Anaheim Automation BLY17MDC Series User manual

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BLY17MDC Series
Programmable Brushless DC Motor Controller
User’s Guide
910 East Orangefair Lane, Anaheim, CA 92801
e-mail: [email protected]
[phone] fax: [phone]
website: www.anaheimautomation.com
ANAHEIM AUTOMATION

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Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3
Description................................................................................................................................................ 3
Methods of Communication...................................................................................................................... 3
Baud Rate................................................................................................................................................. 3
Electrical Specications............................................................................................................................ 4
Ordering Information................................................................................................................................. 4
Dimensions............................................................................................................................................... 5
Wiring Diagrams....................................................................................................................................... 5
Torque Curves .......................................................................................................................................... 6
No Load Acceleration ............................................................................................................................... 6
Section 2: Functions .............................................................................................................................. 7
PI Control Tuning...................................................................................................................................... 8
Section 3: BMC100 Software................................................................................................................. 9
Installation ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Getting Started ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Section 4: Direct Talk Mode................................................................................................................. 12
Command Format................................................................................................................................... 12
Unit Selection ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Command Summary............................................................................................................................... 12
Section 5: Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................. 19
Error Codes ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Appendix 1: ASCII Table for Direct Mode........................................................................................... 20
Appendix 2: Firmware Revisions........................................................................................................ 20

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Section 1: Introduction
The BLY17MDC Series is a compact microcontroller-based Programmable Brushless DC Motor
Controller with Hall Effect Sensor Feedback for accurate speed measurement. With the motor and its
respective controller/driver in a single package, the task of wiring up the motor has been eliminated.
This motor controller provides exible, independent control of a Brushless DC motor from computers, or
any machine controller with serial communication. It is also capable of standalone operation, making it
an embedded machine controller. The easy-to-use Windows software, BMC100, can be used to directly
control the BLY17MDC for Real Time Motion through serial communication.
The BLY17MDC Series has an easy-to-remember set of commands for direct control. The con-
troller communicates via two-wire RS485 which is a preferred interface for communication in environ-
ments where a substantial amount of electromagnetic noise is present. In addition, the user can easily
connect the controller to a PC by using an RS485-to-USB adapter in order to take advantage of the
included software.
Description
The BLY17MDC Series provides accurate control of motor speed, direction, and brake setting
for a Brushless DC Motor. The BLY17MDC Series controllers are embedded with a Proportional-Inte-
grator (PI) controller program. Proportional and Integrator Constants, Kp and Ki, can be programmed
using the BMC100 Windows Software or in Direct Talk Mode thorugh a terminal program. The control-
ler has two modes through which it can control the speed of the motor: Analog Mode and Digital Mode.
In Digital Mode, the controller is very accurate in keeping the motor running at the desired speed. The
Analog Mode provides standalone functionality to the controller with a dynamic DC voltage input to con-
trol the speed of the motor. An analog voltage can be used to set the desired speed between the upper
and lower programmable limits. Such a functionality can be easily achieved by using a potentiometer
and the 5V output of the controller
Methods of Communication
There are two methods for sending commands to the BLY17MDC Series. One is to directly talk
to the BLY17MDC Series using Direct Talk Mode via the controller’s RS485 serial interface. Note that
an RS485-to-USB adaptor can be used to easily connect the controller to a PC. Also, the RS485 in-
terface allows the BLY17MDC to connect to PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller) or HMIs (Human
Machine Interfaces), where the PLC or HMI gives the BLY17MDC serial commands to control its ope-
artion.
The second way to give commands to the BLY17MDC is to use the BMC100 software for man-
ual control. Through the BMC100 software, the user can control motion as well as modifying motor and
controller parameters even when the motor is running. Additionally, the software can be used to monitor
motor speed at any time.
Baud Rate
Baud rate is a term frequently used in serial data communications;a “baud” is dened as the re-
ciprocal of the shortest pulse duration in a data word signal, including start, stop, and parity bits. This is
often taken to mean the same as “bits per second,” a term that expresses only the number of “data” bits
per second. Very often, the parity bit is included as an information or data bit. The BLY17MDC Series
accepts a baud rate of 38400 only.

