Estun TRIO Flex-6 Nano User manual

USER MANUAL
Flex-6 Nano
EtherCAT 64 AXIS MOTION COORDINATOR

Flex-6 Nano
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About this Manual
Purpose
This manual provides the information required for the Selection, Wiring, Connection, Setup,
Operation and Functions of the FLEX-6 NANO Motion Coordinator.
Please read and understand this manual to ensure correct usage of the product.
Terms
Terms that may be used in this manual are defined as follows.
Term
Meaning
Axis
A software control that operates a Servo or Stepper Motor.
Drive
A Servo or Stepper Drive, which is used for controlling the Motor.
Servo System
A Servo Control System that includes a Motor, a Drive, a host controller (Motion
Coordinator) and peripheral devices.
WDOG ON
Setting the control word on EtherCAT to signal that the Drives may be Enabled.
WDOG OFF
Clear the control word to signal that the Drives must be Disabled.
Motion Perfect
The PC Tool for commissioning and programming the Trio product suite.
Pulse+Direction
An electronic output from the Motion Coordinator that produces one pulse per step
of the motor position, with a second output to signal the direction of motion.
Motion-iX
The motion-centric programming language, an extension of BASIC.
EtherCAT
Ethernet based fieldbus for synchronised control of slave devices in real-time.

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Revision History
Date
Version
Revised Contents
29 Jun 2021
1.00
Initial release
31 Jan 2023
1.01
Updated specification table

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All goods supplied by Trio are subject to Trio’s standard terms and conditions of sale.
This manual applies to systems based on the Motion Coordinator FLEX-6 NANO.
The material in this manual is subject to change without notice. Despite every effort, in a
manual of this scope errors and omissions may occur. Therefore, Trio Motion Technology Ltd.
cannot be held responsible for any malfunctions or loss of data as a result.
Copyright (C) 2023 Trio Motion Technology Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
UK
Trio Motion Technology Ltd.
Phone: [phone]
USA
Trio Motion Technology LLC.
Phone: + 1 724 472 4100
CHINA
Trio Shanghai
Tel: [phone]
INDIA
Trio India
Phone: [phone]

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Safety Warning
During the installation or use of a control system, users of Trio products must ensure there is
no possibility of injury to any person, or damage to machinery.
Control systems, especially during installation, can malfunction or behave unexpectedly.
Users must ensure that in all cases of normal operation, controller malfunction, or
unexpected behaviour, the safety of operators, programmers or any other person is totally
ensured.

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Contents
Revision History ............................................................................................2
User Manual FLEX-6 NANO ................................................................................6
Overview .................................................................................................6
Programming.............................................................................................6
I/O Capability............................................................................................7
Communications.........................................................................................7
IP Address reset .........................................................................................7
Removable storage......................................................................................7
Axis positioning functions ..............................................................................7
LED indicators ...........................................................................................8
Connections to the FLEX-6 NANO .....................................................................8
Registration ...........................................................................................9
Expanding the system ..................................................................................9
Support Software...................................................................................... 10
Motion Perfect version 5 .......................................................................... 11
Software functions .................................................................................... 12
Firmware recovery .................................................................................... 13
Dimensions ............................................................................................. 14
Mounting................................................................................................ 14
Specifications .......................................................................................... 15
Electromagnetic Compatibility...................................................................... 16
Intended conditions of use ........................................................................ 16
EMC Considerations ................................................................................ 17
Product specific requirements ................................................................... 17
Recommended Installation........................................................................ 18
Surge Protection.................................................................................... 19
Surge protection device ........................................................................... 20
Cable Shields ........................................................................................ 20

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User Manual FLEX-6 NANO
Overview
The Motion Coordinator FLEX-6 NANO is based on Trio’s high-
performance ARM Cortex-A7 double-precision technology and
provides up to 64 axes of coordinated motion using the
EtherCAT bus system to connect to Drives and I/O. The
FLEX-6 NANO is housed in a rugged plastic case with
integrated earth chassis and incorporates two screened RJ45
Ethernet ports, a 24V dc power connector and micro SD card
slot. The upper RJ45 connector is for a standard Ethernet
connection to the PC for programming and the lower
connector is for the EtherCAT Fieldbus. Filtered power
supplies (DC/DC converters) are included so that it can be
powered from the 24V d.c. logic supply present in most
industrial cabinets.
It is designed to be configured and programmed for the
application using a PC running Trio’s Motion Perfect
application software, and then may be set to run
“standalone” if an external computer is not required for the
final system. Programs and data are stored directly to FLASH
memory, thus eliminating the need for battery backed
storage.
The Multi-tasking version of Motion-iX for the FLEX-6 NANO
allows up to 22 Motion-iX programs to be run simultaneously
on the controller using pre-emptive multi-tasking. In
addition, the operating system software includes the IEC
61131-3 standard run-time environment that has access to
the full library of motion functions.
Programming
The Multi-tasking ability of the FLEX-6 NANO allows parts of a complex application to be
developed, tested and run independently, although the tasks can share data and motion
control hardware. The 22 available processes can be used for Motion-iX or IEC 61131-3
programs, or a combination of both can be run at the same time, thus allowing the
programmer to select the best features of each.
The Flex-6 Nano is fully compatible with Trio’s Robot Programming System (RPS) and the
user can decide to write programs using the powerful Motion iX functions or the RPS motion
suit which is tailored to Scara and other industrial robot systems. Both RPS and Motion iX /
IEC programs may be run on the same Motion Coordinator thus allowing the powerful Flex-6
Nano to control many auxilliary motors as well as the robot arm(s).

