EPOS4 – really Micro!

Requirement: Compact multi-axis system concepts

Surgical robots, analysis devices in medical and laboratory technology, and multi-leaf collimators in radiation technology, in particular, rely on miniaturized drive systems, which can be installed with a tight density due to their high level of efficiency. maxon DC and BLDC motors, combined with gearheads and integrated encoders for position and speed measurement, are an ideal solution for such applications. The drive package also includes motor controllers that ideally can be integrated directly in the device close to the motors and sensors.
A superior master controller is used for coordination of the individual drive movements, information exchange with the user (> user interface), as well as data processing and networking with ERP software. Depending on the application, the master can be a PLC, a programmable multi-axis controller (e. g. zub MasterMACS), a PC, or microcontroller-based solution.

Focus: Miniaturized motor controllers

The most important features of the motor controllers are high energy efficiency and high-power density for the space-saving packed integration of all components. Equally important are connections for diverse sensors and actuators, and a fast bus interface. The connection technology is thus frequently the key or sometimes an obstacle to space-saving integration of standard solutions. A practical interface must therefore be found between functionality and connection technology at the hardware level. The EPOS4 Micro modules provide a high standardized range of functions, modern controller algorithms, a compact power stage, as well as a CANopen or EtherCAT bus interface – while being similar in size to a postage stamp (from 32 x 22 mm). Device manufacturers can integrate the plug-in modules in their own electronics or a motherboard in the required axis number and combine them with the device-specific connection technology and additional functionality. If required, maxon can step in as an engineering partner for the development of such electronic boards. The EPOS4 Micro is an industrial component produced in large quantities (COTS = commercial-off-the-shelf).
This minimizes the risk and costs of development. Each micro-module contains the complete hardware and software for the activation and control of a brushed or brushless motor, as well as for the bus communication. This makes possible cost-optimized multi-axis systems with the most compact dimensions, as well as simplified assembly and wiring of all system components in production or for service purposes.