A quiet digital revolution in the control and application of brushless servo motors and drives is promising a step-change in technology and could be accepted as a new industry standard. The benefits of a new, completely, digital communications protocol for carrying servo data from the motor to the drive electronics are significant. They promise to save costs, improve speed regulation and enable a more compact motor design. These advances will benefit not only the motor and drive manufacturers themselves, but also machine builders and systems integrators who are demanding smaller and more efficient motors. End-users are set to benefit from lower costs and improved operator safety. At the centre of the advance is a fully-digital encoder interface protocol which eliminates the problem of electromagnetic interference encountered in previous analogue systems and therefore the risk of signal degradation. The Hiperface DSL (Digital-Servo-Link) motor feedback interface was introduced in mid 2011, and four significant manufacturers - Beckhoff, Parker, Robox and Selema - have all launched enabled drives' and motors. Its developer Sick anticipates further announcements during 2012.
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