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I/O Capability
The FLEX-6 NANO has the ability to add up to 16 EtherCAT FLexslice input / output modules
using the EBUS connector on the side. Modules are supported mechanically by a positive
latch system that allows rapid assembly that results in a robust final assembly ready for
clipping on the DIN rail. These may be used for system interaction or may be defined to be
used by the controller for end of travel limits, soft registration, datuming and feedhold
functions if required. The FLEX-6 NANO can have up to 1024 external Input and Output
channels connected using a combination of the local EBUS and remote EtherCAT IO via the
P366 bus coupler module.
Communications
A 100 base-T Ethernet port is fitted as standard and this is the primary communications
connection to the FLEX-6 NANO. Protocols supported include Telnet (Client and Server),
Modbus TCP (Client and Server), Ethernet IP (Slave), Profinet (Slave) and the TrioPCMotion
DLL/ActiveX channel.
IP Address reset
To reset the IP _ ADDRESS, IP _ GATEWAY and IP _ NETMASK to their default values press the
IP reset button, located under the upper ventilation slots, and power cycle the controller
while keeping the button pressed.
The factory default IP
address is 192.168.0.250.
This can be changed using
the ETHERNET or IP_ADDRESS
commands via Motion
Perfect.
IP_ADDRESS and other settings may also be changed by adding the commands to a file called
TRIOINIT.BAS on a micro-SD card and powering up the FLEX-6 NANO with the card inserted in
the SD slot.
Removable storage
The FLEX-6 NANO has a micro-SD Card slot which allows a simple
means of transferring programs, firmware and data without a PC
connection. Offering the OEM easy machine replication and servicing.
The memory slot is compatible with a wide range of micro-SD cards
up to 32 GBytes using the FAT32 compatible file system.
Axis positioning functions
The motion control generation software receives instructions to move an axis or axes from
the Motion-iX or IEC 61131-3 language which is running concurrently on the same processor.
The motion generation software provides control during operation to ensure smooth,
coordinated movements with the velocity profiled as specified by the controlling program.

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Linear interpolation may be performed on groups of axes, and circular, helical or spherical
interpolation in any two/three orthogonal axes. Each axis may run independently, or they
may be linked using interpolation, variable electronic gearboxes and kinematic transform.
Consecutive movements may be merged to produce continuous path motion and the user
may program the motion using programmable units of measurement (e.g. mm, inches, revs
etc.). The module may also be programmed to control only the axis speed. The positioner
checks the status of end of travel limit switches which can be used to cancel moves in
progress and alter program execution.
LED indicators
2 LEDs show the status of the power and the enable circuit.
The enable circuit drives the watchdog relay and activates the
pulse output signals.
Red LED ON shows that the WDOG is off and the axes are
disabled. When the red LED is OFF, the axes are enabled and
ready to move. A flashing red LED indicates that one or more
axes are in error.
RN is the run status of the EtherCAT network and LA show the
EtherCAT network activity.
RN LED
EtherCAT State
OFF
Initial
Uniform flash
Pre-Operational
Brief flash
Safe-Operational
ON
Operational
Connections to the FLEX-6 NANO
Ethernet port connection
RJ45 socket 10/100 base-T
The Ethernet port is the default connection between the Motion Coordinator
and the host PC running the Motion Perfect development application.
In addition, the Ethernet port will provide connection using common Ethernet industrial
protocols such as Modbus, CIP and Profinet.
EtherCAT port connection
RJ45 socket 100 base-T
The Flex-6 Nano acts as an EtherCAT master. EtherCAT drives and I/O devices
are normally connected in a chain.
Ethernet standard pin assignment:

