SEW MOVIDYN ® Series servo controller

SEW MOVIDYN ®  Servo Controller: A Complete Guide to System Integration, Installation, Debugging, and Troubleshooting

In the field of modern high-precision industrial automation, servo drive systems play the role of core execution units. SEW-EURODRIVE, as a leader in driving technology, has MOVIDYN ®  The series servo controller is designed specifically for driving permanent magnet AC servo motors (such as DFS/DFY series), and is widely used in applications such as packaging, printing, machine tools, and robots that require strict dynamic response and positioning accuracy. This article is based on the official operating manual (version 09/2001, document number 0922 3711) to comprehensively review MOVIDYN ®  The unit composition, mechanical and electrical installation specifications, EMC compliance measures, start-up and commissioning process, parameter system, and fault diagnosis methods of the system provide a highly operable technical reference for electrical engineers and system integrators.

System Overview and Unit Design

MOVIDYN ®  The servo controller adopts a modular and scalable axis system architecture, mainly divided into two categories: power module and axis module, as well as a compact servo controller that integrates power and drive functions.

1.1 Power module: MPR and MPB

MPB51A series: equipped with a brake chopper, suitable for systems that require external braking resistors to consume regenerative energy. The model example MPB 51A 027-503-00 represents a rated power of 27 kW, an input voltage of 3 × 500V, and a standard design.

MPR51A series: Regenerative Power Supply, which can feed back regenerative energy to the grid for higher energy efficiency. Suitable for applications with high inertia loads or frequent start stop cycles.

Both modules provide:

Power input terminal X1 (L1, L2, L3)

DC bus connection terminals (+VZ, - VZ), used to connect multiple shaft modules through copper bars or wires

24V bus interface (X3 output to shaft module X2)

External 24V power interface (MPR: X21, MPB: X02), used to maintain control circuit operation when the bus is powered off

RS-485 serial interface (X02) is used for communication with the upper computer

The data bus interface (X5, at the bottom of the device) is used for high-speed data exchange between modules

1.2 Axis Module: MAS and Compact MKS

MAS51A series: pure axis module, needs to be used in conjunction with power module. In the model, MAS 51A 015-503-00 indicates a rated output current of 15 A. IPOS positioning control firmware (model suffix -50) is optional.

MKS51A series: Compact servo controller that integrates power input, rectification, inverter, brake chopper, and control electronics, suitable for single axis independent applications. The model MKS 51A 010-503-00 represents a rated current of 10A.

Key interfaces (taking MAS as an example):

X1: DC bus input (+VZ, - VZ, PE)

X2:24V bus input (from power module)

X21: Mixed terminal (10V reference output, analog differential input, binary input/output, 24V output)

X31: Resolver interface for rotor position detection of DFS/DFY motors

X32: Encoder simulation output (RS-422024 pulses/rev)

X5: Data bus interface

1.3 Radiators and Multi axis Installation

The MAS axis module must be installed on a dedicated DKF/DKS/DKE type radiator. The radiator has threaded holes with a spacing of 35 mm, and the module is fixed with screws (maximum torque 3.5 Nm). It is strictly prohibited to cross connect a single module at the joint between two heat sinks. The multi axis system needs to ensure conductive connections between each heat sink through large cross-sectional wires (≥ 10 mm ²) to balance the potential.

Mechanical installation specifications

2.1 Cabinet installation and minimum spacing

MOVIDYN ®  The unit design is used for fixed installation inside the switchgear.

Cooling distance: Leave at least 100mm ventilation gap at the top and bottom of the unit. The side can be installed side by side without gaps.

If forced air cooling is used, a filter pad should be installed at the air inlet to prevent dust.

The braking resistor should be installed in a well ventilated area (such as on the top of a cabinet), and its surface temperature should be extremely high under rated load, so attention should be paid to protection.

2.2 Installation of Option Cards

The installation steps for option cards (such as AIO11 analog input/output card, API/APA positioning control card, fieldbus card) are as follows:

Disconnect all power sources (main power and 24V backup power) from the servo controller.

Remove the front left cover plate of MAS (two cross screws) or the lower protective cover of MKS.

Take ESD protection measures (anti-static wristbands, conductive shoes, etc.).

Insert the option card along the guide rail, ensuring that the rear connector is fully engaged with the socket inside the chassis.

The front connector housing should be flush with the module cover plate. MAS needs to install the accompanying cover plate; If the MKS cannot install the original protective cover due to the height of the option card, use the accompanying replacement cover plate.

Reconnect the X21 terminal (it can be temporarily removed before debugging to prevent the motor from starting accidentally).

