Ensemble Drive-Based Multi-Axis Motion Controller
Description
Design Features
- Drive-based motion controller - part of the Ensemble platform
- Powerful controller operates side-by-side on a motor drive, eliminating the need for additional hardware
- Connects to and synchronizes the motion trajectory and I/O of up to 10 drives over the AeroNet digital motion bus
- Multiple 10-axis systems can be controlled by a single PC via Ethernet or USB
- Delivers productivity and quality through combined motion and process control
- Executes real-time application code developed in the Ensemble Motion Composer Suite
- Directly programmable through the .NET, C, C++, MATLAB, and LabVIEW libraries
- Controller data is accessible to SCADA and MES control systems via libraries
Power and Flexibility in a Drive-Based Controller
The power of the Ensemble drive-based motion controller comes from both its powerful features and its flexibility.
The Ensemble controller is powerful. We develop our own controller technology from the ground up, allowing us to deliver an automation product that is centered around precision. This approach gives our products a new level of performance, especially when compared to products from other automation providers.
The Ensemble’s multi-axis coordination and precision often provide a new and rewarding experience for those used to coordinating several single-axis drives from a central processor (such as a PLC).
By using the multi-axis Ensemble controller while programming in the AeroBasic language, unique multi-axis functionality and performance is available, and this is very meaningful to the control of your machine.
The Ensemble controller executes programs that include Aerotech’s Position Synchronized Output (PSO) distance-based process triggering, gearing, advanced data collection, file access, analog and digital I/O control, as well as standard program flow and mathematical concepts.
Powerful servo control on the Ensemble can be executed at up to 20 kHz and this power is deployed with flexibility. The Ensemble is powerful enough to take on complete machine control. It can also live as an embedded motion controller, subservient to a higher level machine controller. Combined with powerful software tools, the Ensemble controller excels in simple testing and development motion control applications and is robust enough for production environments.
Powerful Single-Axis Trajectory Generation
At the heart of the controller is the ability to translate commands into the industry’s best trajectory. Our controller includes the Aerotech motion engine — a powerful piece of technology that differentiates Aerotech control from other motion providers. This technology translates your program into a multi-axis, synchronized, and coordinated trajectory that is sent out over the AeroNet Ethernet bus.
The AeroNet bus connects the Ensemble controller to up to 10 axes of motion control. Servomotors, piezos, voice coil, and stepper motor drive hardware can be connected on the AeroNet bus.
Advanced trajectory features include:
- Point-to-point (PT, PVT)
- Target position and target velocity
- Linear and freerun
- Torque (current) mode operation
- Digital gearing to a global variable, to an auxiliary encoder input, or to an analog input
- Cubic spline curve-fitting
- Velocity profiling
- Backlash compensation
- Error compensation
- Advanced queuing and deferred execution features
Motion Plus Animation
Modern machines do more than move a process tool. Many sensors and feedback devices need to come together in a larger control scheme.
The Ensemble controller, which runs on motor drive hardware, contains expandable I/O. The controller also connects to several other drives with expandable I/O. A simple four-axis Ensemble solution could have over 200 I/O points. Using the AeroBasic language, logic and control algorithms are easily programmed based on the state of I/O.
Ethernet and RS-232 Support
Ensemble drive hardware includes both Ethernet and RS-232 communication ports. These ports allow greater expandability of your automation solution — beyond the I/O available on the drives.
Modbus
The Ethernet port is configurable for Modbus communications. Class 1, Class 2, and part of Class 3 of the OpenModbus/TCP specifications are supported. While the Ensemble always functions as Modbus/TCP slave, it can also act as a Modbus/TCP master when enabled, thus acting as a master and slave at the same time. Several blocks of Modbus registers are used to exchange data between the master and slave devices.
Aerotech includes standard procedures in its help files for integrating both WAGO and AutomationDirect devices over Modbus.
EtherNet/IP
Aerotech offers an Ensemble EtherNet/IP™ option that communicates with Aerotech Ensemble drives and the various ODVA Common Industrial Protocol (CIP™) objects that are used. The Ensemble supports a Generic EtherNet/IP I/O interface by using Class 1 (implicit messaging) communications.
EPICS Compatible
Aerotech’s Ensemble controller is compatible with EPICS. Motor records are available from Argonne National Lab. Use your existing EPICS interface to control the most advanced motion controller in the industry.
