Trinamic introduces advanced stepper motor modules for six-axis control

     TRINAMIC Motion Control has announced the TMCM-6214, a highly integrated module that can drive up to six motors. Support for incremental encoder ABN signal input, which allows monitoring of three of the six motors during operation, making it ideal for multi-axis applications such as laboratory and factory automation, life sciences, robotics, test and measurement, and handling of valuables and liquids.

     By monitoring the motor and forwarding it to the operator, our customers can closely track the performance of their application. These capabilities can provide a variety of applications to enable predictive maintenance, which can greatly extend service life. Michael Randt, founder and CEO of Trinamic.

     The functionality of the TMCM-6214 means that engineers can add an additional layer of safety to their applications, ensuring optimal performance throughout their extended service life. In addition, Trinamic features such as DcStep™ put state-of-the-art motor and motion control at the fingertips of engineers, adding DC motor characteristics to stepper motors by delivering higher torque at lower speeds.

     To improve the ease of integration, the TMCM-6214 is available in both TMCL™ and CAN open versions. CAN, RS485, RS232 or USB can be used for communication, with a total of six universal digital inputs, two analog inputs and eight protected universal outputs for diagnostics. The integrated power switch can be used with two hardware torque off inputs.

     Since all time-critical operations, such as ramp calculations, are performed on-board, communication traffic is kept low. The device can be fully controlled remotely via feedback, and the module's TMCL™ firmware can be updated via any serial interface. As a replacement for the TMCL version, the TMCM-6214 also comes with the CAN open firmware.