November 24, 2014 - Siemens updated software for Sinamics S120 drives with Advanced Technology Functions. The specific functions concerned are synchronous operation (1:1 or with gear ratio), camming, and positioning of the synchronous axes. The functions are part of the DCB (Drive Control Block) extension function block library General Motion Control (GMC), which is available for downloading from the Siemens Industry Support web pages. The Advanced Technology Functions allow users to extend their existing or new Sinamics S120 drive systems with new application-specific functions. In addition, drive-related control and adjustment tasks can be transferred from the controller to the drive, making it possible to protect critical process knowledge effectively against unauthorized access.
The DCB extension function block library and the functions can be installed quickly and easily on the Sinamics S120 drives via the graphical user interface of the DCC (Drive Control Chart) Editor. The DCC Editor is part of the Starter commissioning software. To access the full range of Advanced Technology Functions, users must activate a chargeable license on the drive. The DCB extension function block libraries are created using the DCB Studio software. Customers can purchase the DCB Studio to develop their own functions, or can commission Siemens to create specific module libraries and functions for them.