TANGO Compatible
Aerotech’s Ensemble controller is compatible with TANGO environments. The TANGO Device Server is available on Sourceforge.net. Use the industry’s most advanced motion controller in your existing TANGO environment.
Flexible, High-Performance System Architecture
Our controller enables high performance by managing a distributed control architecture. Whereas centralized control architectures close the servo and current loops on a central controller, the Ensemble Platform closes the position, velocity, and current loops on each individual Ensemble drive, avoiding processing bottlenecks. Trajectory generation is done on a single drive. This controller executes programs and sends the position commands to the Ensemble drives via the AeroNet network.
Motion Composer Suite Engineering Software
Aerotech’s Ensemble Motion Composer Suite is a feature-rich engineering software package. This software allows each member of your design team to contribute in setting up the controller and motion to your application’s requirements.
Simply connect to the controller using the Motion Composer Suite. Then use several user-friendly tools to set up each control loop on each drive and also set up controller-specific parameters.
Programming for Performance
The Ensemble Motion Composer Suite includes the Motion Composer IDE — a feature-rich programming environment for developing real-time application code. The Motion Composer IDE allows you to quickly build, debug, load, and run real-time application code on the controller.
Programming Libraries Extend Functionality
When your goal is to deploy a custom user experience or access data from your drive, the Ensemble controller enables many paths to success. Standard programming libraries for .NET, C, and C++ are included with the controller.
A simple REST web interface is also included. If you are developing MATLAB or LabVIEW applications, support for each product is available.
No matter how you want to approach your precision motion control application, the Ensemble controller helps you to succeed.
System Setup with the Ensemble Drive-Based Motion Controller
The center of a powerful setup experience is the controller. Not only do you use the development environment to set up the controller parameters, you also connect to the network of drives through your controller. This enables the controller, fieldbus support, and all the drives in the control system to be set up simultaneously and with a single parameter file.
Programming Libraries
.NET, C, and C++ Libraries Plus REST Interface
Aerotech’s standard controllers are flexible enough to handle almost any control application. From simple motion to coordinating and synchronizing the motion of multiple axes in your machine, Aerotech automation controllers provide the flexibility and power required for today’s automation challenges, and it is all accessible through powerful programming libraries.
MATLAB® Library and LabVIEW® VIs
Users who program in MATLAB and LabVIEW can benefit from Aerotech’s powerful automation tools. Integrate into your native environment with well-documented libraries.
.NET Library – Fully Functional for Developers
The Ensemble .NET library is made accessible to our customers in the same structure and format that we use to develop our own applications. Therefore, developers should never worry that using our API will somehow reduce the capabilities of their own products or developments.
Some of the high-level functionality available in our APIs include:
Functionality | Description |
Connect | Connect to one or several controllers |
Configure | Configure settings, set/retrieve controller and drive parameters, tune motors and encoders, and load drive firmware |
Execute Commands | Execute AeroBasic commands in .NET |
Program Files | Compile AeroBasic programs, get build errors, load and run AeroBasic programs on the controller, and handle the controller tasks that run AeroBasic programs |
Communicate | Set up and command drive and controller communication ports and protocols |
Monitor Status | Get status and monitor information coming from the controller |
Collect Data | Collect data on the controller in real time; exposes functionality used by the Digital Scope |
Accessing Data with the Ensemble Drive-Based Motion Controller
Accessing data from your controller is simple. The Ensemble controller allows fast and easy access to data: through both the Ensemble Motion Composer Suite and through the APIs.
Through the Motion Composer Suite
More than 30 axis status items are available for each controller axis, and 10 task state items are available for each controller task.
Through the API
These same signals are available for collection and analysis through industry-standard tools using the programming APIs.
Machine Performance with the Ensemble Drive-Based Motion Controller
Once set up and ready to go, the system performs. The Ensemble controller contains a long list of standard controller capabilities as well as advanced powerful controller capabilities.
These features are all easy to access with the powerful Motion Composer Suite software and controller APIs.
See the datasheet for the the full list of features.
