Open-source reference design speeds development of end-of-arm tooling

TRINAMIC Motion Control has introduced an open-source, fully integrated reference design that simplifies industrial robotic end-of-arm tooling (EoAT) development. The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design combines hardware-based field-oriented control and three communication ports to shrink the design extent of electronic robotic grippers by three times while decreasing development time by half. The reference design features Maxim Integrated’s industrial-grade MAX22000 high-precision configurable analog input/output and MAX14906 quad-channel digital input/output to alter the multiple modes of the Trinamic TMCM-1617 single axis servo driver.

Created to fit within the standard form-factor utilised for EoAT grippers, the reference design supports industrial EtherCAT, IO-Link or RS-485 communication, offers software-programmable analog and digital input/outputs and can be configured employing the Trinamic Motion Control Language Integrated Development Environment. This combination of the reference design and software platform offers a simple way for design engineers to swiftly produce a complete EoAT solution.

“There’s a need for industrial automation engineers to rely on a toolkit that simplifies the development and commissioning of robotic EoAT solutions,” explains Jeff DeAngelis, vice president of Industrial Communications at Maxim. “The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design simplifies the tooling development process, allowing automation engineers to focus their time on developing advanced, real-time EoAT solutions that embody the true meaning of delivering intelligence at the edge.”

“The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design eliminates the burden of implementing motor control algorithms, as well as protocol stacks for end-of-arm tooling,” said Jonas Proeger, director of Business Management at Trinamic. “With state-of-the-art bus options, control algorithms, and diagnostics provided in a single solution, the reference design boosts productivity on the factory floor and drives intelligence to the edge.”