Creative Conners Stagehand Pro 3 User manual

Copyright 2020, Creative Conners, Inc.
STAGEHAND PRO 3
REFERENCE MANUAL 1.1

Stagehand Pro 3 Reference Manual, 11-20
Index

Stagehand Pro 3 Reference Manual, 11-20
Index
GETTING STARTED 1
What’s in the box 1
Stagehand Pro 3 Features 1
Forward and reverse jog buttons 2
Knob 2
OLED status display 2
Limit switch override buttons - New! 3
Brake test buttons 3
Mains power indicator 3
Branch circuit protection breaker - New! 3
VFD Keypad 3
USB commissioning port - New! 3
Rack mounting - New! 4
Ethernet 4
E-Stop 4
Signal 5
Input Power 5
Motor and brake output 5
Persistent Position - New! 5
USB parameter storage - New! 5
INSTALLATION 6
POWERING UP 7
Input Power 7

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Index
Motor and Brake 8
Motor 9
Motor Brake 9
Load Brake 9
Signal 11
Ultimate Limit 12
Reverse Limit 12
Forward Limit 12
Limit Wiring Strategies 13
Speed Encoder 13
Position Encoder 14
Encoder Wiring Strategies 14
Single encoder 15
Dual encoders 15
Ethernet 16
Showstopper 17
OPERATION 17
Manual Operation 18
Understanding the Status Displays 19
Motion Controller 20
Network Connectivity 20
Encoder Position 20
Limits 21
Drive Fault 21

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Index
Brake Fault 21
Emergency Stop 22
VFD 22
Electrical monitor 22
Parameter configuration 22
Faults history 22
Override Limits 25
Brake Testing 26
Connecting to Spikemark 29
Setting the IP Address 29
Setting the Subnet Mask 30
Auto-Tuning 30
Within Spikemark 31
VFD Keypad 33
Parameter Configuration 36
Keypad 37
Restore from USB 37
Saving to USB 38
Factory default parameters 39
Restoring factory VFD settings 42
Analog speed signal calibration 43
TROUBLESHOOTING 44
Common Problems 44
Technical Support 46

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Index
Phone 46
Fax 46
Email 46
SPECIFICATIONS 47
Physical Specifications 47
Electrical Specifications 48
Mitsubishi VFD Parameters 49
PLC Ladder Logic 54
Wiring Diagram 56

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GETTING STARTED
The Stagehand Pro 3 is the next-generation, high-performance motor controller from Creative
Conners. We designed the Stagehand Pro 3 to make scenic automation safe and easy. It combines
sophisticated control with a high-power Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and redundant safety
circuitry in a single, simple device. This combination of features results in an elegant solution that is
particularly well-suited to safely hoist or lift scenery on stage with machinery powered by an AC
induction motor and equipped with dual failsafe brakes.
This manual will guide you through:
● Unpacking
● Installation
● Powering up
● Operation
● Troubleshooting
If you need help along the way contact us on our website (creativeconners.com), via email
([email protected]), or by phone [phone] x2). We want your automation to
succeed and we are eager to help you through any head-scratching issues.
What’s in the box
Inside the box you should find:
● A welcome card with a quick link to this manual (cci.fyi/pro3)
● Stagehand Pro 3 motion controller
● 10ft power cord
● #10-32 rackmount screws with nylon washers (x8)
● Mitsubishi A800 instructions on CD
If any of these items are missing, please contact us for a replacement. While you’re at it, give us a
little sass for forgetting to put something in the box. We enjoy an appropriate amount of sass.
If you purchased any power cables, encoders, limits switches, machines, or other accessories, those
items are packaged separately. If you didn’t purchase any additional items, please visit our online
store and order oodles of stuff. It’s all pretty neat. http://store.creativeconners.com
Stagehand Pro 3 Features
The Stagehand Pro 3 is an evolution of our Stagehand Pro controller. It shares many of the functional
traits with its predecessor while offering a few key improvements. Let’s take a look:

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Forward and reverse jog buttons
Press and hold, then turn the speed knob, to manually move the motor
Knob
When used with the jog buttons, the knob will adjust speed from 0%-100%. It doesn’t like to be spun
super-fast, slow and steady is the best method. The knob is also a button that can be used for
network configuration.
OLED status display
A two-line display shows handy, at-a-glance info. It’s OLED which makes it easy to see backstage in
the dark.

