Zaber Technologies Inc. X-MCC Series User manual

X-MCC Series User's Manual
Multi-axis universal motor controllers with Auto Detect
Disclaimer
Zaber’s devices are not intended for use in any critical medical, aviation, or military applications or situations where
a product's use or failure could cause personal injury, death, or damage to property. Zaber disclaims any and all
liability for injury or other damages resulting from the use of our products.
Precautions
The X-MCC controller is intended to drive a wide variety of Zaber peripheral devices. For most Zaber peripherals
(any with a part number ending in 'A'), connect the peripheral to automatically configure the settings. If your Zaber
peripheral does not end in 'A', simply set the peripheral.id (T:66) with the peripheral's ID number. See the Protocol
Manual for more information on how to modify the settings. Damage to the peripheral may result if the settings are
not correct.
WARNING: Serious damage can occur to peripheral devices when operated with significantly higher-than-
rated current. The X-MCC controller can provide up to 6A of current to a peripheral. BEFORE CONNECTING A
NEW DEVICE to the X-MCC controller, it is important to set the correct parameters in the controller or
ensure you are using an Auto Detect peripheral (Zaber device with a part number ending in 'A'). Please
check the rated current for any peripheral device before changing the current settings on the X-MCC from the
default values. If you have any questions, please contact Zaber Technical Support
WARNING: Instant stopping of a moving axis through the axis knob or E-Stop may result in damage to the
peripheral product and reduced lifespan. Use sparingly if the axis is under heavy load.
Conventions used throughout this document
Fixed width type indicates communication to and from a device. The symbol indicates a carriage return,
which can be achieved by pressing enter when using a terminal program.

When referring to commands that involve physical distances, this manual uses the term 'increments'. For
stepper motor devices, this term refers to the microstep size of the device. For non-stepper devices, the
term refers to the size of an encoder count. See the command protocol for more details.
Quick Tutorial
We recommend using Zaber Console to communicate with the device(s). For other software options, see
the Software page. Please refer to the Protocol Manual for more detailed information on the available commands.
Initial Set-up
1. Connect peripheral(s) to the desired axes of your X-MCC, while unpowered.
2. Daisy chain all integrated devices and controllers together using the RS-232 "Prev" and "Next" connectors
(see Daisy-Chaining Devices for more details).
3. Next, supply power to one or more devices. Many products share power through the daisy-chain cables.
The green power indicator on each should light up.
4. Download and install Zaber Console. Start Zaber Console and ensure that in the Options tab, the "Update
position and peripheral connection status" checkbox is checked (turned on).
5. Select the communications port the first controller is connected to. For instructions on how to find the
available communication ports on your system, please refer to: Appendix A - Available Communications
Ports.
6. If multiple devices are detected, Zaber Console may prompt you to renumber them. The first device in the
chain (closest to the computer) will become Device 1, the next will become Device 2, and so on.
7. When the communications port is open, Zaber Console will show an icon next to the peripheral name for
each axis, to indicate the connection status. See the Activating Peripherals section for additional
information.
Icon Connection Status
No peripheral is currently detected or the peripheral.id of the axis is not set.
To activate a -T3 or -T4 peripheral, type its peripheral ID in the field. The
Peripheral ID for a Zaber peripheral can be found on its label as the PID.
Alternatively a full list of Peripheral IDs can be found at: Zaber Support -
Peripheral IDs.
The peripheral is configured and active.
The X-MCC detected that a peripheral was disconnected, or that a different
peripheral was previously configured on this axis. If the peripheral became
unplugged, remove power from the controller and plug the peripheral back in.
Activate the peripheral if necessary, using the button beside its name.