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Electrical Specications
Power Requirement with No Connections:
24VDC @ 50mA
Operating Temperature:
0 to 60 degrees C
5VDC Max Output Current:
25mA
Run/Stop Max Input Voltage:
7VDC
Analog Input Range:
0 - 5VDC
Communication Interface:
Two-wire RS485
Data Format:
Half-Duplex
1 start bit
8 data bits
No parity
1 Stop bit
Baud Rate:
38400 baud, Fixed
Ordering Information
The table below lists a variety of products available from Anaheim Automation, Inc. These products include
those covered by this manual, along with supporting cables and devices. We are continually adding new
products to our line, so please consult Anaheim Automation, Inc. or its representatives for information on
the latest releases.
Part Number Description
BLY17MDC Featured Programmable Brushless DC Motor Controller
485SD9TB USB-to-RS485 data converter
PSAM 24V 2.7A DC Power Supply 24V at 2.7 Amps (60 Watts)
PSAM 24V 5.2A DC Power Supply 24V at 5.2 Amps (125 Watts)
PSAM 24V 8.3A DC Power Supply 24V at 8.3 Amps (200 Watts)

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Dimensions
Wiring Diagram
Model L (in.) Torque (oz-in) Power (W) Current (A)
BLY17MDC1 2.97 27 26 1.8
BLY17MDC2 3.75 54 53 3.5
BLY17MDC3 4.57 79 77 4.9
BLY17MDC4 5.33 106 104 7.0
Terminal Description
Position Description
1 Power 24VDC IN
2 Power Ground
3 Analog Speed Input
4 RUN/STOP Input
5 5VDC Output
1RS485 A(-)
2 RS485 B(+)
3 RS485 Isolated Ground

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Torque Curves
Gain Time(seconds) Gain Time(seconds)
1 5.48 8 .912
2 3.16 9 .828
3 2.04 10 .748
4 1.66 20 .414
5 1.31 30 .303
6 1.20 40 .277
7 .992 50 .239
No Load Acceleration
The table below lists the time it take the motor under no load to get from 0 RPM to 4000 RPM with different
gain values. Different Ki, Kp and IV values will also effect this time. This Test was done with the factor
default settings for Ki, Kp and IV values.

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Section 2: Functions
Run at the Set Speed: This command starts the motion of the motor in the set direction and at the set
speed. The set speed, which can be set either digitally or with an analog input to the controller, is in
units of RPM. The motor will run and get up to speed accroding to the congurable controller param-
eters. When the set speed is too high for the motor to reach of if the load is more than what the motor
can hadle, the motor will run at the maximum speed that is possible under such cirmustances. The user
can give this command to the BLY17MDC by interfacing the controller with a pc and using the provided
software or by grounding the RUN/STOP input.
Note: If the motor is started digitally, it must be stopped digitally; similarly, if it is started with the RUN/
STOP input, it must be stop through that input.
Hard Brake: This command causes the motor to come to an inmediate stop. If the motor is moving at
fast speed, it will experience jerk. The motor will perform a hard brake when that brake setting has been
selected. See also Freewheel/Coast.
Freewheel/Coast: This command causes the motor to naturally decelerate and come to stop. Note that
the deceleration time will depend on the load attached to the shaft as this will change the shaft’s rota-
tional inertia. The motor will perform this function when the respective brake setting has been selected.
See also Hard Brake.
Direction: The motor can be set to run clockwise or counterclockwise. This setting can be changed
through the used of the provided software.
Analog Speed Input: This function allows for the speed of the motor to be set with an analog voltage
value fed to the the Analog Input terminal pin. This voltage value must be between 0 and 5VDC. Us-
ing this analog value, the controller will calculate the set speed based on the user-congurable Analog
Lower and Upper Limits. For example, if the Analog Lower Limit is set to 1000 RPM and the Analog
Upper Limit is set to 4000 RPM, feeding an analog voltage value of 2.5V will yield a Set Speed of 2500
RPM. Note that the Analog Speed functionality can be easily achieved by using a potentiometer with its
end terminals connected to GND and 5VDC Out, and the wiper terminal connected to the Analog Input.
Analog Speed Calculations:
Speed(RPM) = Lower Limit + (Upper Limit - Lower Limit) * (Analog Voltage / 5 )
Analog Voltage(V) = (Speed - Lower Limit) * 5 / (Upper Limit - Lower Limit)
Example 1: Analog Lower Limit = 100, Analog Upper Limit = 2000
Analog Input Voltage = 3.2V
Speed = 100 + (2000 - 100) * (3.2 / 5) = 1316 RPM
Example 2: Analog Lower Limit = 500, Analog Upper Limit = 4000
Desired Speed = 3300 RPM
Analog Voltage = (3300 - 500) * 5 / (4000-500) = 4.0V

