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Energy, test & special systems

Motion Simulators and Platforms

Synchronised, dynamic axes on six-degree-of-freedom platforms.

  • Typical axes3
  • NetworkEtherCAT
  • Control modeCSP · CST
  • Recommended seriesSDU3 · SMR · SM13 · SD24-LP
Start Product Selection See the solution
01
The sector at a glance

Motion Simulators and Platforms

Driving, flight and training simulators, and vibration and test platforms, drive several electric actuators at once with high dynamics. On a six-axis (Stewart) platform each actuator position depends on the others; synchronised motion and a safe stop are the base requirements.

Three things that decide it on the shop floor

  1. 01

    Synchronisation

    A timing offset between axes is felt as a jolt.

  2. 02

    Thermal load

    Frequent accelerations raise RMS torque.

  3. 03

    A platform carrying people

    Safe stop and limits come from the risk assessment.

02
Our advantages

Why SMB TECHNICS?

One set, controller to cable

Controller, drive, motor, cable and connector arrive checked against each other; interface problems are solved at the desk, not on the shop floor.

Open standards

EtherCAT, CANopen, Modbus RTU, CODESYS and CiA 402: your machine is not tied to a closed ecosystem.

Engineer-to-engineer support

The same team from sizing to commissioning, on site and remotely.

Documented products

Manuals, CAD, ESI/EDS and firmware in the Document Centre; every product you choose comes with its documents.

Our application know-how for this sector
  • Six-axis kinematic transformation and synchronisation
  • Thermal sizing for dynamic profiles
  • Safe stop on a platform carrying people
03
How we build the system

From control chain to commissioning, which product goes where

3.1

The control chain and the recommended products

How the machine is driven and the SMB products we choose for it.

Driving, flight and training simulators, and vibration and test platforms, drive several electric actuators at once with high dynamics. On a six-axis (Stewart) platform each actuator position depends on the others; synchronised motion and a safe stop are the base requirements.

Realism in a simulator starts with six axes commanded in the same cycle.

The control chain

The actuators are driven over EtherCAT by SDU3 drives and low-inertia SMR motors. A MAT-LC CPU runs the kinematic transformation and the safety logic; Distributed Clocks lock every axis to the same instant.

What decides the result

  • Synchronisation. A timing offset between axes is felt as a jolt on the platform.
  • Dynamic and thermal load. Short, frequent accelerations raise RMS torque; the motor is chosen for it.
  • A platform that carries people. The safe stop and position limits come from the risk assessment.

Sizing it

We need platform and payload mass, motion envelope, peak acceleration and frequency, and actuator geometry. We size it with you per project.

Select the products for this machine Enter power, torque and network; compare compatible drives and motors and add them to your basket. Selection guide
3.2

The architecture: which product goes where

The boxes show the real products; click one to open the series.

EtherCAT Operator panel HMI-R9 Controller · CODESYS MAT-LC CPU I/O and sensors MAT-LC I/O · PNP / NPN Safe stop STO · brake Supply protection EMI · braking resistor Actuators 1–6 Drive · SDU3 CSP · EtherCAT Motor SMR Turntable (yaw) Drive · SDU3 CSP · EtherCAT Motor SM13 Cockpit actuators Drive · SD24-LP CST · EtherCAT Motor SM06
  • EtherCAT
  • Ethernet
  • Power and feedback
  • Safety
Where this machine sits on the full SMB system map
CPU / PLC & Motion Control 3 series Expansion Rack / IO 10 products Ethernet switch Ethernet Operator Panels 3 series Sensors 3 series EtherCAT Servo Drives 17 products CANopen Servo Drives 6 products Modbus RTU Servo Drives 4 products Servo Motors 6 series Power and Encoder Cables 2 series CODESYS IEC 61131-3 PLCopen Motion Control CiA 402 Drive profile
EtherCAT Ethernet CANopen Modbus RTU Digital I/O Power and feedback

CPU / PLC & Motion Control

Expansion Rack / IO

Ethernet switch

The industrial switch distributes Ethernet traffic between the controller, the operator panel and the engineering PC. It is part of the architecture, not part of the SMB catalogue.

Operator Panels

Sensors

EtherCAT Servo Drives

CANopen Servo Drives

Modbus RTU Servo Drives

Servo Motors

Power and Encoder Cables

CODESYS

SMB controllers are programmed in CODESYS: the IEC 61131-3 languages, integrated motion and a single project covering both machine logic and the axes.

PLCopen

PLCopen Motion Control function blocks give every axis the same standard interface, so proven machine code carries over from one project to the next.

CiA 402

SMB servo drives implement the CiA 402 drive profile: the same state machine and the same operating modes over EtherCAT and over CANopen.

3.3

Product placement, axis by axis

Each axis, its task, its control mode and the drive–motor pair on it.

