Smart Motor Connection Options

The class of motors known as “smart” motors continue to see a steady increase in use in many industrial applications. A smart motor is essentially a nema 17 stepper motor that integrates a number of other components together into one physical unit. Common configurations include a motor and drive, but can also consist of integrated encoders and controllers as well as cabling and communication ports.

Aside from the increased processing power and control options that such motors make available, their other powerful feature is the improved connectivity options they offer to designers of complex industrial machinery and motion control systems.

The concept of the “smart” motor goes hand in hand with connectivity. In fact, that’s largely what qualifies a motor as having intelligence; the ability to communicate with other motors and control-system components as well as having some amount of control functionality on-board. This is what makes smart motors with their improved connectivity options central to the IoT and industrial IoT (IIoT).

These SM23375DT Class 5 D-Style SmartMotors from Moog Animatics feature a NEMA 23 frame size and an integrated controller, amplifier, and encoder, with optional DeviceNet or CANOpen bus connections.(Click here to buy digital stepper motor driver)

Some common communication options include serial communication links such as RS232 or RS485 and advanced network topologies for complex motion control tasks. The most common of these are a variety of Ethernet-based protocols such as EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT among others. The increased adoption of Ethernet-based networks in industrial and motion settings is partly what has allowed for the the expansion of the industrial IoT.