8. Once a peripheral has been activated, either press the Home icon in Zaber Console or turn a knob on the X-
MCC to move the peripheral associated with that axis. Most Zaber positioners will only move at reduced
speed in one direction until they reach a home sensor at one limit of travel. Then they will move in both
directions over full travel.
Initialization
Always connect peripherals to the controller when the controller is not powered. Peripherals should not be
connected or disconnected while the controller is powered on.
Every time the controller is powered up or reset, you should return the motorized peripheral(s) to the home position.
This is achieved by sending the home command to the individual device or all devices. Until this is done, most
devices will only allow motion in one direction, towards the sensor.
On stepper motor peripherals, a park command can be used to allow the device to be turned off and then used at a
later time without the need to home the axis. See the tools parking command for details.
Using the Device
Several commonly used ASCII commands are shown below. For a full list of available commands, please refer to
the Protocol Manual.
Command Description
/1 1 get pos Query the current position of Device #1 Axis #1.
/1 1 move abs 10000 Move Device #1, Axis #1 to position 10000 increments.
/2 1 move rel -12800 Move Device #2, Axis #1 in the negative direction by 12800 increments.
/1 stop Decelerate and stop ALL axes on Device 1.
An axis number of 0 or no axis number implies all axes on the device, or the device
itself.
/move vel 153600 Move ALL devices and ALL axes in the positive direction at the speed 153600.
A device address of 0 or no device address implies all devices in the chain.
Modifying Device Settings
Here are some examples if you would like to customize particular device settings. Refer to the Protocol Manual for
detailed descriptions of each setting.
Command Description
/1 set maxspeed 100000 Set the speed of all axes on the device.
/1 get maxspeed Query the maximum speed of the axis.
/1 system restore Restore all the settings of Device 1 to the default.
Activating Peripherals
Important: The X-MCC should always be powered down before disconnecting or connecting a peripheral
device.

The X-MCC is compatible with many Zaber peripherals, including those with Auto Detect, a feature that enables a
controller to automatically configure itself for the connected peripheral. Peripherals with Auto Detect have an “A” at
the end of their product name, for example: "LAC10A-T4A".
When an auto-detect peripheral is connected to an axis on the X-MCC, the peripheral will be activated
automatically if the axis is not configured for use with a different peripheral.
When an auto-detect peripheral is connected and the axis status LED is fading yellow, the peripheral has
been detected, but needs to be activated.
oIf you are sure that you want to activate a new peripheral on this axis, either use the Activate button
near the peripheral name in Zaber Console or send the activate command to the axis.
oIf you have swapped axes unintentionally, remove power, disconnect the current peripheral and then
reconnect the desired peripheral instead. Any custom settings for the original peripheral will still be
maintained.
The X-MCC is also compatible with many peripherals that do not have the Auto Detect feature. These are
configured quickly by setting the peripheral.id. Peripherals without the Auto Detect feature do not have an “A” at the
end of the product name, for example "LAC10A-T4".
Once the peripheral ID is configured properly, activate the peripheral either with the Activate button near the
peripheral name in Zaber Console or by issuing the activate command to the axis.
Firmware Updates
In order to allow access to new features and bug fixes, this Zaber device can be updated remotely through Zaber
Console. Follow instructions here to update: www.zaber.com/FirmwareUpdate
Device Overview
Connectors
All images are shown looking into the device.
Power
PinDescription
1 24 - 48 V
2 GND (Note: Zaber's power supplies
ground this pin to AC Earth)
Note: To prevent damage to the device due to static buildup, the device should be properly grounded. The power
supplies Zaber provides for X-Series devices are non-isolated and thus ground the device chassis to Earth via the
negative terminal of the power supply. If for any reason you are using an isolated power supply, please ensure your
device is grounded by connecting the negative terminal of the power connector to AC Earth.
Multiple Power Supplies: The X-MCC controller can have multiple power supplies connected (1 per available
axis). If not all available axes are supplied directly with power, power is shared between axes. If you wish to use
both 48 V and 24 V power supplies for different axes, ensure all axes to be supplied with 24 V are directly powered.
RS-232 Communications
Pin Previous Next
1 Power Power