  1. 01
    Actuators 1–6 The electric legs of a Stewart platform
    CSP · EtherCAT
    SDU3 Drive SDU3 Series Three-phase 380 V AC EtherCAT servo drives with power steps from 400 W to 7.5 kW. SMR Motor SMR Series Low-inertia servo motors in 60–130 mm frames, single-phase 220 V AC and three-phase 380 V AC, 400 W–7.5 kW, with BiSS absolute encoders.
  2. 02
    Turntable (yaw) Unlimited rotation axis
    CSP · EtherCAT
    SDU3 Drive SDU3 Series Three-phase 380 V AC EtherCAT servo drives with power steps from 400 W to 7.5 kW. SM13 Motor SM13 Flange Family 130 mm-frame servo motors, 220/380 V AC, 1.5–3 kW, with BiSS and incremental encoder options.
  3. 03
    Cockpit actuators Control loading and feedback
    CST · EtherCAT
    SD24-LP Drive SD24-LP Series Flagship EtherCAT low-power servo drive line. SM06 Motor SM06 Flange Family 60 mm-frame 220 V AC servo motors, 200–400 W, with absolute, BiSS and incremental encoder options and an optional brake.

CSP: cyclic synchronous position · CSV: cyclic synchronous velocity · CST: cyclic synchronous torque · PP: profile position. The series is confirmed by load and supply voltage.

3.4

The build, step by step

From requirement to support; the SMB products and tools each step uses.

  1. 1

    Requirements and sizing

    The motion profile, load and cycle time of every axis are collected; torque, speed and inertia ratio are calculated per axis.

    • Peak and RMS torque, top speed
    • Load-to-motor inertia ratio and gearing
    • Supply: 220 V AC, 380 V AC or 24–70 V DC
    Sizer Selection guide
  2. 2

    Architecture and product choice

    The network (EtherCAT, CANopen, Modbus RTU), the controller and the drive–motor pair per axis are chosen; the safety and power side is drawn at this step.

    • EtherCAT for synchronised axes, CANopen for independent ones
    • Drive current covers the motor peak current
    • STO and braked motors come from the risk assessment
    MAT-LC-C06 MAT-LC-DIT-08 MAT-SDU3-MP-300-D3-E MAT-SMR10-JS-D540S30-MT16ST23-200B0
  3. 3

    Cabinet, cabling and EMC

    Power and encoder cables run in separate ducts with their shields bonded 360°; an EMI filter goes at the drive input and a braking resistor where the load regenerates.

    • Flexible cable for the cable chain
    • Shields are earthed at both ends
    • The braking resistor is sized from the braking energy
    Power / Motor Cables Encoder Cables SMKP Power Connectors SMKE Encoder Connectors EMI Filters Braking Resistors
  4. 4

    Software and network

    In the CODESYS project the axes are defined with PLCopen blocks; the drives join the network through their ESI/EDS files and run the CiA 402 state machine.

    • IEC 61131-3 languages and PLCopen Motion Control
    • ESI (EtherCAT) and EDS (CANopen) in the Document Centre
    • EtherCAT coupler for remote I/O
    MAT-LC CodeSys CPU MAT-LC I/O Modules MAT-LC System Modules
    CODESYS FAQ Document centre
  5. 5

    Commissioning and tuning

    After wiring and direction checks the gains are tuned and the axes homed; the operator panel carries the machine recipes.

    • Direction, limit and emergency-stop tests
    • Speed and position loop gain tuning
    • Backing up the parameter sets
    HMI-R9 Series
    Commissioning FAQ Troubleshooting
  6. 6

    Support and lifecycle

    Alarm codes, spare parts, firmware and training, from the same engineering team.

    • Alarm-code and troubleshooting guides
    • Manual, CAD and firmware downloads
    • Remote and on-site support
    Technical support Document centre
3.5

The solution package: what comes with the product

Hardware, software, engineering and lifecycle.

02

Software and know-how

The CODESYS project, PLCopen motion blocks and know-how specific to this machine.

  • Six-axis kinematic transformation and synchronisation
  • Thermal sizing for dynamic profiles
  • Safe stop on a platform carrying people
03

Engineering support

Sizing, architecture, commissioning and tuning, on site and remotely.

  • Motor and drive sizing per axis
  • System architecture and network choice
  • Commissioning, gain tuning and homing
04

Lifecycle

Manuals, ESI/EDS files, spare parts and training.

  • Document Centre: manuals, CAD, firmware
  • ESI and EDS files, parameter backups
  • Spare parts and user training
Engineering knowledge base

Commissioning this application

The topics engineers in this industry ask about most, each with answers, checklists and troubleshooting steps.

EtherCAT CODESYS Servo commissioning & tuning System design

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