May 7, 2015 - Roboteq introduces FBL2360 motor controller that is capable of simultaneously driving two brushless DC motor up to 60Amps each at up to 60V. FBL2360 is suited for use in Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Warehouse Automation Robots, or any other high power brushless motor control application.
Because they have no brushes, Brushless motors operate more quietly and have a longer life than equivalent Brushed motors.
The controller accepts commands from either analog pedal/joystick, standard R/C radio for simple remote controlled robot applications, USB or RS232 interface. Using the serial port, the FBL2360 can be used to design fully or semi-autonomous robots by connecting it to single board computers, wireless modems or WiFi adapters.
The FBL2360 incorporates a Basic Language Interpreter capable of executing over 50,000 Basic instructions per second. This feature can be used to write powerful scripts for adding custom functions, or for developing automated systems without the need for an external PLC or microcomputer.
The controller's two channels can be operated independently or combined to set the direction and rotation of a vehicle by coordinating the motors on each side (tank-like steering). The motors may be operated in open or closed loop speed or position modes with a 1 kHz update rate. The FBL2360 can use the motor’s hall sensors or optical encoders to measure speed and travelled distance with high accuracy.
The FBL2360 features intelligent current sensing that will automatically limit each of the power outputs to 60A in all load conditions. The controller also includes protection against overheat, stall, and short circuits. The controller supports regenerative braking allowing the battery to get charged during robot decelerations.
The controller includes up to 8 analog, 10 digital and 6 pulse inputs. Four 1A digital outputs are provided for activating lights, valves, brakes or other accessories. The controller’s operation can be optimized using nearly 80 configurable parameters, such as programmable acceleration or deceleration, amps limits, operating voltage range, use of I/O, and more.
A free PC utility is available for configuring, tuning and exercising the motor. The controller can be reprogrammed in the field with the latest features by downloading new operating firmware from Roboteq’s web site.
The FBL2360 is built into a compact 140mm x 140mm x 25mm enclosure with an aluminum bottom plate for efficient conduction cooling. Price: $595
