User ManualTable of ContentsRevision History3SECTION 1 Important Safety Warnings13Read this Section First13This product is intended for use with rechargeable batteries13Avoid Shorts when Mounting Board against Chassis13Do not Connect to a RC Radio with a Battery Attached13Beware of Motor Runaway in Improperly Closed Loop13SECTION 2 AX3500 Quick Start15What you will need15Locating the Switches and Connectors15Connecting to the Batteries and Motors17Important Warning18Important Warning18Connecting to the 15-pin Connector18Connecting the R/C Radio19Important Warning19Powering On the Controller19Button Operation20Default Controller Configuration21Connecting the controller to your PC using Roborun22Obtaining the Controller’s Software Revision Number23Exploring further24SECTION 3 AX3500 Motor Controller Overview25Product Description25Technical features26SECTION 4 Connecting Power and Motors to the Controller29Important Warning29Power Connections29Controller Power30Controller Powering Schemes32Powering the Controller from a single Battery32Important Warning33Powering the Controller Using a Main and Backup Battery33Important Warning34Connecting the Motors34Important Warning34Single Channel Operation35Converting the AX3500 to Single Channel35Power Fuses36Important Warning36Wire Length Limits37Important Warning37Electrical Noise Reduction Techniques37Power Regeneration Considerations37Important Warning38Important Warning38Overvoltage Protection38Undervoltage Protection38Using the Controller with a Power Supply39SECTION 5 General Operation41Basic Operation41Input Command Modes41Selecting the Motor Control Modes42Open Loop, Separate Speed Control42Open Loop, Mixed Speed Control42Closed Loop Speed Control43Close Loop Position Control43User Selected Current Limit Settings44Temperature-Based Current Limitation44Battery Current vs. Motor Current45Important Warning46Regeneration Current Limiting46Programmable Acceleration47Important Warning48Command Control Curves48Left / Right Tuning Adjustment49Activating Brake Release or Separate Motor Excitation51Emergency Shut Down Using Controller Switches51Emergency Stop using External Switch51Inverted Operation52Special Use of Accessory Digital Inputs52Using the Inputs to Activate the Buffered Output52Using the Inputs to turn Off/On the Power MOSFET transistors52Self-Test Mode53Important Warning54SECTION 6 Connecting Sensors and Actuators to Input/Outputs55AX3500 Connections55AX3500’s Inputs and Outputs56I/O List and Pin Assignment58Connecting devices to Output C59Important warning:60Connecting Switches or Devices to Input F60Connecting Switches or Devices to EStop/Invert Input61Analog Inputs62Connecting Position Potentiometers to Analog Inputs62Important Warning63Connecting Tachometer to Analog Inputs63Important Warning64Connecting External Thermistor to Analog Inputs65Using the Analog Inputs to Monitor External Voltages66Connecting User Devices to Analog Inputs67Internal Voltage Monitoring Sensors67Internal Heatsink Temperature Sensors67SECTION 7 RC Pulses Output71RC Pulse Output Overview71Connector Location and Pinout72Connecting Servos to Controllers72Servo Connection to RevA Controllers72Servo Connection to RevB Controllers73Connecting to Slave Controllers73Pulse Timing Information74Important Warning75RC Channel Testing Using the PC Utility75SECTION 8 Connecting and Using the Encoder Function77Optical Incremental Encoders Overview77Recommended Encoder Types78Connecting the Encoder79Cable Length and Noise Considerations80Important Warning80Motor - Encoder Polarity Matching80Voltage Levels, Thresholds and Limit Switches81Important Warning82Wiring Optional Limit Switches82Wiring Limit Switches Without Encoders83Effect of Limit Switches83Using the Encoder Module to Measure Distance84Using the Encoder to Measure Speed84Important Notice85Using the Encoder to Track Position85Important Notice86RS232 Communication with the Encoder Module87Encoder Testing and Setting Using the PC Utility87SECTION 9 Closed Loop Position Mode89Mode Description89Selecting the Position Mode89Position Sensor Selection90Sensor Mounting90Important Notice:91Feedback Potentiometer wiring91Feedback Potentiometer wiring in RC or RS232 Mode91Feedback Potentiometer wiring in Analog Mode92Important Notice92Analog Feedback on Single Channel Controllers93Feedback Wiring in RC or RS232 Mode on Single Channel Controllers93Feedback Wiring in Analog Mode on Single Channel Controllers93Important Notice93Using Optical Encoders in Position Mode94Sensor and Motor Polarity94Important Warning:94Important Safety Warning95Encoder Error Detection and Protection95Adding Safety Limit Switches95Important Warning97Using Current Limiting as Protection97Control Loop Description97PID tuning in Position Mode98SECTION 10 Closed Loop Speed Mode101Mode Description101Selecting the Speed Mode101Tachometer or Encoder Mounting102Tachometer wiring102Speed Sensor and Motor Polarity103Important Warning:103Adjust Offset and Max Speed104Important Warning:104Control Loop Description104PID tuning in Speed Mode105SECTION 