Galil Motion Control

Introducing the DMC-52xx0 EtherCAT master, Galil’s first 32 axis motion controller. This new addition to Galil’s EtherCAT family is a pure EtherCAT controller with the ability to control up to 32 drives and 2 I/O modules. This space efficient package also provides uncommitted I/O for easy integration into any EtherCAT application.

The DMC-52xx0 is offered in 2, 4, 8, and 16 axis formats (32 axis coming soon). Coordinated moves can be done within banks of up to 8 axes allowing for minimal changes of Galil’s programming language. The DMC-52xx0 operates in Cyclic Synchronous Position mode (CSP). In this mode, the servo control loop is closed on the EtherCAT drive while the Galil controller sends motion profile commands at a rate of 1 kHz. Galil supports a host of EtherCAT devices for virtually any application. See the list below for more details.

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Video 1: Galil's New H-bot Firmware in Action.

There are many applications that require movement in planar space, or movement along two perpendicular axes. This two dimensional system can be fitted with additional motors to increase the number of degrees of freedom. These types of applications can range from specimen positioning for a microscope and 3D printers to product packaging and material application. The most common way that planar motion is achieved is using a machine based on the XY stage or gantry system. This type of system can have many drawbacks which will be outlined later in this article. An alternative to these types of machines is the H-Bot which has many advantages when compared to XY stages or gantries. This article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using an H-Bot for systems that use planar movement as well as Galil's H-Bot firmware solution for the DMC-40x0.