Aerotech UNIDEX 100/U100i single axis motion controller

Aerotech UNIDEX 100/U100i single axis motion controller

In old automation equipment, replacing discontinued motion controllers is often more challenging than debugging new equipment. The Aerotech UNIDEX 100 and UNIDEX 100i are single axis, programmable, precision positioning motion controllers that can control stepper motors, DC brushed motors, and AC brushless motors. The U100 controller package includes a control board, driver, and power supply; The U100i only includes a control board and needs to be used in conjunction with Aerotech BA series amplifiers or third-party amplifiers. Both communicate with PCs or handheld terminals through RS-232-C and can use interfaces such as RS-422-A, IEEE-488, and expansion bus. For engineers who are maintaining old equipment, replacing discontinued modules, or troubleshooting safety circuits, understanding the hardware, software, parameters, registers, and fault logic of UNIDEX 100/U100i can significantly reduce downtime.

Model positioning and system composition

The UNIDEX 100 series is an early single axis motion controller product from Aerotech, mainly including U100M, U101M, U100S, U101S, U100Z, U101Z and other models, corresponding to micro step drive, DC servo drive and brushless servo drive respectively, and distinguishing between panel installation and open frame. The core difference between U100 and U100i is that U100 comes with a driver stage and power supply, which can be directly connected to a motor; U100i only provides a control board and requires an external BA series amplifier or similar amplifier. Both can drive stepper, DC brushed, and AC brushless motors, combined with a positioning platform, manipulator, joystick, thumb wheel, LED display, IEEE-488 card, INT card, and R/D conversion card, to form a complete programmable motion control system.

The standard configuration includes 85-240 VAC control power input, 14-240 VAC motor power input, main encoder interface, auxiliary encoder interface, limit and Hall interface, 8 optically isolated digital inputs, 8 optically isolated digital outputs, 1 analog input, 1 analog output, RS-232-C communication port, FireWire style expansion bus, and LED status indication. The U100 front panel also includes motor fuses, power switches, and status lights. The U100i only has control board interfaces, including COM port, I/O port, encoder/limit/Hall port, auxiliary encoder port, option port, and amplifier feedback port.

Communication, Ports, and Expansion Options

The standard communication port is 9-pin D-type RS-232-C, located on the front panel, which includes transmission, reception, ground, shielding, and 5V power cord. RS-422-A is optional for factories and provides higher noise resistance. The IEEE-488 option allows for GPIB bus control, using the HOST command set to execute programs, transfer files, and read/write data. The expansion bus P5 can be equipped with thumb wheel interface cards, LED display interface cards, IEEE-488 interface cards, R/D conversion cards, and INT cards. The INT card can be connected to Opto 22 PB8, PB16, PB24 mounting racks, expanding 8, 16, or 24 I/O points. The thumb wheel and display are both bus addressing devices, with a default base address of 0xE000, which can be changed through DIP switches. The R/D card supports rotary or Inductosyn feedback, with resolutions available in 12, 14, or 16 bits, and supports dynamic resolution switching.

I/O port P2 is a 37 pin D-type, which includes 8 digital inputs, 8 digital outputs, analog inputs, and analog outputs LOAD1/LOAD2、 External interrupt, external reset SETUP、 Auxiliary output, COMP1/COMP2, etc. The encoder/limit/Hall port P3 is a 25 pin D-type, including main encoders SIN, SIN-N, COS, COS-N, MKR, MKR-N, three limit switches, three Hall inputs, encoder 5V, and ground. The auxiliary encoder port P4 is a 9-pin D-type, which can provide feedback from a second encoder for dual loop control or master-slave applications. The feedback port of U100i amplifier is 14 pins, providing signals such as current command, shutdown, fault, etc.

Motor wiring and feedback configuration

U100 can drive DC brushed, stepper, and AC brushless motors, but a U100 can only be configured as one type of motor when it leaves the factory. DC brushed motors use two power connections, plus frame ground and shielding; The stepper motor uses four power connections, corresponding to two-phase windings; Brushless motors use three-phase power connections and Hall feedback. It is recommended to use shielded cables for all power cables, and the shielding layer is usually not connected at the motor end to reduce noise. The motor fuse F1 is located on the front panel, and its rated value depends on the motor type and current.

The encoder interface accepts RS-422 differential orthogonal signals. The main encoder is used for position and velocity closed-loop, while the auxiliary encoder can be used for dual loop or master-slave. The encoder phase must be consistent with the direction of motor rotation: when rotating clockwise from the installation flange, COS should be at logical high when SIN jumps from low to high. The limit inputs include+Limit, - LIMIT, and HOME. Forward rotation is prohibited by+Limit, while reverse rotation is prohibited by - LIMIT. Hall input is used for brushless motor commutation, Aerotech motors are aligned at the factory, parameter PRM: 241 defaults to -42, used for fine-tuning commutation phase. If replacing the encoder or using a third-party motor, a dual channel oscilloscope and Wye resistor network can be used to observe the back electromotive force and Hall phase.