Hardware Version V1.00 | Document Revision V1.10 • 2017-Mar-02
PD42-1270 is an easy to use PANdrive™smart stepper motor. The module is controlled via a CAN bus interface and comes with two firmware options – TMCL and CANopen. PD42-1270 features stealthChop™for
absolute silent motor control, spreadCycle™for high speed stepper motor commutation, a fully integrated
hardware motion controller with sixPoint™ motion ramps, as well as stallGuard2™ and coolStep™.
The PANdrive™PD42-1270 is a full mechatronic solution with state of the art feature set. It is highly
integrated and offers convenient handling via CAN interface. The PD42-1270 includes a stepper motor,
driver electronics, and a fully featured hardware motion controller. It can be used in many decentralized
applications and has been designed for 0.20...0.47 Nm maximum holding torque and 24V DC nominal
supply voltage. With stealthChop™, the PD42-1270 offers absolutely silent and smooth motor operation
for lower and medium velocities. With spreadCycle™, the PD42-1270 offers a high performance current
controlled chopper mode for highest velocities with perfect zero crossing performance. With stallGuard2™,
a sensorless load detection feature is provided for automatic end step detection and load monitoring.
stallGuard2 is also used for the automatic current scaling feature coolStep™. The PD42-1270 comes with a
CAN bus interface and four (4) digital IOs.
1.1General Features
Main Characteristics
• Supply Voltage +24V nom. (+6V to +28V DC)
• 1.0A RMS phase current (ca. 1.4A peak phase current)
• Highest micro step resolution, up to 256 micro steps per full step
• Available with enclosure and mounted to NEMA17 / 42mm flange size motor
stealthChop is an extremely quiet mode of operation for low and medium velocities. It is based on a voltage
mode PWM. During standstill and at low velocities, the motor is absolutely noiseless. Thus, stealthChop
operated stepper motor applications are very suitable for indoor or home use. The motor operates
absolutely free of vibration at low velocities. With stealthChop, the motor current is applied by driving
a certain effective voltage into the coil, using a voltage mode PWM. There are no more configurations
required except for the regulation of the PWM voltage to yield the motor target current.
Figure 1: Motor coil sine wave current using stealthChop (measured with current probe)
1.2.2spreadCycle™
The spreadCycle chopper is a high-precision, hysteresis-based, and simple to use chopper mode, which
automatically determines the optimum length for the fast-decay phase. Several parameters are available to
optimize the chopper to the application. spreadCycle offers optimal zero crossing performance compared
to other current controlled chopper algorithms and thereby allows for highest smoothness. The true target
current is powered into the motor coils.
Figure 2: spreadCycle principle
1.2.3stallGuard2
stallGuard2 is a high-precision sensorless load measurement using the back EMF of the motor coils. It
can be used for stall detection as well as other uses at loads below those which stall the motor. The
stallGuard2 measurement value changes linearly over a wide range of load, velocity, and current settings.
At maximum motor load, the value reaches zero or is near zero. This is the most energy-efficient point of
operation for the motor.
Figure 3: stallGuard2 Load Measurement as a Function of Load
1.2.4coolStep
coolStep is a load-adaptive automatic current scaling based on the load measurement via stallGuard2.
coolStep adapts the required current to the load. Energy consumption can be reduced by as much as 75%.
coolStep allows substantial energy savings, especially for motors which see varying loads or operate at a
high duty cycle. Because a stepper motor application needs to work with a torque reserve of 30% to 50%,
even a constant-load application allows significant energy savings because coolStep automatically enables
torque reserve when required. Reducing power consumption keeps the system cooler, increases motor
life, and allows for cost reduction.
Figure 4: Energy Efficiency Example with coolStep
1.2.5sixPoint Motion Controller
TRINAMIC’s sixPoint motion controller is a new type of ramp generator, which offers faster machine
operation compared to the classical linear acceleration ramps. The sixPoint ramp generator allows adapting
the acceleration ramps to the torque curves of a stepper motor and uses two different acceleration settings
each for the acceleration phase and for the deceleration phase
Figure 5: Typical motion profile with TRINAMIC’s sixPoint motion controller
The PD42-1270 includes the TMCM-1270 stepper motor controller/driver module (electronics + encapsulating enclosure) and a NEMA17 / 42mm flange size bipolar stepper motor. Currently, there is a choice
between three NEMA17 / 42mm flange size stepper motors with different lengths and different holding
torques. All three stepper motors are rated for 1A RMS coil current - perfectly fitting to the TMCM-1270
electronics.
The dimensions of the controller/driver unit are approx. 42mm x 42mm x 12mm (TMCM-1270 electronics +
encapsulating enclosure). There are two mounting holes for M3 screws for mounting on the back bell of a
NEMA17 / 42mm flange size stepper motor (screw/thread length depends on motor size).
Figure 6: PD42-1270 top view mechanical dimensions
3.2PD42-1270 Dimensions and Weight
When mounted to the stepper motor the overall size of the PANdrive is the housing height plus motor
body size.