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RUN/STOP Input: Grounding this input will cause the motor to start its motion with the set parameters.
Driving this input High(5VDC) or making it High Impedance(i.e. no electrical connection), will stop the
motor with a Hard Brake or Coast it to a stop depending on the current brake setting. See Hard Brake
and Freewheel for more details on the brake setting.
Set Address: This command allows the user to set the address of the device to any value between 0
and 99. This is useful when communicating with different devices connected to the same RS485 bus.
The default address of the device is 0.
Read Address: This command retrieves the current address of the device. See command summary for
more details.
Read Error: This command returns the errors, if any, that the controller has encountered. Reading the
error also clears it. See the Error Code Section for more details.
PI Control Tuning
The BLY17MDC implements a custom Proportional and Integral speed control algorithm with user con-
gurable parameters. The user can customize the control parameters via the provided software or by
using Direct Talk Mode.
The following chart describes the effects of an increase in each of the parameters. It follows that a de-
crease in the specied parameter would have the opposite effect.
Integrator Constant [Ki]: The integrating component of the control algorithm accumulates the error
between the set speed and the actual speed of the motor and adjusts the speed control accordingly.
This component of the control system is important because it helps reduce the long term error of the
motor speed.
Proportional Constant [Kp]: The proportional component of the control algorithm adjusts the speed
control based on the immediate difference between the set speed and the actual speed. This compo-
nent is important because its increase reduces the time it takes for the motor to reach the set speed.
Note that increasing this constant will cause the overshoot in speed to increase.
Initial Value [IV]: This is the initial power applied to the motor in order to get its load in motion. If the
load requires a higher torque to begin its motion, a higher Initial Value can be set. Note that if the load
is very small and the Initial Value is high, the motor may experience jerk. In order to nd what value
you need take IV*4/1023 and this is the percentage of power applied to the phases upon recieving a
start command.
Parameter Increase Rise Time Overshoot Settling Time Steady State Error
Ki [0-10] ↑↓↑↓
Kp [0-100] ↑↑↑No effect
IV [0-100] ↑↑↑No effect

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Section 3: BMC100 Software
The BCM100 software is a useful utility that supports Anaheim Automation’s BLY17MDC Series and
MDC100-050101USB controllers. The BMC100 software communicates via a serial port on the PC and
it uses the Anaheim Automation ASCII protocol. For more details regarding the Anaheim Automation
ASCII protocol, see the Direct Talk Mode section. The BMC100 software allows you to perform the fol-
lowing tasks:
•Exercise the motor
• Monitor the speed of the motor
• Congure motor and control parameters
Installation
Software Download
•The BMC100 software is available for download on our website at
https://www.anaheimautomation.com/downloads/software/software.php
• The software is compatible with all versions of Windows including Windows XP, Windows
Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
Windows XP/Vista/7/8 Installation
1. Extract the previously downloaded .zip le containing the software
2. Navigate into the resulting extracted folder
3. Double click on the le named setup.exe
4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation
Getting Started
1. In order to interface the BLY17MDC to a PC, an RS485-to-USB converter is required. See our Order-
ing Information section.
2. Connect the BLY17MDC to the PC using the previously mentioned RS485-toUSB converter.
3. Apply power to the BLY17MDC. The power LED should turn on if the controller has powered correctly.
4. Double click on the BMC100 software icon.
5. Select the controller; in this case, select BLY17MDC.

