Nippon Pulse America has introduced its new Commander core motion controller, a four-axis hybrid IC that bridges the gap between off-the-shelf and design-from-scratch controllers. The Commander core is secure, flexible and is easily scalable from prototype to production.
Using the Commander core during the development of applications helps reduce development time due to its ease of use, resulting in a faster path to market. Commander uses a BASIC-like programming language (A-SCRIPT) that allows programmers to compile, read and write standalone programs. The software also provides multi-threading and subroutine support, and can be run in both PC-based and standalone modes.
Commander core’s advanced functionality includes linear, arc, circular, helix and tangential interpolation, as well as coordinated motion and continuous buffered motion, thanks to its 100 buffer registers. It also allows the user to choose between trapezoidal or S-curve acceleration/deceleration, and absolute or incremental positioning. Changes can be made on-the-fly as well, with either the speed or target position shifting as desired during operation.
The Commander core is based on Nippon Pulse’s PCL6045BL motion control LSI, and an ARM Core processor. It has stepper and servo motor interfaces, and can operate via joystick with analog input (X and Y axes). Communication to the Commander core can be established over USB, Serial (RS-485, I2C, SPI), and Ethernet.
Pricing starts at US$100 per axis, with prices at $35 per axis for quantities of 1000+ pieces. A development kit is also available.