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Pin
Signal
Description
1
TD+
Transmission data +
2
TD-
Transmission data -
3
RD+
Receive data +
6
RD-
Receive data -
Straight through (patch) or cross-over cables can be used between EtherCAT devices.
Minimum cable specification: CAT 5e shielded SF/UTP cable is recommended.
Registration
FLEX-6 NANO requires servo and stepper drives connected by EtherCAT to support the CiA402
Touch Probe system. With the touch probe objects included in the cyclic data PDO, the
Motion Coordinator programs can use the REGIST command to access the registration inputs
and functions in the remote drives. Precise position capture can then be done to enable
operation of many machine types which include printing, cutting and scanning machines.
Expanding the system
The Flexslice system makes available a selection of digital and analogue I/O terminals as
well as motion modules with analogue servo and pulse + direction outputs designed for
precise positioning of stepper and servo motors via suitable drive technology. The digital
I/O modules have high-speed functionality and can sample on each EtherCAT cycle. In
addition, analogue modules and axis modules may be fitted to make a superbly tailored
system that can be placed remotely from the master if needed.
All Flexslice modules support automatic
addressing with the master able to
automatically detect and configure the
modules on startup. The Flex-6 Nano
supports up to 16 input/output modules
which have a positive mechanical lock and
bus connector, making a reliable “back-
bone” style connection (EBUS). The complete
assembly can be DIN rail mounted.

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Support Software
Motion Perfect version 5 or later is required for configuration, programming and system
debug. A PC running Microsoft Windows (Windows 10 or later recommended) is required.
Download Motion Perfect from www.triomotion.com and install on the PC.
Connection is via the Ethernet
port. Ensure that the PC has a
valid Ethernet Address. For single
point-to-point connection, a fixed
IP address must be set in the PC.
Go to Settings, Network and
Internet then open Change
Adapter Settings. Open the
Ethernet port.
Click the Properties button and
then select Internet Protocol
Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
Click Properties and select Use the following IP
address. Set an IP address in the same subnet as
the FLEX-6 NANO. Usually this will be
192.168.0.xxx.
Click OK and close the Ethernet setup dialogues.

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Motion Perfect version 5
Launch Motion Perfect and select the IP address of the FLEX-6 NANO. By default this will be
192.168.0.250. Click the Apply and Connect button.
If the IP Address of the FLEX-6 NANO is not known, then reset it by holding the IP Reset
button, located under the ventilation slots on the top face, while powering up the FLEX-6
NANO. This will reset the IP_ADDRESS to 192.168.0.250.
Motion Perfect in Synchronised
connection mode.

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Software functions
The Flex-6 Nano contains a stand-alone operating system which includes a rich set of built-in
motion functions accessible from both the interpreted Motion iX text language and the IEC-
61131-3 standard PLC language. A short summary of the main functions is shown in the table
below.
Function
name
(Keyword)
Description
Notes
MOVE
Incremental move. One axis or multiple axes move at the
programmed speed and acceleration.
SPEED sets vector
speed.
MOVEABS
Absolute position move. Move one axis or multiple axes to
position(s) referenced with respect to the zero (home) position.
MOVECIRC
Moves 2 orthogonal axes in such a way as to produce a circular
arc at the tool point.
MHELICAL
Moves 2 orthogonal axes in such a way as to produce a circular
arc at the tool point with a simultaneous linear move on a third
axis.
MSPHERICAL
Moves 3 orthogonal axes along a spherical path.
MOVEABSSEQ
Allows a sequence of movements to be run from a pre-loaded
table of position values. The moves can be automatically merged
together using fillets. (circular arcs)
MOVESP
Same as MOVE with addition of speed profile control for cutting
and machining operations.
CORNER CONTROL
enabled
MOVEABSSP
Same as MOVEABS with addition of speed profile control for
cutting and machining operations.
MOVECIRCSP
Same as MOVECIRC with addition of speed profile control for
cutting and machining operations.
MHELICALSP
Same as MHELICAL with addition of speed profile control for
cutting and machining operations.
MSPHERICALSP
Same as MSPHERICAL with addition of speed profile control for
cutting and machining operations.
CONNECT
Link 2 axes together so that one axis follows the other with a
defined gear ratio.
MOVELINK
Link 2 axes together temporarily with a defined ramp up and
ramp down on the following axis.
Linear or S-curve
acceleration
profile
FLEXLINK
Link an axis to a driving axis with varying ratio over a base
distance and programmable excitation distance.
CAMBOX
User defined constantly changing ratio between the axis and its
driving axis. (Cam shape supplied by user program)
MOVEPICK
Pre-defined pick and place profile. User defined overlap and
withdraw distances.

