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AX500
Dual Channel
Digital Motor
Controller
User’s Manual
v1.9b, June 1, 2007
visit www.roboteq.com to download the latest revision of this manual
©Copyright 2003-2007 Roboteq, Inc.
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2 AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual Version 1.9b. June 1, 2007
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Revision History Revision History Date Version Changes June 1, 2007 1.9b Added Output C active when Motors On Fixed Encoder Limit Switches Protection in case of Encoder failure in Closed Loop Speed Added Short Circuit Protection (with supporting hardware) Added Analog 3 and 4 Inputs (with supporting hardware) Added Operating Mode Change on-the-fly Changeable PWM frequency Selectable polarity for Dead Man Switch Modified Flashing Pattern Separate PID Gains for Ch1 and C2, changeable on-the-fly Mi
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4 AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual Version 1.9b. June 1, 2007
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Revision History 3 SECTION 1 Important Safety Warnings 11 This product is intended for use with rechargeable batteries 11 Avoid Shorts when Mounting Board against Chassis 11 Do not Connect to a RC Radio with a Battery Attached 11 Beware of Motor Runaway in Improperly Closed Loop 11 SECTION 2 AX500 Quick Start 13 What you will need 13 Locating the Connectors 13 Connecting to the Batteries and Motors 15 Connecting to the 15-pin Connector 16 Connecting the R/C Radio 16 Powering On the Controller 17
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SECTION 5 General Operation 35 Basic Operation 35 Input Command Modes 35 Selecting the Motor Control Modes 36 Open Loop, Separate Speed Control 36 Open Loop, Mixed Speed Control 36 Closed Loop Speed Control 37 Close Loop Position Control 37 User Selected Current Limit Settings 38 Temperature-Based Current Limitation 38 Battery Current vs. Motor Current 39 Programmable Acceleration 40 Command Control Curves 42 Left / Right Tuning Adjustment 43 Activating Brake Release or Separate Motor Excitation
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Position Sensor Selection 64 Sensor Mounting 64 Feedback Potentiometer wiring 65 Feedback Potentiometer wiring in RC or RS232 Mode 65 Feedback Potentiometer wiring in Analog Mode 65 Analog Feedback on Single Channel Controllers 66 Feedback Wiring in RC or RS232 Mode on Single Channel Controllers 66 Feedback Wiring in Analog Mode on Single Channel Controllers 67 Sensor and Motor Polarity 67 Encoder Error Detection and Protection 68 Adding Safety Limit Switches 69 Using Current Limiting as Prote
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Reception Watchdog 87 R/C Transmitter/Receiver Quality Considerations 88 Joystick Deadband Programming 88 Command Control Curves 89 Left/Right Tuning Adjustment 90 Joystick Calibration 90 Data Logging in R/C Mode 91 SECTION 11 Analog Control and Operation 93 Mode Description 93 Connector I/O Pin Assignment (Analog Mode) 94 Connecting to a Voltage Source 95 Connecting a Potentiometer 95 Selecting the Potentiometer Value 96 Analog Deadband Adjustment 97 Power-On Safety 98 Under Voltage Safety 98 D
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Query Digital Inputs 111 Reset Controller 111 Accessing & Changing Configuration Parameter in Flash 112 Apply Parameter Changes 112 Flash Configuration Parameters List 113 Input Control Mode 114 Motor Control Mode 114 Amps Limit 115 Acceleration 116 Input Switches Function 116 RC Joystick or Analog Deadband 117 Exponentiation on Channel 1 and Channel 2 117 Left/Right Adjust 118 Default PID Gains 118 Joystick Min, Max and Center Values 119 Reading & Changing Operating Parameters at Runtime 119 Op
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Operating the AX500 over a Wired or Wireless LAN 144 Updating the Controller’s Software 146 Updating the Encoder Software 146 Creating Customized Object Files 147 SECTION 14 Mechanical Specifications 149 Mechanical Dimensions 149 Mounting Considerations 150 Thermal Considerations 150 Attaching the Controller Directly to a Chassis 151 Precautions to observe 152 Wire Dimensions 153 Weight 153 10 AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual Version 1.9b. June 1, 2007
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SECTION 1 Important Safety Warnings Read this Section First The AX500 is a power electronics device. Serious damage, including fire, may occur to the unit, motors, wiring and batteries as a result of its misuse. Please review the User’s Manual for added precautions prior to applying full battery or full load power. This product is intended for use with rechargeable batteries Unless special precautions are taken, damage to the controller and/or power supply may occur if operated with a power
