|
Product ReleaseGalil Motion Controllers Help Scientists Investigate Atomic Structures, Chemical Reactions and Biological Processes
Galil's Ethernet motion controllers were selected by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) for Australia's Neutron Beam Instrumentation Project (NBIP). Designed to investigate the atomic structure of new materials, understand the kinetics of chemical reactions and peer into living organisms to understand their biological process, the NBIP is located at the new $350 million Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) nuclear reactor. Dr. Frank Darmann, electrical project engineer for ANSTO, says the success of ANSTO to facilitate great scientific research hinges on its reputation for providing flawless accuracy and instrument reliability. As a result, only the most precise motion control technology could be specified. With that uncompromising criterion, Dr. Darmann undertook an extensive six-month search to select and integrate the right motion control solution to maneuver the eight non-invasive neutron scattering instruments that currently comprise the NBIP. Precision, support, simplicity of integration, ease-of-use and reliability were critical. In the end, Dr. Darmann and his staff selected Motion Solutions Australia to provide the necessary components, which includes a combination of forty-two Galil DMC-2280 and DMC-2183 eight-axis Ethernet motion controllers as well as over 200 stepper drives and amplifiers. One of the reasons for using Galil controllers is that the neutron scattering instruments provide feedback via a 1 MHz synchro-serial interface (SSI), a standard motion encoder data format. "The Galil controller accepts this signal format as a standard option, so all that is required is to do the configuration in the controller's program and it works. We have completed this on 168 axes so far with zero problems," Dr. Darmann added. Each of the neutron scattering instruments has 24 to 32 axes, with each axis of motion encoded with precision absolute encoders. Additionally, each is designed to run around the clock throughout the year, are sized at about 137.76 sq. ft., weigh approximately 1,540 lbs., and move around on precision polished granite floors. "We needed a system that was reliable, maintainable and upgradeable. The specifications on neutron scattering instruments rarely stay constant; scientists always push the boundaries of what's possible. The Galil controller and the integrated system around it allow that to occur relatively easily," said Dr. Darmann. In addition to the low cost and ability of the Galil controller to meet their stringent requirements for precision, ANSTO also values the support provided by Motion Solutions Australia and the responsiveness of the Galil team. Dr. Darmann refers to a specific instance where they needed 32-bit feedback to the Galil controller. "Galil's Engineering team wrote new firmware for us and we had it in place within eight weeks. We wouldn't have got that elsewhere." "We also had to decide whether to use absolute encoders or incremental encoders across the 200 axes. Incremental encoders lose their position when the system is turned off or fails. That means upon initialization or recovery, each axis must be 'tared off' or 'homed' to some fixed point and then moved back to where it was. This is time consuming and can be inaccurate. Absolute encoders can remember their last location. By employing an absolute encoding technique, we have eliminated one more risk of instrument downtime during operations - an important one, given there are over 200 encoders in the project.  ANSTO: Australia's national nuclear research and development organization and the center of Australian nuclear expertise, with over 70 per cent of all radioisotopes used in Australian nuclear medicine made in ANSTO's reactor. OPAL: This research reactor located at Lucas Heights in Sydney, Australia produces most of the country's radiopharmaceuticals. OPAL is also home to the Neutron Beam Instrument Project (NBIP) undertaken within ANSTO's Bragg Institute. The Bragg Institute: Established in 2002 to coordinate the scientific use of the OPAL reactor. Researchers at the Institute are developing nine neutron beam instruments that will use neutrons produced by the OPAL reactor. Each is named after an Australian native animal and records a different aspect of the interaction between a sample and the beam of neutrons. Some instruments record how many neutrons pass through the sample, while others measure neutrons being reflected by the sample. About the research being conducted at NBIP: Understanding the arrangement and type of atoms in molecules is the key to unlocking their potential. That's because the behavior of the molecule is governed by its three dimensional structure and its composition. For example, understanding the structure of molecules is vital in working with proteins, viruses and DNA. It's the basis of rational drug design and has been used in the creation of the first anti-flu drug and in the HIV protease inhibitors. Understanding the arrangement and type of atoms is also central to our understanding of the behavior of many materials. The ability to develop and work with many advanced materials such as micro-magnets, hydrogen storage materials, novel metal oxides, superconductors, photonic devices, molecular switches and sensors is based on the ability to determine and model their fine atomic structure. (From Science.org/Australian Academy of Sciences) Motion Solutions Australia: Established in 1989, the company provides high quality, reliable and cost effective, precision automation equipment to ensure higher productivity. Clients include all industry sectors with applications covering multiaxis synchronization, web tension control, electronic gearing, indexing, computer control and interfacing, and operator interfacing. Galil Motion Control, Inc.: Privately held and profitable for over 87 consecutive quarters, Galil was founded in 1983 by Jacob Tal and Wayne Baron. It became the first company to produce a microprocessor-based servo motor controller without tachometer feedback. Since then, Galil has continued to advance motion control technology and has found industry-leading acceptance with over 500,000 controllers successfully installed worldwide. Various applications include machines for the medical, semiconductor, machine tool, food processing, and textile industries. Recently, Galil has introduced several motion controllers for the Ethernet in addition to the latest generation Accelera controllers designed for ultra high-speed and performance. |
Print
Available at no cost in both print and online versions Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, has updated their Motion Control Product catalog for 2006 with the latest specifications and pricing for their controllers and drives. The new catalog includes Galil’s latest generation motion controllers: the Accelera Series which processes commands ten times faster than prior generation controllers. In addition to the high speed Accelera Series, Galil’s catalog covers their popular DMC-18xx PCI bus controllers, and DMC-21x3 Ethernet motion controllers and drives.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in high performance, cost-effective and easy-to-use motion controllers and drives, introduces its DMC-18x6 PCI bus motion controller, the first in its newest generation of motion controllers, The Accelera Series. Featuring a powerful, 32-bit Risc-based, clock multiplying processor with DSP functionality, these controllers deliver much higher speed performance and processing power than prior generation controllers. This includes the ability to accept encoder inputs up to 22 MHz, servo update rates as low as 24 microseconds per axis, and command execution speeds as low as 40 microseconds.