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Firmware recovery
In the unlikely event that the Motion Coordinator firmware becomes corrupted and the
processor will not start the Ethernet port and allow communication, the Flex-6 Nano, has a
firmware recovery mode. The recovery is automatic and forces the processor to run a
protected boot area of the memory that is dedicated to restoring the full operating system
from a SD card.
The following equipment is needed to complete the Firmware Recovery:
•Micro SD card formatted to FAT32. Max size 32GB.
•Firmware file for the Flex-6 Nano, downloaded from the Trio Website.
Rename the firmware file to r_600.out and copy it to the root folder on the micro-SD card.
With the power off, insert the micro-SD card into the slot and then turn on the power. The
red LED will flash during the firmware loading process. When the Red LED becomes steady it
will be possible to re-connect to the Motion Coordinator via Ethernet. If the IP address is
not known, then power off, hold the IP reset button and power on again to set the default IP
address 192.168.0.250, subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.0.225.

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Dimensions
Mounting
The FLEX-6 NANO has a standard DIN rail mount with over-centre clip operated by a lever on
the lower face. It must be installed on an unpainted metal plate with DIN rail which is
connected to earth.
Ventilation: When the FLEX-6 NANO is mounted in an enclosed cabinet, there must be an
adequate volume of circulating air to maintain the environmental temperature within the
operating temperature range. If clearance is allowed for cable connections, there is no
further limit on spacing next to other components that do not emit heat.
Place below heat sources such as drives and power supplies.

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Specifications
Specification table
Size
147 mm x 107 mm x 17 mm (HxWxD)
Weight
160g
Operating Temp.
0 - 45 degrees C
EMC (CE)
EMISSIONS –EN IEC 61000-6-4 : 2019
IMMUNITY –EN IEC 61000-6-2 : 2019
EMC (UKCA)
EMISSIONS –BS EN IEC 61000-6-4 : 2019
IMMUNITY –BS EN IEC 61000-6-2 : 2019
Control Inputs
Via I/O expansion
Forward Limit
Reverse Limit
Datum Input
Feedhold Input
Communication Ports
Ethernet : 10/100 Base-T multiple port connection.
EtherCAT : 100 Base-T cyclic at SERVO_PERIOD rate.
EBUS : Local EtherCAT bus for Flexslice Module expansion.
Position Resolution
64 bit internal position registers
Speed Resolution
32 bits. Speed may be changed at any time
Moves may be merged
Servo Cycle
125μs minimum
1ms default
4ms max
Programming
Multi-tasking Motion iX system
IEC 61131-3 programming system.
Maximum 22 user processes.
Interpolation modes
Linear, circular, helical, spherical, CAM Profiles, speed control,
software gearbox and linked motion.
Special profiles for Pick and Place, Dispensing and CNC.
Processor
ARM Cortex-A7 dual core, 1GHz max clock frequency.

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Memory
128 Mbyte DDR3 Ram
128 Mbyte Fast serial flash memory
12 Mbyte user program memory
Automatic flash EPROM program and data storage
VR
16384 global VR data in FLASH memory (automatic-store)
TABLE
512000 x 64 bit TABLE memory
Real Time Clock
Super-capacitor support for 10 days of power off
SD Card
Standard micro-SD Card FAT 32, up to 32 GB
Stores programs and data
Can be used for firmware update, user program installation
and system recovery
Power Input
24V d.c. +/- 20%.
Class 2 transformer or power source
18..29V d.c. at 350mA + IO supply
Amplifier Enable Output
Software enable via EtherCAT
Product Code
P600 : Flex-6 Nano 4 EtherCAT Motion Coordinator (2 axes)
P601 –P605 : Flex-6 Nano with axis codes for 4 –64 axes
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Trio Motion Technology products are certified to comply with the requirements of Annex I to
the Directive 2014/30/EU on Electromagnetic disturbance and Electromagnetic immunity. To
achieve this compliance, certain requirements or best engineering practices must be
implemented by the corresponding system designer.
Intended conditions of use
Trio Motion Technology products are designed for operation in Industrial environments with
high noise levels that may induce currents or electrical potentials that are damaging to
microelectronics. Our products are nevertheless designed and tested to withstand the level
of electromagnetic disturbance common to these environments, on the provision that the
appropriate EMC guidelines have been employed by a qualified competent system integrator.
The Trio Motion Technology product range is designed to be integrated, by the customer, as
a control system for industrial machines and auxiliary equipment.