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6. The BMC100 software will attempt to establish communications with the controller; if a connection is
established, the BMC100 graphical interface will appear as shown below.
7. If the software did not automatically establish a connection with the controller, make sure that the
controller is properly connected to the PC using an RS485-to-USB adapter and that the controller
is powered on. Then, manually connect the controller by clicking on Setup>Connect. The Connect
window will appear as shown below. Select the appropriate COM port from the dropdown menu and
click on Connect Controller.
8. Once the connection is succesfully made, all the buttons on the graphical interface will be enabled
and the default(if the controller is new) or previously programmed parameters will ll the respective
elds.

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Motion Control
Mode Sets the controller to run in Analog or Digital Mode
Direction Sets the direction of rotation of the motor to Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise
Freewheel If this is set, the motor will coast to a stop when the stop command is received
Brake If this is set, the motor will immediately stop when the stop command is received
Start Motor Runs the motor at the set speed
Stop Immediately stops the motor or lets it coast to a stop depending on the brake setting
Motor Parameters
Set Poles This parameter is not congurable in the BLY17MDC
Set Digital Speed Sets the speed to run the motor at in Digital Mode
Set Analog Lower Limit Sets the Lower Speed Limit for Analog Mode
Set Analog Upper Limit Sets the Upper Speed Limit for Analog Mode
Read All Refreshes all the parameters elds of the graphical interface
Factory Reset Sets all the parameter of factory default values
See the Functions Section for more details.
Controller Parameters
Set Kp Sets the Proportional Constant
Set Ki Sets the Integrator Constant
Set Gain Sets the Gain Constant
Set Initial Power Sets the Initial Power to be applied to the motor
Read Error Reads the error registers of the controller
For more details on ne tuning the controller for your application, see the PI Tuning Section.

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Section 4: Direct Talk Mode
Direct Talk Mode is used to directly control the BLY17MDC through serial commands sent out of a PC’s
COM port. The BLY17MDC has easy-to-remember commands for direct motion control.
COM Port Settings
Baud Rate 38400
Data Bits 8
Parity None
Stop Bits 1
Flow Control Xon/Xoff
Command Format
Start Address Command Parameters(1) End
‘@’ character 1 - 2 characters 1 - 2 characters 0 - 8 characters Carriage Return
The command does not need to be sent as a continuous string; this allows user to use a simple terminal
program to communicate and control the device via a serial connection. The command must not contain
any spaces.
(1) Not all commands require parameters. See Command Summary for details.
Unit Selection
In an RS485 network, multiple devices may share the same commmunication lines; therefore, it is important
to be able to address the messages or commands sent through these lines to the device that we want. In
order to communicate with a BLY17MDC unit, the ‘@’ character must be followed by the address of the
unit as shown in the Command Format above.
Examples:
@0 (Unit with address 0 is selected)
@1 (Unit with address 1 is selected)
@29 (Unit with address 29 is selected)
Note: The ‘#’ character can be used in place of the address to select any or all units.
Command Summary
AAnalog Mode
DDigital Mode
FSet to Factory Default
IV Set Initial Value
KG Set Gain Value
KI Set Integrator Constant
KP Set Proportional
Constant
MSet Digital Speed
SStart Motor
VD Verify Direction
VDS Verify Digital Speed
VIV Verify Initial Value
VKG Verify Gain Value
VKI Verify Integrator Constant
VKP Verify Proportional
Constant
VM Verify Current Speed
VMO Veridy Mode
VN Verify Analog Speed Min
VX Verify Analog Speed Max
VP Verify Number of Poles
VS Verify Set Speed
VST Verify Brake Setting
V* Verify All Parameters
,Coast/Freewheel
.Hard Brake
+Set Clockwise Direction
-Set Counterclockwise
Direction
%Verify address
~Set address
[Set Analog Speed Min
]Set Analog Speed Max