Attention: After removing the protective cover, the equipment protection level is IP00, and there may still be dangerous voltage within 10 minutes after power failure.

Electrical installation and EMC compliance

3.1 Interconnection between power module and shaft module

DC bus connection: Use the accompanying copper bars or wires to connect power module X1 (+VZ, - VZ) to shaft module X1. All connections, including PE, must be secure with a torque of 3.5 Nm.

24V bus: Use the included cable to connect the power module X3 (output) to the first axis module X2 (input), and then connect it in series to the next axis module X2. The wire cross-section is 1.5 mm ².

Data bus: Use DBK data bus cables to connect the X5 interfaces at the bottom of each module. Unused connectors should not be cut off, but should be folded and tied securely.

3.2 Connection between main power supply and motor

Input fuse: Select the appropriate rated fuse (such as 30 A/600 V) according to the UL/cUL table and install it after the power branch point.

Motor cable: up to 100 meters long, shielded cable is required. The phase sequence must be correct (U, V, W correspond to the motor terminals). It is strictly prohibited to connect the output filter between the servo controller and the motor.

Braking resistor connection: Connect to X4 (+, R) of MPB or X1 (+, R) of MKS. The wires should be twisted in pairs or tightly arranged side by side, and the cross-section should be selected according to the maximum braking current. The wire has a high voltage of about 900V during rated operation, pay attention to insulation.

Cooling fan: The fan of DKF radiator is connected to X2.2 (black line) and X2.3 (red line) of MPB or X6.1 (red) and X6.2 (black) of MPR.

3.3 Power Calculation of 24V Power Supply and External Power Supply

MOVIDYN ®  The system integrates a switch power supply internally, but its capacity is limited. The total power consumption of each module and option card needs to be calculated. If it exceeds the internal power capacity, an external 24V power supply must be connected.

Typical power consumption reference:

MAS51A Axis Module: 5 W (Type 005) to 15 W (Type 060)

Control/Evaluation Board: 12 W (typical)/16.3 W (maximum)

AIO11 option card: 8 W (typical)/13.1 W (maximum)

API/APA positioning card: 10 W (typical)/110 W (maximum, when binary output is fully loaded)

For example, a system containing MPB, MAS51A010 (with AIO11), and MAS51A030 (with API12) typically has a power consumption of about 54.5 W, with a maximum of 168.2 W, far exceeding the 240 W of the internal 24V power supply of MPB. In fact, 168W<240W can still be met, but it should be noted that the 110W of API is an extreme case. When the internal power supply is insufficient or communication and position detection need to be maintained when the main power supply is disconnected, an external 24V (18-30V) must be connected to X21 of MPR or X02 of MPB.

3.4 EMC compliant installation (compliant with EN 61800-3 Class B limits)

To achieve low emission and high anti-interference, the following measures must be taken:

Input filter: Install NF series input filters (such as NF 025-503) at the power input end. The connection between the filter and MOVIDYN shall not exceed 400 mm, and unshielded twisted pair cables shall be used.

Output choke: Use HD00X output choke (ring-shaped magnetic core) on the output side of the motor, with all three-phase wires passing through the magnetic core together (PE wires and shielding layers must not pass through). After using a choke coil, the motor cable can be unshielded.

Shielding and grounding:

All signal cables (rotary transformers, encoders, binary I/O) must use shielded twisted pair cables.

Large area grounding at both ends of the shielding layer (through shielding clamps or metal cable joints).

To avoid ground loops, one end of the shielding layer can be grounded through a capacitor (220 nF/50V).

For double-layer shielded cables, the outer shield is connected to the inverter end, and the inner shield is connected to the other end.

Grounding: MOVIDYN units must be high-frequency grounded through unpainted metal surfaces (such as mounting plates).

The "Residential EMC Compliance Installation Diagram" (Figure 10) in the manual shows the complete filter, choke, and shielding configuration.

3.5 UL compliant installation points

Only use 60/75 ° C copper cable.

Terminal torque: MPB/MPR/MAS is 3.5 Nm (31 lb · in), MKS is 1.5 Nm (13.3 lb · in).

Maximum power supply current and voltage: According to the table, MPB/MPR/MAS models are suitable for 5000 A/500 V systems; MKS 005/010/015 is suitable for 10000 A/500 V systems with fuses of 30 A/600 V.

UL certification is only applicable to grounded star point (TN/TT) systems and not to IT systems.

Rotary Transformer and Signal Interface

4.1 Rotary Transformer (Resolver) Connection

DFS/DFY synchronous motors come standard with a rotary transformer as position/speed feedback. Connect to X31:

Signal terminal to wire color (pre fabricated cable)

Ref+1, 2 Pink (PK), Grey (GY)

Cos+3, 4 Red (RD), Blue (BU)

Sin+5, 6 yellow (YE), green (GN)

TF/TH (motor protection) 7, 8 white (WH), brown (BN)

The maximum length of the cable is 100 meters, using shielded twisted pair cables, with each pair individually shielded.