2 Ground Ground
3 Receive Transmit
4 Transmit Receive
Default Settings
Baud rate: 115200
Protocol: Zaber ASCII
Specifications
Supported Protocols: Zaber ASCII
Supported baud rates: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
Bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop Bits: 1
Flow Control: None
Sensor and 3 Amp Motor Interface
Female High Density D-Sub26 Connector
Sensor and 3 Amp Motor Interface
Pin Description
1 Auto Detect Clock
2 Auto Detect Data
3 C Limit Sensor
4 Away Limit Sensor
5 Home Limit Sensor
6 Motor Over-Temperature
7 Ground
8 Motor A2 / Motor V
9 Motor A1 / Motor U
10 Differential Encoder A+
11 Differential Encoder B+
12 Differential Encoder Index+
13 Differential Encoder Error
14 Single-ended Encoder Index
15 +5 V
16 Ground
17 Reserved
18 Motor B1 / Motor W
19 Differential Encoder A-
20 Differential Encoder B-
21 Differential Encoder Index-
22 Single-ended Encoder A
23 Single-ended Encoder B
24 Reserved
25 Reserved
26 Motor A2
NOTE: The limit sensor inputs are pulled up to an internal supply rail and are designed to be designed to be low by
an open collector.
NOTE: All single-ended encoder inputs are non-isolated 5 V TTL lines.

NOTE: All differential encoder signals are terminated on the controller with 120 Ω. They are expected to be either
RS-422 digital signals with a maximum wave frequency of 10 MHz, or 1 V peak-to-peak analog signals with the
common mode of each pair between 1.5 V and 2.5 V.
6 Amp Motor Interface
Female T-Coded M12 Connector
6 Amp Motor Interface
PinStepper Motor
Connection
Three Phase Motor
Connection
1 Motor A2 Phase V
2 Motor A1 Phase U
3 Motor B2 N/C
4 Motor B1 Phase W
NOTE: If using this connector, the four motor pins on the Sensor and 3 Amp Motor Interface must not be used.
E-Stop
Pin Description
1 E-Stop Power (12-48 V)
2 E-Stop Ground
3 E-Stop Override Input
4 E-Stop Override Ground
E-Stop power inputs are optically isolated, but E-Stop override inputs are not. For details on using the E-Stop,
please refer to the dedicated Emergency Stop section.
USB Communications
Specifications
USB 2.0 Full Speed
Communications Device Class, Abstract Control Model
Default Protocol: Zaber ASCII
Supported Protocols: Zaber ASCII, Zaber Binary
Digital Inputs/Outputs
Pin Description
1 Digital In 1
2 Digital In 2
3 Digital In 3
4 Digital In 4
5 Digital In Common
6 Digital Out 1

7 Digital Out 2
8 Digital Out 3
9 Digital Out 4
10 Digital Out Common
Specifications Equivalent circuit
Maximum Input Voltage (per pin): 8.0 V†
Minimum Input Logic High Voltage: 1.5 V
Maximum Output Current (per pin): 20 mA
Maximum Switchable Voltage (per pin): 50 V
†The input voltage range can be extended with additional series resistance, as described in the I/O Usage and
Examples (Digital Inputs) section.
Mating Products
TE Connectivity 284506-5 or 1986692-5
Analog Inputs/Output
Pin Description
1 +5 V
2 Ground
3 Analog In 1
4 Analog In 2
5 Analog In 3
6 Analog In 4
7 Ground
8 Analog Output
Analog Input Specifications Equivalent circuit
Absolute Maximum Input Range (per pin): 0 - 12.8 V
Nominal Input Range (per pin): 0 - 10.0 V
Resolution: 0.001 V
Analog Output Specifications Equivalent circuit
Analog Output Range: 0 - 10 V
Resolution: 2.5 mV
Output Impedance: 100 Ω
+5 V Output
The +5 V and GND connections can provide power for low-current I/O applications. The pins can source up to 200
mA of current. If additional current is needed, an external power supply is required. Note that this output is not
isolated.