11 Normal and Fault Condition LED Messages107Use of the LED Display107Motor Direction Status108Fault Messages109No Control109Temporary Faults110Permanent Faults110Self-Test Display110SECTION 12 R/C Operation113Mode Description113Selecting the R/C Input Mode114Connector I/O Pin Assignment (R/C Mode)114R/C Input Circuit Description115Supplied Cable Description115Powering the Radio from the controller116Important Warning117Connecting to a Separately Powered Radio118Operating the Controller in R/C mode118Reception Watchdog119Important Notice about PCM Radios120R/C Transmitter/Receiver Quality Considerations120Joystick Deadband Programming121Command Control Curves122Left/Right Tuning Adjustment122Joystick Calibration122Automatic Joystick Calibration123Important Notice124Data Logging in R/C Mode124SECTION 13 Analog Control and Operation127Mode Description127Important Notice127Connector I/O Pin Assignment (Analog Mode)128Connecting to a Voltage Source129Connecting a Potentiometer129Important Notice130Selecting the Potentiometer Value130Analog Deadband Adjustment131Important Notice132Power-On Safety132Under Voltage Safety132Data Logging in Analog Mode132SECTION 14 Serial (RS-232) Controls and Operation135Use and benefits of RS232135Connector I/O Pin Assignment (RS232 Mode)136Cable configuration137Extending the RS232 Cable137Communication Settings138Establishing Manual Communication with a PC138RS232 Communication with the Encoder Module139Entering RS232 from R/C or Analog mode140Data Logging String in R/C or Analog mode140RS232 Mode if default141Commands Acknowledge and Error Messages141Character Echo141Command Acknowledgement141Command Error141Watchdog time-out141RS-232 Watchdog142Controller Commands and Queries142Set Motor Command Value143Set Accessory Output143Query Power Applied to Motors143Query Amps from Battery to each Motor Channel144Important Notice144Important Notice144Query Analog Inputs145Query Heatsink Temperatures145Query Battery Voltages146Query Digital Inputs146Reset Controller146Accessing & Changing Configuration Parameter in Flash147Apply Parameter Changes147Flash Configuration Parameters List148Important Notice149Input Control Mode149Motor Control Mode149Amps Limit150Acceleration150Input Switches Function151RC Joystick or Analog Deadband152Exponentiation on Channel 1 and Channel 2152Left/Right Adjust152Default Encoder Time Base 1 and 2153Default Encoder Distance Divider153Default PID Gains154Joystick Min, Max and Center Values154Reading & Changing Operating Parameters at Runtime155Important Notice:156Operating Modes Registers156Read/Change PID Values156PWM Frequency Register157Controller Status Register157Controller Identification Register158Current Amps Limit Registers158RS232 Encoder Command Set159Read Encoder Counter159Set/Reset Encoder Counters and Destination Registers159Read Speed160Read Distance161Read Speed/Distance161Read Encoder Limit Switch Status161Read / Modify Encoder Module Registers and Parameters162Important Note162Important Warning164Register Description164Encoder Hardware ID code164Switch Status164Speed or Distance 1 or 2165Counter Read/Write Mailbox165Counter 1 and 2165Destination Register 1 and 2165Distance 1 and 2166Speed 1 and 2166Time Base 1 and 2166Encoder Threshold166Distance Divider166RC Pulse Outputs Activation167Counter Read Data Format167Encoder Testing and Setting Using the PC Utility168Automatic Switching from RS232 to RC Mode169Analog and R/C Modes Data Logging String Format170Data Logging Cables170Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion Table171SECTION 15 Configuring the Controller using the Switches175Programming Methods175Programming using built-in Switches and Display175Entering Programming Mode176Important Warning177Changing parameters177The Special Case of Joystick Calibration177Restoring factory defaults178Exiting the Parameter Setting Mode178Programmable Parameters List178Important Notice178SECTION 16 Using the Roborun Configuration Utility181System Requirements181Downloading and Installing the Utility181Connecting the Controller to the PC182Roborun Frame, Tab and Menu Descriptions183Getting On-Screen Help184Loading, Changing Controller Parameters185Control Settings185Power Settings186Analog or R/C Specific Settings187Closed Loop Parameters188Encoder Setting and Testing188Encoder Module Parameters Setting189Exercising the Motors190Viewing Encoder Data190RC Output Testing190Running the Motors191Logging Data to Disk194Connecting a Joystick195Using the Console196Viewing and Logging Data in Analog and R/C Modes197Loading and Saving Profiles to Disk197Operating the AX3500 over a Wired or Wireless LAN198Updating the Controller’s Software199Important Warning199Updating the Encoder Software200Important Warning200Creating Customized Object Files200SECTION 17 Mechanical Specifications203Mechanical Dimensions203Mounting Considerations204Thermal Considerations204Attaching the Controller Directly to a Chassis205Precautions to observe206Wire Dimensions207Weight207Size: 3.87 MBPages: 208Language: EnglishOpen manual