Specifications
Ensemble Drive-Based Motion Controller Specifications
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Axes | 10 axes available |
Programming Tasks | 5 tasks available |
Position Modes | Absolute, incremental, dynamic trajectory correction |
Coordinated Motion Types | Coordinated Synchronous Motion Coordinated motion refers to moves that follow a well-defined path in space. Coordinated moves start and stop axes at the same time. They can execute in velocity profiling mode.
|
Independent Motion Types | Non-Coordinated Synchronous Motion Non-coordinated motion refers to moves in which axes start at the same time but do not necessarily end at the same time. Each axis moves at its own velocity specified in the command or by axis parameters. Program execution does not continue to the next line until all axes in the move command have completed motion. Homing Multiple procedures are available in order to establish the home position of an axis:
Asynchronous motion commands cause program execution to continue on to the next program block immediately after the move starts. The controller does not wait for the move to end before continuing to the next command.
|
Planes and Tasks | In the Ensemble, there are programmable planes such that multiple tasks can use the same queue. It can also be configured so that tasks can use different queues — either as a way of separating axis groups by task, or as a way to generate simultaneous motion on the same axes from different tasks.
Why use Planes?
|
Acceleration Profiles | Acceleration Types
|
Velocity Profiling | Blend multiple coordinated motion commands into one continuous motion path. In this velocity profiling mode, the controller does not decelerate to zero between consecutive coordinated moves. During the move sequence you can change the velocity if necessary. The axes will increase or decrease in speed in a coordinated way such that the programming path is maintained.![]() |
Advanced Features |
|
Programming |
|
Ensemble Software License Specifications
Option | Configuration | Description |
---|---|---|
Ensemble | Order Entry Point | Full installation of the Ensemble Motion Composer Suite and unlocks certain features on the Ensemble drive-based controllers Pricing is summation of selected products. Maintenance (software update) included in price for one year from date of purchase. The Ensemble Motion Composer Suite is intended for deployment on desktop or industrial PCs Includes:
The Ensemble is not multilingual and cannot be used in applications that require a native-language user interface |
License | Machine |
Contains both the Ensemble Motion Composer Suite and options that Provides the ability to:
|
Machine Upgrade |
|
|
Machine Addition | Increases the number of licenses associated with an existing key | |
License Extension |
|
|
Media Only | License ID distributed on the specified media |
Ordering Options and Details
Option | Details |
---|---|
Dynamic Controls Toolbox |
Contains a collection of controller-level algorithms that are designed to improve machine positioning, increase throughput, and reduce cycle times. Parameters supplied in the toolbox are used to configure these algorithms. Dynamic and Threshold Gain Scheduling Adjusts the servo-loop gains based on specific inputs. These algorithms can improve position performance and reduce cycle times. Harmonic Cancellation Improves performance by reducing the tracking error to sinusoidal reference commands, motor force ripple or other position-dependent disturbances, and cross-axis disturbances such as that created in a linear axis by an unbalanced rotational axis. Command Shaping Filters undesired frequencies from the commanded position, velocity, and acceleration. |
Enhanced Throughput Module | The Enhanced Throughput Module (ETM) can improve machine throughput by measuring base or frame vibration directly and using this information in the servo control algorithm. |
Enhanced Tracking Control | Enhanced Tracking Control (ETC) improves move-and-settle times in point-to-point positioning and decreases tracking errors that occur during contoured motion. The ETC is a control algorithm that works with a conventional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) servo loop and increases the ability of the servo mechanism to reject low-frequency disturbances that can cause position errors. Examples of low-frequency disturbances include friction, isolation table movement, and cable management. Use ETC only with stages that have a high encoder resolution. |
Ordering Information