When the length is greater than 50 meters, the recommended cross-sectional area for the wire is 0.50 mm ²; When ≤ 50 meters, 0.25 mm ² can be used.

The two ends of the shielding layer are extensively grounded to the X0 shielding terminal.

4.2 Binary Input/Output and Braking Control

X21 Terminal Function (Factory Setting):

X21.5: Controller inhibit - "1"=enable, "0"=disable (output stage off)

X21.6: Enable - must be "1" to run

X21.7: Limit switch CW (positive limit)

X21.8: Limit switch CCW (negative limit)

X21.9: Brake (brake output) - Relay driver, 24V/150 mA, cannot directly drive the brake coil, requires external brake relay K13 or micro contactor K12

X21.10: Ready for operation output

X21.11/12:24V output (200 mA) and reference potential

Important: For elevator applications, the disconnection of the brake must be performed simultaneously on both the DC and AC sides (i.e. dual circuit cutoff) to ensure safety. The braking response time should refer to the table in the DFS/DFY motor manual.

4.3 RS-485 interface

Connect up to 32 sites (master-slave mode or PLC control).

Use 4-core shielded cable: two cores for signal (RS-485+, RS-485-) and two cores for 0V5 reference potential.

The maximum total length is 200 meters. The dynamic terminal resistor is already built-in, external terminal resistors are prohibited.

Start debugging and parameter settings

5.1 Preparation before Debugging

Hardware inspection: Confirm that all power supplies, busbars, 24V buses, and data buses are connected correctly; The limit switch has been connected or temporarily shorted to+24V (otherwise, fault 27 may occur).

Set axis address: Use the S1 button on the module to set the address (0-59). The factory address is 00 and cannot be duplicated in multi axis systems. Short press S1 to display the current address, long press to enter editing mode, and release to save the address.

Connect PC: Connect to the PC running MD_SHELL software through the USS21A option (X01 connected to MPB or X2 connected to MKS) or directly via RS-232/RS-485. Note: The module and PC must be powered off during connection.

5.2 MD_SHELL Quick Start

Select [Parameter] → [Startup] in MD_SHELL and enter the following data as prompted:

Menu Item Description

Motor Type: Select DFS/DFY model from the list or manually enter

Rated Motor Voltage nameplate rated voltage (e.g. 400V)

Rated Speed nameplate rated speed (e.g. 3000 rpm)

Does the brake have a brake (affecting the calculation of moment of inertia)

Speed Control Loop Damping Coefficient (0.5~2.0, default 1.0 as critical damping)

Speed Control Loop Stiffness Coefficient (0.5~2.0, default 1.0, increasing can improve response but is prone to oscillation)

Positioning Control Time Interval: The cycle time of upper positioning control

Is Drive Backlash Free

Moment of Inertia at Motor Shaft load converted to the moment of inertia of the motor shaft (unit: 10 ^ -4 kgm ²)

Shortest Required Ramp Time

Rated current of the motor

Calculate all controller parameters using [F2] and download them to the inverter using [F3]. The initial settings are usually suitable for most applications, and if optimization is needed, the analog output of MD_SCOPE software or AIO11 option can be used to observe the waveform and adjust it.

5.3 Terminal allocation programming

If it is necessary to modify the default function of binary input/output, remapping can be done through parameters P300 (basic unit input), P320 (basic unit output), etc. The optional signals include: Enable / Ramp gen. switchover / Controller inhibit / Hold control / External fault / Reset / Limit switches / Reference cam  Wait.

5.4 Summary of Parameter List

Section 6.2 of the manual lists the complete parameter system, with key parameter groups including:

P0_: Display values (speed, current, utilization rate, etc.)

P1_: Set value and ramp generator (P100 operating mode, P110 set value source, P12/P13 ramp time)

P2_: Controller parameters (P200 speed loop gain, P201 speed loop time constant, P202 D component, P204 acceleration feedforward gain)

P3_: Terminal allocation (binary input/output, analog output)

P4_: Reference signal (speed reference value, current reference value, set/actual value comparison)

P5_: Control function (P500 braking function, P510 speed monitoring)

P6_: Special Features (P610 factory reset, P620 fault response, P630 automatic reset, P640 parameter lock)

P7_: Fieldbus parameters (P780 PO1 setting value description, P790 enable fieldbus setting value, etc.)