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Important Safety Warnings 12 AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual Version 1.9b. June 1, 2007
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SECTION 2 AX500 Quick Start This section will give you the basic information needed to quickly install, setup and run your AX500 controller in a minimal configuration. What you will need For a minimal installation, gather the following components: One AX500 Controller and its provided cables 12V to 24V battery One or two brushed DC motors One R/C to DB15 connector (provided) Miscellaneous wires, connectors, fuses and switch Locating the Connectors Take a moment to familiarize yourself
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AX500 Quick Start The front side contains the 15-pin connector to the R/C radio, joystick or microcomputer, as well as connections to optional switches and sensors. Connector to Receiver/ Controls and sensors Status LED FIGURE 1. AX500 Controller Front View At the back of the controller (shown in the figure below) are located all the that must be connected to the batteries and the motors. Note: Both VMot terminals are connected to each other in the board and must be wired to the same volt-
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Connecting to the Batteries and Motors Connecting to the Batteries and Motors Connection to the batteries and motors is shown in the figure below and is done by con- necting wires to the controller’s terminal strip. Motor2 + Power on/off switch - - + Fuse Motor1 12V to 24V Motor Battery Controller Notes: - The Battery Power connection are doubled in order to provide the maximum current to the controller. If only one motor is used, only one set of motor power cables needs to be connected. - Ty
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AX500 Quick Start Important Warning The controller includes large capacitors. When connecting the Motor Power Cables, a spark will be generated at the connection point. This is a normal occurrence and should be expected. Connecting to the 15-pin Connector The controller’s I/O are located on it’s standard 15-pin D-Sub Connector. The functions of some pins varies depending on controller model and operating mode. Pin assignment is found in the table below. Signal Pin RC Mode RS232 Mode Analog M
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Powering On the Controller Channel 3 Channel 2 3: Channel 1 Command Pulses 4: Channel 2 Command Pulses Channel 1 6: Radio battery (-) Ground 7: Radio battery (+) 8: Channel 3 Command Pulses 8 9 Pin 1 Wire loop bringing power from controller to RC radio 15 FIGURE 4. R/C connector wiring for 3 channels and battery elimination (BEC) This wiring - with the wire loop uncut - assumes that the R/C radio will be powered by the AX500 controller. Other wiring options are described in “R/C Operation” on
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AX500 Quick Start The status LED will start flashing a pattern to indicate the mode in which the controller is in: RC Mode RS232 Mode No Watchdog RS232 Mode with Watchdog Analog Mode FIGURE 5. Status LED Flashing pattern during normal operation Default Controller Configuration Version 1.9b of the AX500 software is configured with the factory defaults shown in the table below. Although Roboteq strives to keep the same parameters and values from one version to the next, changes may occur from o
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Obtaining the Controller’s Software Revision Number to update the controller’s software FIGURE 6. Roborun Utility screen layout To connect the controller to your PC, use the provided cable. Connect the 15-pin connector to the controller. Connect the 9-pin connector to your PC’s available port (typically COM1) - use a USB to serial adapter if needed. Apply power to the controller to turn it on. Load your CD or download the latest revision of Roborun software from www.Roboteq.com, install it
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AX500 Quick Start Each software version is identified with a unique number. Obtaining this number can be done using the PC connection discussed previously. Now that you know your controller’s software version number, you will be able to see if a new version is available for download and installation from Roboteq’s web site and which features have been added or improved. Installing new software is a simple and secure procedure, fully described in “Updating the Controller’s Software” on page 1