Ensemble Drive-Based Motion Controller Software Ordering Options
Option | Description |
---|---|
Ensemble | Ensemble Motion Composer Suite |
License Options
Option | Description |
---|---|
License | |
-Machine | Ensemble software installation on a single PC |
-Machine upgrade | Ensemble software configuration change of license |
-Machine addition | Ensemble software increase license count for existing key |
-License extension | Ensemble software extend maintenance period of license |
-Media only | Ensemble software distribute current license on media |
Media | |
-Download | Installation media provided for download only |
-USB | Installation media provided on a USB drive |
-CD | Installation media provided on compact disk |
Version | |
-Default | Current version of software/controller |
-Legacy | Legacy version of software/controller |
Maintenance | |
-Maintenance-X-00 | Software/controller maintenance for x year(s) after purchase where X is one through seven. One year is default. |
Software-Based Controller Configuration
Option | Description |
---|---|
Dynamic Controls Toolbox | |
-Dynamic Controls Toolbox | Aerotech Advanced Controls |
Enhanced Throughput Module | |
-Enhanced Throughput Module | Setup and monitoring screens for ETM modules |
Enhanced Tracking Control | |
-Enhanced Tracking Control | Reduced dynamic following error and settling times |
Five Axes Contouring | |
-Five Axes Contouring | More than 4 axes of coordinated motion with a single motion command. NOTE: Old part number - CNC-5 |
EtherNet/IP | |
-EtherNet/IP | EtherNet/IP class 1 I/O, ASCII command, and register interface objects |
Motion Designer | |
-Motion Designer | Trajectory creation and evaluation software |
LabVIEW | |
-LabVIEW | Includes LabVIEW 2010 (forward compatible) VI samples |
MATLAB Libraries | |
-MATLAB | MATLAB library for motion, parameters, and data collection |
Ensemble Controller Connection Cable (Items Ordered Separately)
Option | Description |
---|---|
PC to Ensemble Drive/Controller Cable | |
ENET-XOVER-xx | Ethernet crossover cable (available in length xx where xx = 9, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, or 150 dm) |
USB-AMBM-xx | USB A-Male to B-Male cable (available in length xx where xx = 5, 10, 30, 50, or 200 dm) |
-MATLAB | MATLAB library for motion, parameters and data collection |
AeroNet Communication Network (Items Ordered Separately)
Option | Description |
---|---|
Ensemble Drive-to-Drive Cable | |
ENET-CAT6-xx | Shielded Ethernet CAT6 cable (available in length xx where xx = 3, 6, 10, 20, 30, 45, 76, or 90 dm) |
Remote Server | |
-Remote | Configure Soloist as server |
Motion Composer Suite Add-Ons
Option | Description |
---|---|
CNC Operator Interface | |
-CNC Operator Interface | HMI CNC software for Windows. Includes the CNC option. |
Motion Designer | |
-Motion Designer | Trajectory creation and evaluation software |
Motion Simulator | |
-Motion Simulator | Trajectory simulation, creation, and evaluation software |
LabVIEW | |
-LabVIEW | |
MATLAB Libraries | |
-MATLAB | MATLAB library for motion, parameters and data collection |
FireWire Communication Network (Items Ordered Separately)
Option | Description |
---|---|
NFire-PCIe | |
NFire-PCIe | FireWire communication network PCIe card (recommended) |
NFire-PCI | |
NFire-PCI | FireWire communication network PCI card |
NConnect-6P6P-xx* | |
NConnect-6P6P-45 | FireWire cable (4.50 meter length), 6P to 6P |
NConnect-6P6P-30 | FireWire cable (3.00 meter length), 6P to 6P |
NConnect-6P6P-18 | FireWire cable (1.80 meter length), 6P to 6P |
NConnect-6P6P-9 | FireWire cable (0.90 meter length), 6P to 6P |
NConnect-6P6P-5 | FireWire cable (0.50 meter length), 6P to 6P |
NConnect-6P6P-2.3 | FireWire cable (0.23 meter length), 6P to 6P |
*Note: Aerotech strongly recommends the use of FireWire cables supplied by Aerotech (NCONNECT cables). These cables are tested to ensure proper performance. A single open PCI or PCIe card slot is required to accommodate the required FireWire PCI or PCIe card for Aerotech’s motion bus.
HyperWire Communication Network (Items Ordered Separately)
Option | Description |
---|---|
HyperWire-PCIe | |
NFire-PCIe | FireWire communication network PCIe card (recommended) |
HyperWire-AO10-xx | |
HyperWire-AO10-200 | HyperWire cable (20.0 meter length), SFP to SFP |
HyperWire-AO10-50 | HyperWire cable (5.0 meter length), SFP to SFP |
HyperWire-AO10-30 | HyperWire cable (3.0 meter length), SFP to SFP |
HyperWire-AO10-10 | HyperWire cable (1.0 meter length), SFP to SFP |
HyperWire-AO10-5 | HyperWire cable (0.5 meter length), SFP to SFP |