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A Analog Mode
Format: A
Description: Engages the Analog Mode; in this mode, the speed is set from the analog input
value accroding to the analog upper and lower limits.
D Digital Mode
Format: D
Description: Engages the Digital Mode; in this mode, the speed is set digitally through the
provided software or using an RS-485 capable machine controller.
F Digital Mode
Format: F
Description: This command restores all the parameters and variables to default.
IV Initial Value
Format: IV[value]
Description: Sets the Initial Value parameter of the controller.
Range: 0 - 100
KG Gain Value
Format: KG[value]
Description: Sets the Gain Constant value of the PI control algorithm.
Range: 0 - 50
KI Integrator Constant
Format: KI[value]
Description: Sets the Integrator Constant value of the PI control algorithm.
Range: 0 - 10

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KP Proportional Constant
Format: KP[value]
Description: Sets the Proportional Constant value of the PI algorithm.
Range: 0 - 100
M Digital Speed
Format: M[value]
Description: Sets the Digital Speed of the device. Note that the controller must be in Digital
Mode in order to run the motor at the set Digital Speed. If the controller is in
Analog Mode, the Digital Speed will be changed, but the motor will keep running
at the Analog Speed.
Range: 100 - 4000
S Start Motor
Format: S
Description: Runs the motor at the motor at the set speed through the PI algorithm. The set
speed will depend on whether the controller is in Analog or Digital Mode.
VD Verify Direction
Format: VD
Description: Returns the currently set direction of the motor.
VDS Verify Digital Speed
Format: VDS
Description: Returns the Set Point Speed of the Digital Mode.

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VIV Verify Initial value
Format: VIV
Description: Returns the current Initial Value for the power applied to the motor.
VKG Verify Gain Value
Format: VKG
Description: Returns the currently set Gain Constant value.
VKI Verify Integrator Constant
Format: VKI
Description: Returns the currently set Integrator Constant value.
VKP Verify Proportional Constant
Format: VKP
Description: Returns the currently set Propotional Constant value.
VM Verify Current Speed
Format: VM
Description: Returns the actual speed that the motor is currently running at.
VMO Verify Mode
Format: VMO
Description: Returns the mode that the controller is currently operating in. If the controller is in
Analog Mode, this command return ‘MOA’; if in Digatl Mode, it will return ‘MOD’.
VN Verify Analog Speed Min
Format: VN
Description: Returns the currently set lower boundary of the Analog Speed Mode.

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VX Verify Analog Speed Max
Format: VX
Description: Returns the currently set upper boundary of the Analog Speed Mode.
VP Verify Number of Poles
Format: VP
Description: Returns the currently set Gain Constant value.
VS Verify Set Speed
Format: VS
Description: Returns the value of the currently set speed in RPM. If the controller is operating
in Digital Mode, it returns the value of the Digital Speed; else, it returns the
Analog Speed Value.
VST Verify Brake Setting
Format: VST
Description: Returns the current brake setting. If the currently selected brake setting is “Hard
Brake”, the controller will return “ST.”; if “Freewheel” is currently selected, the
controller will return “ST,”.
V* Verify All Parameters
Format: V*
Description: Returns all the programmable veriable parameters of the BLWS23MMDC.
An example of this command can be seen in the picture below.

