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PC-based motion control takes off

Motion control is no longer an afterthought to automation systems or a totally arcane specialty, according to analysts at Automation Research Corp. (Dedham, MA).

They see PC platforms and a push for open standards driving software and hardware interfaces into the spotlight-even such arcane issues as standards for network interfaces like SERCOS and APIs for motion control systems. Suppliers with PC bus cards are getting a lot of attention.

A single supplier can't be competent in a broad range of specialized areas, and open architecture allows using multiple vendors no matter whether the customizing is being done to solve a mechanical, algorithmic, or networking issue. Software intelligence has made board-level products easy to use and allows users to integrate motion control economically.

The open movement makes the PC platform fertile breeding ground for entrepreneurial ventures these days, says ARC, and software suppliers now appear as key players in the motion control market. The pie chart shows proprietary board-level products being displaced by software that conforms to accepted interface standards.

ARC expects that distributed intelligence and Real Time NT will allow motion control to follow the path of SoftLogic, accepted as an alternative to the traditional PLC. For the ARC report, North America General Motion Control Outlook, contact ARC at 3 Allied Drive, Dedham, MA 02026; tel. 781-461-9100; fax 781-461-9101; Web www.arcweb.com; or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Copyright Society of Manufacturing Engineers Mar 1998
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