- When should I choose EtherCAT over CANopen or Modbus?
- How do I add an EtherCAT drive to the master project, and what is the ESI file for?
- What are Distributed Clocks (DC), and when should I enable them?
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EtherCAT
CANopen
Modbus RTU
Pulse & direction control
Analog control
CODESYS
PLC and I/O
HMI and Panel PC
Servo commissioning & tuning
Servo alarms
Cables and EMC
Machine mechanics
System design
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Engineering Support
Technical support at every stage of your machine
Choose the right starting point, from product selection and system architecture to commissioning and documentation. A product code and application context help route the request into the right engineering workflow.
- 292published catalogue product codes
- 8product families
- 3industrial fieldbus options
Choose the Right Route
Where do you want to begin?
Each link takes you straight to the right product, document or engineer.
01
Product selection
Match suitable models by power, torque, speed, voltage and fieldbus requirements.
Start selection → 02System compatibility
See how controller, drive, motor, cable and feedback components fit into one architecture.
Open architecture → 03Technical documents
Search manuals, datasheets, CAD, firmware and verified technical files by product code.
Search documents → 04Application support
Send your selection, integration or commissioning question through the project form.
Create a request →
Commissioning and troubleshooting
Engineering knowledge base
68 answers across 13 topics, from EtherCAT and CANopen to pulse/direction and analog control, from CODESYS to servo alarms. Every question →
- How does CANopen bit rate relate to bus length?
- How do I terminate a CANopen bus, and how do I measure that it is right?
- The CANopen drive communicates but the motor will not enable. What is missing?
- How should I wire the RS-485 line for Modbus RTU?
- The Modbus value I read looks shifted by one address. Why?
- The Modbus slave does not answer at all. What should I check?
- What is pulse/direction control, and when is it the right choice?
- What is the difference between pulse+direction, CW/CCW and A/B phase modes?
- How do I calculate the electronic gear ratio?
- What is analog speed/torque control, and when is it used?
- How do I scale the analog reference?
- At a 0 V command the motor slowly creeps. How do I fix it?
- Which SMB products are programmed with CODESYS?
- How do I add an EtherCAT servo axis in CODESYS, step by step?
- MC_Power, MC_Home, MC_MoveAbsolute: which motion blocks should I start with?
- Which PLC should I choose for my machine?
- Which IEC 61131-3 language should I use: LD, ST, FBD or SFC?
- What is the difference between PNP and NPN sensors, and how do I wire them to a PLC input?
- Should I choose a resistive or a capacitive touch screen?
- An HMI panel or a Panel PC?
- How do I design an HMI screen that operators do not get wrong?
- In what order should I bring up a servo axis for the first time?
- How is auto-tuning done, and why does the inertia ratio matter?
- How do I tune the gains by hand?
- The drive trips on overcurrent as soon as it is enabled.
- I get a DC-bus overvoltage alarm while decelerating.
- I get encoder communication errors, sometimes at random.
- How should I route power and signal cables?
- How should I ground the cable shield?
- Which cable should I use on moving axes?
- How do I choose between a ball screw, a belt and a rack and pinion?
- Should I use a gearbox, and how do I choose the ratio?
- Which coupling should I use between the motor and the shaft?
- Low-voltage DC, 220 V AC or 380 V AC: which level should I choose?
- Which interface should I use between the controller and the drives?
- How do I know whether I need a braking resistor?
End-to-End Support
Where is your machine today?
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01
Sizing
Translate load, motion profile, speed, torque and supply conditions into a suitable product range.
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02
Integration
Match control mode, feedback and the EtherCAT, CANopen or Modbus RTU layer to the system.
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03
Commissioning
Describe the issue with the product code, the wiring, the parameters and what you observe.
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04
Documents and lifecycle
Find the right revision, technical file or a suitable alternative product from the catalogue record.
A Faster Technical Answer
Start the request with the right context
If no model is selected, describe the motion the machine must perform. If a model is known, include its product code and the current system context.
Create Technical Request- 01Product or series code
- 02Supply, load, speed and motion profile
- 03Controller and fieldbus protocol
- 04Wiring, parameters or error code
Do you have the product code ready?
Add the code and the technical details to the project form, and your request reaches our team as a tracked record.
Contact Our Team info@smbtechnics.com →