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, Coast/Freewheel
Format: ,
Description: This command causes the motor to coast to a stop if in motion, and changes the
brake setting to “Freewheel”.
. Hard Brake
Format: .
Description: This command causes the motor to immediately stop if in motion, and it changes
the brake setting to “Hard Brake”.
+ Clockwise Direction
Format: +
Description: Sets the direction of the motor to clockwise. If this command is sent to the
controller while the motor is in motion and spinning counterclockwise, the motor
will brake and reverse direction.
- Counterclockwise Direction
Format: -
Description: Sets the direction of the motor to counterclockwise. If this command is sent to the
controller while the motor is in motion and spinning clockwise, the motor will
brake and reverse direction.
% Verify Address
Format: %
Description: Returns the current address of the controller.
~ Set Address
Format: ~[new address]
Description: Sets the device address of the controller.
Range: 0 - 99

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[ Set Analog Speed Min
Format: [[value]
Description: Sets the lower boundary of the Analog Speed Mode to the given value. The
value must be in RPM. The Analog Speed Min must be less than the Analog
Speed Max.
Range: 100 - 4000
] Set Analog Speed Max
Format: ][value]
Description: Sets the upper boundary of the Analog Speed Mode to the given value. The
value must be in RPM. The Analog Speed Max must be greater than the Analog
Speed Min.
Range: 100 - 4000

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Section 5: Troubleshooting
Problem:
Cannot establish communications between the BLY17MDC and my PC.
Possible Solutions:
1) Make sure that the controller has power. Is the green LED on?
2) Make sure you are using the required RS485-to-USB converter.
3) Check for loose connections on the terminal block of the controller.
4) Was the software installed correctly? Reinstall if it wasn’t.
5) Is the device being detected as a COM port? This can be checked by going into your PC’s
Device Manager and clicking on Ports; if the device has been recognized, you should see a
port labeled USB Serial Port. If this doesn’t appear under ports, install the drivers for your
RS485-to-USB converter.
6) If problems still exist, contact Anaheim Automation Tech Support.
Problem:
There is no power to the BLY17MDC controller.
Possible Solutions:
1) Is the BLY17MDC controller connected to the appropriate power supply?
2) Check for any blown fuses in line with the BLY17MDC controller.
3) If problems still exist, contact Anaheim Automation, Inc. Tech Support.
Error Codes
910 East Orangefair Lane
Anaheim, CA, 92801-1195
phone: [phone]
fax: [phone]
www.anaheimautomation.com
Anaheim Automation, Inc.
Tech Support:
Error Code Type Description
1 Command Error An invalid command was sent to the BLY17MDC.
2 Range Error An invalid number of characters were sent to the controller.
4 Busy Error The command sent to the controller cannot be executed while the motor is running.
8 Poles Error The number of poles sent to the controller is invalid.
16 Kp Error The Proportional Constant value sent to the controller is out of range.
32 Ki Error The Integrator Constant value sent to the controller is out of range.
64 Gain Error The gain constant value sent to the controller is out of range.
128 Speed Range
Error
The Upper Analog Speed Limit must be greater than the Lower Analog Speed Limit. The
lower limit must be greater than or equal to 100 RPM
256 Initial Value
Error The Initial Value sent to the controller is out of range.

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ASCII Symbol Hex Value ASCII Symbol Hex Value ASCII Symbol Hex Value
0 30 J 4A # 23
1 31 K 4B $ 24
2 32 L 4C % 25
3 33 M 4D “ 27
4 34 N 4E ( 28
5 35 O 4F + 2B
6 36 P 50 , 2C
7 37 Q 51 - 2D
8 38 R 52 . 2E
9 39 S 53 : 3A
A 41 T 54 ; 3B
B 42 U 55 @ 40
C 43 V 56 [ 5B
D 44 W 57 ] 5D
E 45 X 58 ^ 5E
F 46 Y 59 { 7B
G 47 Z 5A } 7D
H 48 Carriage Return 0D ~ 7E
I 49 ! 21
Appendix 1: ASCII Table for Direct Mode
Appendix 2: Firmware Revisions
Version 1.00 - Initial Release.