Custom Motion Control Firmware offers DMX compatibility.
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Press Release Summary:
Designed to accept DMX protocol, Class 5 SmartMotor™ firmware brings integrated motion control to entertainment industry. Single DMX controller has 512 8-bit channels with each channel capable of controlling color, focus, intensity, on/off, pan, and tilt. Firmware allows SmartMotor to be programmed to read any range of channels and ignore channels not assigned. Multiple SmartMotors can read separate or overlapping DMX channels, and data can be stored in variables to set parameters for motion.
Original Press Release:
SmartMotor(TM) Delivers Integrated Motion Control Benefits to Entertainment Industry through DMX Compatibility
Santa Clara, Calif. -- Moog Animatics, a division of Moog Inc., has designed custom Class 5 SmartMotor™ firmware to accept DMX protocol - bringing the benefits of fully integrated motion control to the entertainment industry.
DMX512 is a standard for digital communication that’s most often used in entertainment to control lighting and stage effects. A single DMX controller has 512 8-bit channels (commonly called a ‘universe’) with each channel capable of controlling color, focus, intensity, on/off, pan and tilt and more.Â
Custom DMX firmware allows the SmartMotor to be programmed by the user to read any range of channels and ignore channels not assigned. Adding additional axes to a machine is simple with the SmartMotor and requires minimal cabling. Multiple SmartMotors on the same network can read separate or overlapping DMX channels where multiple channel ranges can be read and data can be stored in variables to set parameters for motion.
“The beauty of this new capability is how universal it is. DMX protocol is simple and by assigning it to variables, you still have all the capabilities of the SmartMotor’s advanced motion controller with the flexibility of DMX,” says Hack Summer, Applications Technology Manager at Moog Animatics. “The cost benefits are also enormous. You can use any standard third-party DMX controller software package over RS485 and many of them are open source and priced as low as $100. This new capability opens a number of opportunities for the entertainment industry to make use of true closed loop precision servo control where historically open loop steppers or brushed motors have been used.”
Not only does the DMX capability simplify programming but all SmartMotor advanced motion control features such as phase offset, cubic spline interpolation and advanced gearing and camming can be triggered off of the DMX input. As fully integrated motion control benefits include smaller machine footprint and reduced cabling, the odds of DMX false triggers from electromagnetic interference or extensive cable lengths are greatly reduced.
For example, if one wants to know the position of a theater light, they would assign the DMX controller a channel for that data and then program the base address in the SmartMotor aligned with that particular channel. The user can then write a program and indicate that array variable in the SmartMotor, calling out a subroutine or assigning corresponding parameters in the motor including position, velocity, acceleration, torque, and more. The entire motion control system becomes more compact with no control cabinet needed and axes can be easily added without the limitations of choosing a 4-, 6- or 8- axis controller.
Moog Animatics is a global leader in integrated motion control. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Moog Animatics designs, manufactures, and markets motion control products and systems, and has over 25 years in the motion control industry. Animatics was acquired by Moog Inc. in May, 2011. For more information, visit www.animatics.com.Â
Moog Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision control components and systems. Moog's high-performance systems control military and commercial aircraft, satellites and space vehicles, launch vehicles, missiles, automated industrial machinery, wind energy, marine and medical equipment. Additional information about the company can be found at www.moog.com.
Contact
Melissa Junge
(408) 748-8721 x3331
mjunge@moog.animatics.com
animatics.com
408-748-8721
sales@animatics.comÂ
