Is your motor attached to the load when your testing or is the motor just on a bench? Are you DIP switches for the current adj. correct? Have you gone into your Monitor I/O in your CTRIO and just ran the motor through some different test parameters? Have you gone through your wiring? Just a direction to start.

Created Date: July 24,2008

Created by: RayGDV

Thanks for the advice Shoupdaddy...

It's currently just on a workbench with no load. I 've checked the DIP switches and wiring and had another person double check them and they are correct. I don't know how to use the CTRIO as I am new to AD and still an amateur at PLC's esp with stepper motors. I do however have a C-micro talking to the DL05 so I can input the motor parameters and this is what I currently have to move the motor:

K8300 - relative trap. move @ 3khz max velocity

K6 - 60Hz start velocity

K4 - 400ms accel time

K4 - 400ms decel time

I 've switched the drive from half step to 1/5 step and it's smoothed out some more and can run at more speeds now, from about 1Khz to 4Khz, but still sputters during accel and vibrates annoyingly at decel.

Created Date: July 24,2008

Created by: RayGDV

Hi Allukes...

took your advice and switched it back to half stepping and increased the base speed to 400Hz. It's REALLY smooth now during accel and max speed. I can run the motor from about 800Hz to 4Khz as long as I change the base speed a bit. Unfortunately, the decel is still vibrating, sometimes more than before. Will this reduce once I put a load on it? It will be used to move a lead screw stage slide.

Also, would you please elaborate:

"If you use micro-stepping, you have to multiply by the divisor for the base speed. "

Thanks so much for your help!

Created Date: July 24,2008

Created by: allukes

Your problem is that you are running below base speed. All your speeds have to be above base speed. So if your base speed is 400 hz, then your can run from 400 hz to whatever your motor can do without stalling. Nothing below 400hz. No 80hz. If your motor needs to run slower than that, then you need a gearbox or belt reduction.

About the microstepping. I can't remember how that affects the base speed. I think you have to increase it also. However, I never run it past a half step because it limits the top end.

The only thing you gain with micro-stepping is smoothness. Your repeatability to that resollution does not increase. The company I worked for did all kind of studies when the microstepping drives came out and the repeatability was still no better than 1/2 step. This was before Servo's came down in price. Now its a moot point.

Created Date: July 25,2008

Created by: RayGDV

Hi Allukes,

you were right about the max speed limit when I switched to micro-stepping. So far, it looks like the half-step with the base speed you suggested is working well for me. I also forgot a zero in my previous post, it should say 800Hz to 4Khz, not 80Hz. Thanks for the suggested values, once the load is on I should be able to tweek it so I get some good movement.

We were going to go with a servo motor but our customer wanted to save some bucks and AD has the best bang for your buck when it comes to motion control.

Created Date: August 25,2008

Created by: Tubecut

Stepper resoulution

Interesting thread , especially since I have not used steppers with PLC's before.

Some years ago I wroked for disk drive mfg. (Shugart Associates). We used stepper motors to move the read/write heads track to track. One of the problems with the stepper drives is that they had some hysterias (spelling) in that they would not always go back to the same exact spot when stepping in so many tracks and them back past where you were before and then back to the original position. So , is the also an issue using the modern steppers. I was thinking that the steppers used in the industrial environment is much better than those used in the floppy disk units. Also the industrial motors are much larger.

Comments anyone?

Created Date: July 23,2008

Created by: RayGDV

I'm using a DL05, surestep motor STP-MTR-34066 and drive, and a 24V source. I'm having problems with the acceleration/decel of the motors during a trapazoidal movement. It sputters when starting and annoyingly vibrates when it stops. During its max speed, it's pretty smooth.

What are some typical parameters I can use to program the DL05 such as pps(Hz), start velocity(Hz), accel time(ms), and decel time(ms)?

If the 24V source needs to be changed, I have a 36V (adjustable to 32V) source coming in also. Any help would be much obliged.

Thanks!