"Galil developed the Accelera Series because we understand the need for higher speeds and processing power in applications with demanding specifications," says Lisa Wade, VP-Sales and Marketing. "The DMC-18x6 provides dramatically faster command execution speeds as low as 40 microseconds per command, which is important in applications requiring very tight synchronization of multiple motion and I/O tasks.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in high performance, cost-effective and easy-to-use motion controllers and drives, has made available its new AMP-20542 Low Inductance Servo Motor option for its popular DMC-21x3 series of Ethernet motion controllers. Like all Galil plug-in boards, the AMP-20542 directly attaches to the 96-pin connector of the DMC-21x3, which eliminates the need for any cabling.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in high performance, cost-effective and easy-to-use motion controllers and drives, offers a new BOX option that provides a metal enclosure for its popular DMC-21x3 card-level motion controllers. As a result, the BOX option makes the DMC-21x3 ideal for industrial environments. 
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator of motion controllers and amplifier boards, now offers their new DB-28104 which mounts directly to Galil's DMC-21x3 Ethernet motion controller to perform interpolation of up to four sinusoidal encoders. Compact in size at 3.510 x 3.075-inches, the board delivers much higher position feedback resolution, eliminating the need for more expensive ultra high-resolution encoders.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, announces the availability of their newly updated and comprehensive, 96-page Motion Control Product Catalog for 2005. Orders can be placed by going to http://www.galilmc.com/products/catalog.html. From there, visitors can also view or download the entire catalog, or any specific segment of their choosing.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in the design and production of motion controllers and amplifier boards, announces the availability of their new, low cost CDS-3310 single-axis controller and drive system designed to provide high performance and precise control of a single brush or brushless servo motor. It combines a programmable motion controller and 500-Watt drive in a single, compact package that eliminates the external wiring between the controller and drive.
Read About 6 Industry Solutions
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, introduces their new 4-axis SDM-20640 amplifier board designed for microstepping four stepper motors. Like all Galil DMC-21x3 multi-axis drives, the SDM-20640 attaches directly to the 96-pin DIN connector of the controller without any need for a cable. For 2-axis applications, Galil also offers their new SDM-20620.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, offers their free 2004 Motion Control Product Catalog which provides an easy, in-depth reference tool to the latest technical specifications and pricing on all of Galil's motion controllers, including single and multi-axis, bus-based and stand-alone, and box-level and card-level controllers. Available interface options include PCI, ISA, PC/104,VME, cPCI, USB, RS232 and Ethernet. Controllers are available in 1-, 2-, 3-,4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-axis versions and can be configured to run stepper orservo motors in any combination of axes.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, has published SmartMoves Spotlights, a free brochure which profiles 14 different companies in ten different industries and tells how they utilized Galil technology to solve their motion control application. Such applications range from diamond engraving and wafer handling to focused surgery and heavy crane simulation.
Attaches to Galil's DMC-18xx PCI Bus, DMC- 21x0 and Other Optima Controllers using 100-pin SCSI Connector 
Provides Several Advantages Over Control Systems Using Single Axis Controllers
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, now offers their new ICM-20105 board which enables users to easily and cost-effectively add optical isolation to Galil’s popular line of DMC-21x3 Ethernet controllers. Without any additional cabling or hardware, the board simply attaches on top of the DMC-21x3 via a 96-pin DIN connector and can optically isolate inputs and outputs including limits, home and general I/O. 
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control, continues to expand the options for its low-cost, DMC-21x3 Ethernet controllers with their new AMP-20540 servo amplifier board designed for driving four brushless or brush-type motors up to 500 watts. It attaches directly to the 96-pin DIN connector of Galil’s DMC-2143 controller without the need for any cable or wiring.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control technology, has completely re-designed and re-formatted their 2003 Motion Control Product Catalog with comprehensive features, technical specifications, pricing on their full line of single or multi-axis, bus-based or stand-alone, and box-level or card-level controllers.
QTERM-G124 Incorporates QSI’s Qlarity ™ For Providing An Easy Programming Environment For Creating Applications With Galil Controllers
Provides High Torque-To-Inertia Ratio For Fast Acceleration And High Response Point-To-Point Applications
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control technology, has developed their new Econo Series DMC-21x2 motion controllers which come in 1-8 axis formats, each with a 10Base-T Ethernet port and a 19.2 KB RS232 port. Aside from optoisolation and uncommitted analog inputs, these DMC-21x2 controllers provide the same high performance features of Galil’s Optima Series DMC-21x0 32-bit microprocessor controllers, but in a much smaller size and at a lower cost. 
The DMC-21x3 is economically priced and uses the widely accepted 96-pin DIN connector instead of a 100-pin SCSI connector making it a cost effective solution for new designs.
Galil Motion Control, the industry innovator in motion control technology, now offers a free online video titled "Demonstration of Motion Control", which enables design engineers to learn how to tune and program a Galil motion controller so that it delivers the most precise motor movement possible.
