Drive system adds Ethernet connectivity; motion control software; 128 axes motion controller

Siemens expanded Sinamics S120 drive system to include Ethernet connectivity to Profinet, Ethernet TCP/IP, and EtherNet/IP, upgraded its Simotion Scout motion control software, and extended the upper performance range of Simotion D motion controllers to support 128 axes of motion.

October 4, 2011

Motion control business of Siemens Industry Inc. announced that it expanded Sinamics S120 drive system to include Ethernet connectivity to Profinet, Ethernet TCP/IP, and EtherNet/IP, upgraded its Simotion Scout motion control software, and extended the upper performance range of Simotion D motion controllers to support 128 axes of motion, in time for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 last week.

Siemens Sinamics S120 drive system was been enhanced to include Profinet, Ethernet TCP/IP and EtherNet/IP, providing maximum flexibility for industrial Ethernet communication for those wanting one network for the entire plant.

“In many instances, plant managers have the requirement for a single-plant network,  particularly with large automotive, packaging, plastics, metals, food and beverage and material handling companies,” said Craig Nelson, product manager, Sinamics S drives. The Sinamics S120 platform provides communications without limits to a specific network type, he said.

Sinamics S120 supports, as standard, Profibus DP and Profinet to ensure seamless communications among all components involved in the automation solution, including HMI (operator control and visualization), and I/O. Additional higher-level functions including Safety Integrated telegrams and synchronized mechanisms for even the highest-level motion applications are also included.

Profinet can transmit operating and diagnostics data simultaneously to enterprise-level systems using standard IT mechanisms (TCP/IP) for an integrated factory environment. Adding an EtherNet/IP stack offers another option for Sinamics S120 users. Multiple network communications capabilities make the drive system “perfectly suited for the Industrial Ethernet boom.”

Siemens said Sinamics S120 drives are designed to handle virtually any drive need, and covers vector, servo and variable-frequency drive (V/Hz) applications with the choice of single- or multi-axis offerings and modular design and system architecture.

The drives have wide power range (0.25 – 1,600 hp), safety integrated functionality, and convenient start-up with automatic configuration of drive system, through the innovative Drive-CLiQ interface.  Applications include packaging, plastics, textile, printing and paper machines, handling and assembly systems, machine tools, rolling mills and test stands.

Simotion Scout v4.2 improves usability

Simotion Scout, the engineering system used for configuring Simotion motion controllers, has been updated with a wide range of usability improvements, Siemens said. As more demands are put on modern production machines, the system enables all application functions and tasks to be implemented within one uniform user interface. 

Simotion is a scalable motion control system that quickly and easily handles increasing machine demands by enabling central machine functions to be implemented with one controller. It is available in three variants: drive-based, PC-based and controller-based.

Simotion Scout facilitates the configuration, programming, testing and commissioning of applications.  It has graphical-based programming, automatic drive integration, and detailed comparisons for graphics-based programming languages.

A simplified interface to the Siemens Sinamics drive system provides users with an automated means of integrating drives and components into the Simotion system.  Using the new symbolic assignment of technology objects (TOs) and I/Os to drive objects, users no longer manually configure communication with message frames and addresses because Simotion Scout now automates this task. Object-to-object assignment takes place via a new inter-connection screen.  In this screen, all compatible partners are listed hierarchically and the symbolic connection of the components to be inter-connected takes place by simple selection.

More capabilities for Simotion D motion controllers

The new generation of Simotion D445-2 multi-axis controllers has new features such as onboard Profinet interfaces, high-speed I/O, and with three times the performance, a single controller can support up to 128 axes of motion.

Simotion D motion control systems are said to be the ideal solution for production machines covering  all levels of performance — from simple single-axis positioning tasks to complex synchronous applications — with extremely short cycle times on a large numbers of axes. Scalability offers users a high degree of flexibility for machine automation. The Simotion D drive-based multi-axis control system offers PLC, motion control, and advanced technology functions and an integrated drive control based upon Siemens Sinamics S120 drives.

Simotion D445-2 DP/PN and D455-2 DP/PN versions offer up to 128 axes (twice the prior version), and the memory capacity significantly expanded. This has increased the PLC and motion control performance by a factor of three.  With these controllers, the previously optional Profinet I/O interface has been integrated on the modules as standard, which frees an option slot for other expansion cards.  The onboard interface has an integrated three-port switch and facilitates different network topologies such as line, star or tree structures, without the need for additional external switches. The interface supports real-time (RT) and isochronous real-time (IRT) data exchange, and it can be operated as a controller and / or device of another controller.

The controllers also have two Profibus and two Ethernet interfaces, and 28 digital I/Os, of which 16 can be used for technology tasks, such as output cams and measuring inputs with micro-second resolution.

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– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com.

See the Motors and Drives Channel.

https://www.controleng.com/new-products/motors-and-drives.html

Siemens expanded Sinamics S120 drive system to include Ethernet connectivity to Profinet, Ethernet TCP/IP, and EtherNet/IP.

Siemens upgraded its Simotion Scout motion control software.

Siemens extended the upper performance range of Simotion D motion controllers to support 128 axes of motion.

https://www.controleng.com/new-products/motors-and-drives.html

The new Simotion D motion controllers for production machines cover all levels of performance, from simple positioning tasks to demanding applications with extremely short cycle times or large numbers of axes, up to 128.