UltimET Light motion controllers

UltimET Light motion controller is the master on the TransnET bus and can manage up to 63 axes. More significantly, the communication performance will be the same regardless of the number of axes.

To provide the best price/performance solution to its customers, ETEL designed two versions of the motion controller: the UltimET Light smart gateway is designed for price sensitive applications requiring synchronized movements. The UltimET Light interpolation version is best suited for interpolated movements.

UltimET Light provides different ways to manage multi-axis movements, depending on the needs:

• Movements can be either synchronized, or interpolated with G-code based, ULM (Universal Linear Movements), PVT (Position Velocity Time), PT (Position Time) and LKT (LooK-up Table) motion profiles. 
• Advanced control feature requiring slave to slave communication between the different position controllers need an UltimET as a TransnET master:
  - 3D mapping allows for correction of a stage’s known mechanical errors
  - Gantry acceleration feed-forward
  - Etc.

A WAGO gateway module can be connected to the UltimET board allowing communication through Modbus TCP, interfacing up to 16 analog Inputs and 16 analog Outputs as well as 128 digital Inputs and 128 digital Outputs.

UltimETs are available in three form factors in order to adapt to OEMs configuration:

• The PCI or PCI Express version are integrated into a PC, which is very well suited for high speed applications requiring real-time deterministic communication. 
• The TCP/IP version is embedded into an AccurET position controller. This configuration is best for stand-alone machines, in which the motion control application is far from the PC controlling the machine.

TransnET is a gigabit ethernet based fieldbus designed to be the communication channel in ETEL‘s distributed motion control architecture. TransnET manages the real-time commands between the UltimET Light motion controller and AccurET position controllers driving up to 63 motors at the same time. It allows for handling of highly reliable deterministic synchronization and interpolation. In addition, TransnET nanosecond synchronization jitter allows for master to slave, slave to master, or slave to slave communication withinthe same cycle. This is a major advantage for high-end machines, since most require extensive slave to slave communication to perform 3D mapping, gantry control, and more.