Motion Systems
SS4544 SyncroStep
Everything is programmable. No pots, no switches, no jumpers.
The flagship integrated motion and machine control system. Four axes of micro-stepping drive, three-axis interpolated moves, a fifth axis for laser power modulation, an RS-485 network, and out-of-the-box software for engraving, routing and plasma cutting.
- axes (5th = laser PWM)
- 4+1
- peak at 44 V
- 5 A
- micro-step resolution
- 1/256
- optional buffer
- 32 MB
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SS4544 SyncroStep specifications
Drive & control
- Drives four stepper motors up to size 34
- Bipolar H-bridge current drive to +/-5.0 A with +/-44 V compliance
- Winding current controlled with 8-bit D/A converters
- Patented SyncroStep control gives micro-step positioning as small as 1/256 of a step
- Winding currents synchronously adjusted in all controlled windings every 20 microseconds
- Current may be sourced or sunk for dynamic braking
- Three-axis interpolated moves
- Fifth axis for laser power modulation and tickle
- Limit switch and encoder inputs on all axes, plus two additional encoder inputs
- Emergency stop; electronic circuit breakers
Processing & memory
- Motion profile controlled by a 25 MIPS 16-bit RISC processor inside the same EPLD that controls winding currents
- Flash-based logic with in-circuit programmability
- Second processor — 8-bit 8051 type at 8 MIPS — serves as boot loader and communications processor
- 128 KB of 12 ns memory for control programs
- Up to 32 MB of optional DRAM for mixed vector/raster programs, pole compensation mapping, and performance capture
- I/O processor has 128 KB flash EPROM plus 32 KB RAM
- Additional 128 KB non-volatile memory for application constants and field updates
- User slot with processor and power connection for custom interfaces such as CAN bus or Ethernet
Power
- Input power 85–285 VAC 50–60 Hz
- Auto-switching converter to a 240–400 VDC internal raw supply
- Isolated flyback switching regulator for internal system voltages
- Switching regulator synchronised with the motor drive chop rate to eliminate noise coupling
Indicators
- Axis fuse 1–4 — green, lit whenever the axis is enabled and powered; goes out on a fault
- Power — green, lit whenever system power is running
- Brake — red, lit when power is being absorbed by dynamic braking
- RS-232 in / RS-232 out — green, lit when the data line is true
- RS-485 — green, lit when bus data is active
Connectors
- Motors (A–D) — 5-pin Combicon 0.2 in latching; bipolar 4-lead plus grounded shield
- Limits (E–H) — 6-pin Molex Tripeg per axis: 2 limit inputs, 2 encoder phase inputs, +5 V and ground
- Training (I) — 8-pin Molex Tripeg: two sets of encoder phase inputs plus 2 index inputs, reprogrammable as general purpose I/O
- Interlock (J) — 2-pin Molex Tripeg safety interlock; breaking the connection shuts down motors and laser drive
- Laser PWM (K) — 3-pin Molex Tripeg, 1 input and 1 output, ~1 ohm source with +5 V out, drives 50 ohm terminations
- Power inlet (L) — standard 3-prong grounded inlet, 85–265 VAC 50–60 Hz
- RS-232 I/O (M) — RJ-45 8-pin latching modular, with 5 V user power
- RS-485 I/O (N, O) — RJ-15 4-pin modular, paralleled for daisy chaining; one pair for half-duplex RS-485, the other carrying power for peripherals
Other motion & automation products
SoftStep Drives R213S Roadrunner A drop-in replacement for Gecko drives — and for almost anything else on 20–80 V. SoftStep Drives SS483 Series Second-source compatible with the IM483 — at higher performance and lower cost. Drive Systems 4X483SQ Four axes, power supply, I/O and cabling in one box — plug it into a parallel port.
Get in touch
Tell us what the machine has to do.
Pricing is quoted per application. Call sales, or send the axis count, motor sizes and duty cycle and we will come back with a configuration.