Trinamic’s open-source reference design ‘speeds development of end-of-arm tooling’

Trinamic Motion Control, now part of Maxim Integrated Products, has introduced an open-source, fully integrated reference design that it says simplifies the development of industrial robotic end-of-arm tooling (EoAT).

The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design integrates hardware-based field-oriented control (FOC) and three communication ports to “shrink the design size of electronic robotic grippers by three times, while reducing development time by half”, according to the company.

The reference design features Maxim Integrated’s industrial-grade MAX22000 high-precision configurable analog input/output and MAX14906 quad-channel digital input/output to adjust the multiple modes of the Trinamic TMCM-1617 single axis servo driver.

Designed to fit within the standard form-factor used for EoAT grippers, the TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design supports industrial EtherCAT, IO-Link or RS-485 communication, provides software-programmable analog and digital input/outputs, and can be configured using the Trinamic Motion Control Language Integrated Development Environment (TMCL-IDE).

This combination of reference design and software platform provides a simple way for design engineers to rapidly deliver a complete EoAT solution.

Trinamic says the key advantages of its offering include:

• Speed time to market: The open-source EoAT gripper reference design is a fully integrated, intelligent hardware platform that provides motor control algorithms as well as protocol stacks to reduce end of arm tooling development time in half.
• Reduce size: The reference design integrates hardware-based FOC, software configurable input/outputs, and three communication protocol stacks into a compact solution size that measures 4,197 sq mm.
• Increase productivity: Real-time adjustment of the various TMCM-1617 servo drive modes, including gripper position and gripping force, boost flexibility for higher factory throughput.

Jeff DeAngelis, vice president of industrial communications at Maxim, says: “There’s a need for industrial automation engineers to rely on a toolkit that simplifies the development and commissioning of robotic EoAT solutions.

“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.”

Jonas Proeger, director of business management at Trinamic, says: “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.

“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.”

The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design is available now for $571.10 from Trinamic authorized distributors. The design CAD files for the TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF are freely available on Trinamic’s GitHub repository.