Operation display and fault diagnosis

6.1 Status indication

Power module LED:

ON (green): DC bus voltage and internal 24V are normal, ready

24V (green): 24V electronic power supply is normal

TRIP (red): Fault (axis module will display fault code)

Axis module/compact controller 7-segment code display:

1: Speed control enable

2: Enable torque control

3: Quick Parking

4: Controller prohibition

5/6: Reached positive/negative limit

9: Maintain control activation

b: Not ready

F xx: Fault code (flashing display)

6.2 Fault reset method

Power module: Power off and restart, or reset through any axis module (requires P633 settings)

Axis module/MKS: Power off and restart; Through binary input (P30 configuration reset function); Automatic reset (P630=YES); Serial interface reset (P632=YES); Press the S1 button (P634=ENABLED)

6.3 Analysis of Common Fault Codes

Fault code description, possible causes, and countermeasures

F01 overcurrent motor/cable short circuit, grounding fault, output stage damage eliminate short circuit, if unable to reset, replace module

F03 power module overheating and overload, poor heat dissipation reduce power, improve ventilation

F06 Ground Fault Motor or Cable Short Circuit to Ground Check Insulation Resistance

F07 DC bus overvoltage regeneration energy is too high, brake resistor open circuit check brake resistor wiring, extend deceleration ramp

F08 speed monitoring overload, phase loss, rotating transformer wiring error check load, power phase sequence, and Resolving cable

F14 Rotating Transformer Fault Cable Shielding Defect, Breakage, Short Circuit Inspection Shielding Layer Continuity and Wiring

F27 ES cable missing limit switch not connected and not short circuited. Short circuit X21.7/8 to+24V or reprogram terminal

F31 output short circuit binary output overload (>50mA) check peripheral load

F43 PC control timeout: Communication interruption between PC and axis system. Increase monitoring time or set to 0 in MD_SHELL to close

After the fault occurs, corresponding measures are taken according to the response type (S=immediate shutdown, N=emergency stop ramp, P=programmable). For hazardous applications such as lifting, it is strictly prohibited to enable automatic reset (P630=NO).

Overview of Technical Data

7.1 General Technical Data

Climate category: Complies with EN 60721-3-3, 3K3 level

Protection level: IP20 (EN 60529)

Environmental temperature: 0 ° C~+50 ° C (100% load), if it exceeds 40 ° C, the rating needs to be reduced (3% I-N per K)

Storage temperature: Power on for at least 5 minutes every two years, otherwise it may reduce lifespan

Installation altitude: ≤ 1000 meters without derating; 1000~2000 m, 1% reduction per 100 m

7.2 Power module data (optional)

Model MPB51A027 MPB51A055 MPR51A037

Input current 40 AAC 80 AAC 21 AAC

DC bus voltage 560 VDC (@ 400VAC) same left same left

Rated power 27 kW, 55 kW, and 15 kW

Peak power (5s) 54 kW 110 kW 22 kW (continuous)

Minimum resistance of braking resistor 18 Ω 15 Ω Not applicable

Internal 24V power supply 240 W 240 W 50 W

Weight 7 kg 7 kg 5.5 kg

7.3 Axis module data (optional)

Model MAS51A005 MAS51A015 MAS51A060

Rated output current 5 AAC 15 AAC 60 AAC

Maximum output current (0.3s) 7.5 AAC 22.5 AAC 90 AAC

Weight 3.5 kg 3.5 kg 7 kg

Width (TE) 2 TE 2 TE 4 TE (1 TE=35mm)

7.4 Compact MKS Data

Model MKS51A005 MKS51A015

Input current 4.5 AAC 9 AAC

Rated output current 5 AAC 10 AAC

Minimum resistance of braking resistor 47 Ω 47 Ω

Internal 24V power supply 29 W 29 W

Weight 4.5 kg 4.5 kg

Conclusion

SEW MOVIDYN ®  The servo controller represents a mature design of modular, high-precision drive systems. Through a systematic review of the official manual, it can be seen that the key to successfully applying this series of products lies in:

Strictly follow the mechanical installation specifications, especially the heat dissipation spacing and the conductive connection of the heat sink.

Accurately calculate the 24V power load to avoid system instability caused by internal power overload.

Fully implement EMC compliance measures (input filters, output chokes, dual terminal shielding grounding) to meet CE/UL certification and industrial environment anti-interference requirements.

Correctly connecting the rotary transformer and brake circuit, especially in lifting applications, dual brake cut-off must be used.

Utilize MD_SHELL for parameterized start-up and optimize the stiffness and damping of the speed loop based on actual load inertia.

Proficient in understanding the meaning of fault codes and the reset process, quickly locating problems and restoring production.