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Limit switch override buttons - New!
Ever hit a limit switch and grumbled about having to bust out a screwdriver to adjust the switch
during initial installation? Grumble no more, you can press the corresponding override button to
temporarily disable the limit signal.
Brake test buttons
The Pro 3 has a dedicated logic controller to manage two brakes. The controller uses separate logic
conditions and timing for redundancy. The test buttons can be used to verify the brakes are
behaving as expected during periodic inspection.
Mains power indicator
The power indicator glows when the circuit feeding the Stagehand Pro 3 is energized.
Pro Tip: this indicator is connected to input phases X & Y only. It’s possible that you could be
missing the Z input phase. Everything works with only the X & Y input phases, but the horsepower
rating is reduced by 50%.
Branch circuit protection breaker - New!
A circuit breaker mounted on the front of the controller alleviates worries of a dangerous circuit
overload. The breaker also makes it easy to power down the controller without unplugging it from
the power distro. (Note: the rendering shows the controller all lit up, but the breaker off. That
wouldn’t really happen in real life, but it’s just computer rendering with some artistic license taken).
VFD Keypad
The keypad has some great display information like output speed, current, and voltage. It also shows
an error code when the drive stops with a fault. And, if that wasn’t enough, the keypad can be used
to adjust one of the nearly thousand parameters in the drive. Don’t adjust parameters willy-nilly
though, changing a parameter improperly can make the Stagehand stop working completely or
worse, work weirdly.
USB commissioning port - New!
The USB port on the front can be used to configure the drive with Mitsubishi’s FR Configurator
software. We don’t really recommend that you do this unless you are a VFD maven, but we take
advantage of the port for troubleshooting and initial commissioning.

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Rack mounting - New!
The Stagehand Pro 3 case is now made exclusively for rack mounting. Since 2013, when the
Stagehand Pro was introduced, we heard from many customers that wanted an easier rack-mounting
solution than was possible with our original case design. The new case is awkwardly large at 8U (we
know, we know) but it is much simpler to mount now that it conforms to a typical vertical rack. Before
you send the email that you composed asking “why does this thing have to be so tall?!?”, let me
explain. The reason for the extreme height is that the VFD needs to be mounted vertically for proper
ventilation. To adhere to the manufacturer’s mounting recommendations, we had to make the case
8U tall. As soon as we figure something better out, we’ll do it. I swear.
Moving to the back of the Stagehand Pro 3, we find all the cable connections.
Ethernet
All Stagehand motor controllers communicate with our Spikemark software over Ethernet with a
standard RJ45 CAT5 cable. The connection can be fortified with a Neutrik EtherCon shell for
improved mechanical latching.
E-Stop
The Emergency Stop signal from a Showstopper 3 Base or Hub is sent over a 5-pin XLR connector.
Inside, the Stagehand Pro uses a SIL3 safety relay and redundant force-guided contactors to remove
power from the motor when the Emergency Stop is activated.

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Pro Tip - In the Stagehand Pro 3, the safety relay is powered by the incoming 24VDC e-stop signal
but the large power contactors draw their current from the internal power supply. This greatly
reduces the electrical load on the Showstopper 3 Base or Hub.
Signal
The 24-pin rectangular signal connector carries limit switch and encoder signals from the machine
into the Stagehand Pro 3.
Input Power
All Stagehand Pro’s require three-phase input power. Depending on the model, this power is either
200-240VAC (typical) or 380-480VAC (custom).
Motor and brake output
Power for a motor and two brakes is transmitted through a 12-pin rectangular connector.
There are a couple of new features that aren’t visible from outside.
Persistent Position - New!
The previous Stagehand Pro initially required a battery backup to maintain encoder position data
through a power loss. However, we never loved this solution. Wouldn’t it be better if the Stagehand
could remember the machine’s position without a battery? Yes, we thought so too. We developed a
nifty feature in the Stagehand firmware that will record the encoder position to flash memory and
then read that position if it loses power. This bit of engineering obviated the need for a battery
backup, which has been removed from the Stagehand Pro 3.
Pro Tip: Persistent Position writes the encoder position to flash memory after the motor has stopped
moving for 30 seconds, or when the e-stop is activated. This prevents spurious, frequent flash writes
which can wear the memory prematurely. However, that also means that if you lose power mid-
move, or before 30 seconds has elapsed at the end of a move, the recorded position will be wrong
and you need to manually reset position within Spikemark.
Pro Tip: All Stagehand controllers can take advantage of Persistent Position. If you have older
Stagehands, update their firmware to the latest version to take advantage of this great feature.
USB parameter storage - New!
Inside the cavernous case of the Stagehand Pro 3, we’ve stuck a USB storage device into the
Mitsubishi A800 VFD. The VFD has a ton of parameters. There are different sets of parameters
required for our different machines. To make it easy to switch parameters, or restore our default
parameter sets, we have placed a few parameter sets on that USB key. This should make it easier to

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get back and running in a hurry if you suspect that some parameter has gone wonky and you need to
wipe the drive’s memory to start fresh. More details follow later in this manual to explain the process.
INSTALLATION
The Stagehand Pro 3 is designed to mount in a standard 19” vertical equipment rack. Use the
included rackmount screws (qty 8) to fasten the controller into an equipment rack.