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EMC Considerations
Electromagnetic Interference problems can usually be avoided by careful wiring and
following a few basic rules.
•Mount noise generators such as contactors, solenoid coils and relays as far away as
possible from the Motion Coordinator.
•Where possible use solid-state contactors and relays.
•Fit suppressors across coils and contacts.
•Place high voltage cables in separate trunking to low voltage and signal cables.
•Ensure all the modules have a secure earth connection.
•Where screened cables are used, terminate the screen with a 360 degree termination
rather than a “pig-tail”. Connect both ends of the screen to earth. The screening
should be continuous, even where the cable passes through a cabinet wall or
connector.
These are just general guidelines and for more specific advice, see the installation
requirements later in this chapter.
The consideration of EMC implications is more important than ever since the introduction of
the EC EMC directive which makes it a legal requirement for the supplier of a product to the
end customer to ensure that it does not cause interference with other equipment and that it
is not itself susceptible to interference from other equipment.
Product specific requirements
Trio Motion’s extensive product and application knowledge combined with product testing
reflect that the best immunity is achieved by placing some constraint on the system into
which the product is being integrated. The information is presented in this section for the
commissioning engineer.
Feature
Requirements
Notes
0V wire (current return)
1. Always connect ALL 0V current return wires
2. Do not use the screen for 0V current return
3. It is highly recommended to avoid connecting
0V across internal isolation barriers.
If a single 24V supply is used for the main power
and IO power then these two isolated 0V will
have to be connected but this should only be
done if the 24V supply is free from switching
noise
4. Do not join together 0V from high power and /
or noisy sources with the 0V from signal ports
(incl. CAN bus DC input)
5. Do not use any controller 0V connection as a
current return for peripheral devices
FLEX-6 NANO stepper 0V,
encoder 0V and Auxiliary
connector 0V are all common
together.
24V supply 0V is isolated.
24V IO supply is isolated.
All 24V DC ports
1. It is highly recommended to use surge filters
on all DC supply and 0V return. If more than one
device is connected to the same PSU then this is

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a requirement. See Surge Protection below.
Cable routing
1. Maintain 150mm separation of parallel Class I
and Class II cable (IEC 61000-5-2:1997)
2. Unless otherwise specified, all cables must be
<30m in length
Proximity to source of
disturbance
1. Place controllers and expansion modules as far
from mains cables, mains filters, contactors,
circuit breakers, drives, transducers or other
high power sources of EM disturbance as
physically possible within the enclosure design.
Enclosure / Safety
Cabinet design
1. Trio’s products should always be installed
within a locked cabinet with access limited to
authorised personnel only.
Differential Stepper /
Encoder Signals
1. Screened, twisted pair cable.
2. Connect screen to metal chassis at both ends
(See Cable Shields)
3. 0V reference connected at both ends.
CAN bus
1. Screened, twisted pair cable with
characteristic impedance of 120 Ohm. (±10 Ohm)
2. Connect screen to Chassis at every node.
Connect screen to Aux
connector shell at FLEX-6
NANO.
0V on Aux connector, pins 4, 8
and 12 are common 0V.
Digital I/O
1. It is highly recommended to use a separate
PSU and 0V return. (The I/O is internally isolated
from the main 24V supply input.)
ADC / DAC
1. Use DAC 0V reference pin not common 0V
0V on Aux connector.
RS232 / RS422 / RS485
Serial ports
1. Screened cable.
2. Connect screen to Chassis at both ends.
3. 0V reference connected at both ends.
Connect screen to Aux
connector shell.
0V on Aux connector, pins 4, 8
and 12 are common 0V.
Ethernet
1. TIA Cat5e, minimum.
2. Shielded cable.
3. Cable ≤30m in length.
Overall Foil Braided Shield
with Unshielded Twisted Pairs.
Compliant with Industrial
SF/UTP.
EMC Earth Connection
1. Mount on bare metal backplane.
2. Use a minimum 10mm wide, braided
conductor to connect backplane / chassis to PE.
3. Do not use circular cross-section wire.
When the FLEX-6 NANO is
screwed directly to the panel,
the metal chassis provides the
required EMC earth
connection.
Recommended Installation
The following diagrams and information detail the typically required Surge Protection, EMC
Earth and Cable Shields however more comprehensive information can be found in the
corresponding Product Technical Manual (available at www.triomotion.com)

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Surge Protection
Single power supply
Where the device is supplied with 24V dc from one dedicated 24V power source and the
connecting cable is less than 3 metres, there is no need for a separate surge protection
device.
Motion Coordinator with dedicated power source
Distributed power supply
If the device is connected to a distributed power supply or the cable length between the
power source and the device is longer than 3 metres, then a surge protection device must be
fitted to comply with the CE EMC directive.
Distributed power supply with surge protection