Lin Engineering Intros MiniPak Motor Drivers/Controllers
Lin Engineering Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), a designer of step motors, and Trinamic Motion Control GmbH and Co. KG introduced its new MiniPak Series of integrated motor drivers/controllers, which combines a Lin size 11 step motor and a drive/control board using the Trinamic TMC222 drive chip. The MiniPak Series is suitable for small applications and for the medical, robotics, and communications industries.
The MiniPak is now available in three motor stack lengths of 1.24 in, 1.75 in, and 1.99 in, which allow for higher torque. The available holding torque ranges from 9.2 oz-in to 16.6 oz-in, depending on the stack length. The mounted drive board, which utilizes the TMC222 that uses an I²C interface, has a programmable coil current of up to 800 mA, a voltage operating range from 8 Vdc to 29 Vdc, and that is capable of 2x to 16x microstepping. The driver board contains a fixed-frequency, pulse-width modulated current control with automatic selection of fast and slow decay mode, as well as a built-in ramp generator for autonomous positioning and speed control.
The MCU unit is sold separately. When the MiniPak is used along with the MCU board, the user can daisy-chain up to 32 axes. Lin Engineering is offering the MiniPak Designer's Kit, which includes the MCU board, the UBS485, and the necessary cables for easy installation.