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POWERING UP
After the Stagehand is installed, it is time to power it up and get your machine spinning. The
Stagehand Pro 3 requires a 30-amp, 200VAC-240VAC, 3-phase, 4-wire circuit (3 hot legs and a
ground). The Stagehand Pro 3 is equipped with a circuit breaker on the front panel. Flip the breaker
OFF before applying power.
Input Power
The power inlet on the Stagehand is a 6-pin rectangular plug (IRC-77mm X 27mm (16B) 6P 35A 400V
Male). There are many manufacturers of these connectors, our favorite is by ILME: CPM-06. No
matter the manufacturer, the pin-out is shown below:
Figure 12
Included with your Stagehand is a 10’ power cord that has a rectangular power connector on one end
and a more common NEMA L15-30 twist-lock plug on the other end. This adapter cable can make it
easier to power the Stagehand from distros or wall receptacles. The pin-out for the NEMA L15-30
twist-lock plug is shown below:

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After you plug in the power cord, flip the front-panel circuit breaker ON. The green Mains Indicator
should glow and the OLED status display will turn on. If that doesn’t happen, grab a meter and figure
out what’s wrong with the power source.
Motor and Brake
Power output connections for a motor and two brakes have been combined into a single, 12-pin
rectangular connector (ILME CXF-4/8 or compatible). Before we dive into the details of the pin-out,
we should clarify what these three power sources are and why they exist. Below is a picture of
Creative Conners’ Spotline Hoist which serves as a nice example of a typical machine that needs all
three power sources.

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Motor
The motor power source is 230VAC 3P with a variable frequency from 0.5Hz – 60Hz. AC motors
vary speed in response to a changing frequency. Every machine will require a motor power
connection.
Motor Brake
The motor brake power source is 208/230VAC 1P with a fixed frequency that matches the input
power source (typically 60Hz in the United States and 50Hz abroad). The motor brake is a small,
fast-acting brake that holds the motor shaft in place when the machine is stopped. The motor brake
uses the mechanical advantage of the speed reducer (aka gearbox) to increase its holding ability.
The Stagehand Pro 3 expects that the motor brake will be fully released within 60ms of receiving
power.
Under normal operation, the motor brake is only engaged once the motor has come to a controlled,
complete stop. The motor brake needs power to release. If power is removed, the motor brake will
engage by spring force. This is a “fail-safe” brake, it fails to a safe condition by engaging when
power is lost. Not all machines explicitly require a motor brake, but we recommend using motor
brakes in all applications. All of Creative Conners’ machines are built with a motor brake.
Load Brake
The load brake power source is 208/230VAC 1P with a fixed frequency that matches the input power
source (typically 60Hz in the United States and 50Hz abroad). In lifting applications, a second brake
is required to provide redundant protection in case of equipment failure. Often, this second brake is
placed directly on the output side of the speed reducer. If either the speed reducer or the motor

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brake fails, a brake on the load side of the machine will be able to stop a falling load. The Stagehand
Pro 3 expects that the load brake will be fully released within 500ms of receiving power.
If a brake is used on the output side (aka load side) of a speed reducer, then it must be much larger
than the motor side brake since it isn’t able to use the mechanical advantage of the speed reducer to
increase its holding power. Load brakes are not required on all machines. The additional expense is
often not incurred for machines that are moving scenery laterally. For instance, our Pushstick deck
winches do not have a load brake, but our Spotline hoist does use a load brake.
Now that we have an understanding of the terminology the pin-out of the Motor and Brakes
connector shown below has more relevance:
Figure 15
● Motor Power – 230VAC 3P 24A max, variable frequency from 0.5Hz-60Hz
● Motor Brake Power – 208/230VAC 1P 5A max 50/60Hz.
● Motor Brake Fast Switching Circuit – if you are using a DC brake with a rectifier that offers DC
switching you can use this circuit to interrupt the DC power to the brake which will greatly
reduce the time it takes to engage the brake.
● Load Brake Power – 208/230VAC 1P 5A max 50/60Hz.
● Load Brake Fast Switching Circuit – if you are using a DC brake with a rectifier that offers DC
switching you can use this circuit to interrupt the DC power to the brake which will greatly

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reduce the time it takes to engage the brake. If you are using a load brake you should use
fast-brake switching.
It is important to hook up the correct brake to the designated terminals of the connector. Load
brakes are typically much slower to respond than motor brakes because of their necessary size.
When moving the motor, the Stagehand will first release the load brake, wait 500ms for the brake to
fully release, and then release the motor brake and start spinning the motor. The Stagehand uses
this sequencing to make sure that the motion of your machine is smooth and quiet. If the load brake
isn’t allowed time to fully disengage then the machine will drive through the partially-engaged brake
which prematurely wears the brake and makes a distracting noise. If you mistakenly swap the load &
motor brake wires, the brake release sequence will be wrong, and the machine will make a loud
creak at the beginning of each movement.
Signal
Two sets of encoder signals (one for speed monitoring and one for positioning) and three sets of limit
switches (forward, reverse, and ultimate) are combined in one rectangular connector (ILME CDDF-24).
All limit switch signals require Normally Closed (N.C.) switches. The Stagehand sources 12vdc on a
pin of each limit circuit and expects to see that 12vdc signal returned on the other pin when the limit
is not activated. If the limit is either activated or disconnected or a wiring fault occurs, the 12vdc
return signal is lifted and the Stagehand will enter a limit fault condition and disallow motion.
The limit switch inputs are used to protect against the motor traveling too far in a direction and
causing damage or injury. When running in a cue, this is one of the safety features that guards
against encoder failure. When jogging manually, this keeps you from accidentally traveling too far.
All encoder signals use differential line receivers which use a balanced signal transmitted over
twisted-pair wires to drastically reduce electrical interference and thus reduce the opportunity for
inaccurate encoder data. Encoders connected to the Stagehand must be equipped with differential
line drivers to be compatible. Encoders are powered at 5vdc for broadest compatibility.

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Ultimate Limit
A pair of normally-closed (N.C.) switches can be wired in series to this pair of terminals to provide
protection against Forward and Reverse Limit switch failures. Typically, an Ultimate Limit switch is
physically positioned just beyond both the Forward and Reverse Limit switch. If an Ultimate Limit is
activated, the Stagehand will disallow any further movement until the limit is physically cleared or the
limit override button is pressed. In normal operation, there is never a reason to strike an Ultimate
Limit. An Ultimate Limit signal indicates an equipment problem with at least one of the primary limit
switches. The faulty equipment must be repaired, and the Ultimate Limit must be mechanically reset
before the Stagehand will allow motion.
Reverse Limit
A normally-closed (N.C.) switch can be wired to this pair of terminals. If the switch is activated, the
Stagehand will not allow further motion in the reverse direction until the limit is cleared either by
adjusting the switch mechanically or by moving in the forward direction far enough to clear the limit
switch.
Forward Limit
A normally-closed (N.C.) switch can be wired to this pair of terminals. If the switch is activated, the
Stagehand will not allow further motion in the forward direction until the limit is cleared either by
adjusting the switch mechanically or by moving in the reverse direction far enough to clear the limit
switch.

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Limit Wiring Strategies
Since the Stagehand provides three (3) separate pins that all source 12vdc, one for each limit signal,
you can reduce the wiring in your machine to four (4) wires by using just one of the 12vdc source pins
and three (3) wires for the three limit return signals. Sometimes it is more convenient to wire a pair of
conductors for each switch, other times it may be better to reduce the number of conductors by
sharing a common voltage source. Both options are shown below:
Speed Encoder
A set of quadrature signals used by the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to accurately regulate speed.
Unlike the Stagehand Classic controller, the Stagehand Pro 3 requires a motor-mounted encoder for
speed regulation. This same encoder may be wired for both speed and position data, but only if that
encoder is mounted on the motor prior to the speed reducer. If the VFD detects that the Speed

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Encoder signal is missing or faulty, the VFD will enter a fault condition and the Stagehand won’t allow
motion until the encoder is repaired. This feature is vitally important in lifting applications so that the
Stagehand can detect a free-falling load and engage the mechanical safety brakes.
Position Encoder
A set of quadrature signals used by the motion controller to drive the motor to correct positions on
cue. This encoder may be the same as the Speed Encoder or it may be a separate encoder. For
instance, a scissor lift needs a speed encoder on the pump motor, but the positioning encoder
should be placed directly on the lift platform since the relationship between the motor rotation and
platform position changes depending on the extension height of the lift as it raises and lowers. A
deck winch however, can use a single encoder mounted on the motor for both speed and
positioning.
Encoder Wiring Strategies
As mentioned above, you can use either a single encoder mounted to the motor for both Speed and
Position Encoder signals, or separate encoders mounted in different locations on the machine.
Below are two drawings that show how to wire your encoder signals in both scenarios.