Mating Products
TE Connectivity 284506-8 or 1986692-8
External Regenerative Braking Resistor
Pin Description
1 External Regen +
2 External Regen -
NOTE: Pin 1 is internally connected to the controller's bus voltage, so this pin's voltage will nominally be in the 24-
48 V range. During overvoltage transients this voltage may rise to 65 V.
The X-MCC is equipped with an internal regen resistor to assist with energy dissipation during heavy braking events
under load. If the braking power in the regen resistor is insufficient, the controller's bus voltage may rise to
excessive levels and the controller will be forced to disable the driver. For a single axis under heavy load or multiple
axes under moderate load, the internal resistor is usually sufficient to dissipate the generated electrical energy.
For applications with high loads, fast decelerations, and/or multiple axes, an external regen resistor may be required
for extra dissipation capacity. In these cases, a resistor rated for 5 Ω and 300 Watts should be connected to the two
terminals provided. The required regenerative power for a trapezoidal trajectory may be approximated as 3*m*v*a,
where mis the moving mass including the stage top, vis the maximum trajectory velocity and ais the deceleration
setting. Please consult Zaber Technical Support to determine if your application may benefit from the addition of an
external regen resistor.
Chassis Connection
No portion of the controller operates at voltages exceeding 50 VDC, so the controller is considered a low voltage
device and does not need to be explicitly connected to Earth for safe operation. Additionally, Zaber's PS11-PS15
power supplies are non-isolated, thereby already providing a connection from the Ground pin of the power input to
Earth. However, if the controller is supplied by an isolated power supply, it may be desirable to ground the metal
housing. Signal integrity or application specific safety considerations may also make it desirable to connect the X-
MCC's metal frame to the Earth connection shared by the rest of the apparatus. For making grounding connections
to the X-MCC frame, attach a 4 mm or 3/16” ring terminal to the provided 4 mm machine screw as shown below.

Indicators
Green (Master) - Power
On: Controller is operational.
Blinking twice per second: The power supply voltage or controller temperature is out of range.
Fading in and out slowly: A peripheral device is parked. See the tools parking command.
Red (Master) - System Error
On/blinking: An error has occurred. Please contact Zaber Technical Support.
Yellow (Master) - Communication
On: Device is moving, or data is being transferred.
Blinking twice per second: Packet corruption has occurred for ASCII commands sent with a checksum.
Yellow (Axis) - Axis Status
On: Peripheral actuator is moving.
Blinking: Device is under manual control via the knob (in Velocity mode). The blinking rate is proportional to
movement speed.
Fading in and out every 2 seconds: A connected auto-detect peripheral is awaiting activation.
Blue (Axis) - Axis Warning/Error
Solid: Peripheral is deactivated.
Blinking twice per second: Driver is disabled due to over-temperature, out-of-range voltage or other driver
fault; due to user request; or due to E-Stop. See Fx Warning Flags. This will also occur briefly when a
peripheral is plugged back into the axis after being unplugged.
On briefly, during a move: The device is slipping.
Blinking once every 2 seconds: The device has stalled and stopped.
Burst of 2 flashes every 1 second: The stationary device has been forced out of position.
Burst of 5 flashes every 2 seconds: The encoder has encountered a read error and raised the FQ or FA
Warning Flag.
Communications
The X-MCC supports multiple communications interfaces and processes commands through the currently active
interface, which is determined by the interface priorities. Enabling or connecting a higher priority interface will cause
any commands received over the lower priority interface(s) to be ignored.
Interface Priority
1. USB
2. RS232
Daisy Chaining
Daisy Chaining is supported from USB to RS232 Next and RS232 Prev to RS232 Next.
Installation
The X-MCC can be connected to a computer as follows:
1. Connect the controller to the computer with a USB cable (U-DC06), and install the appropriate USB driver
(see Appendix B for instructions). You may need to use a cable extension to reach your computer. There is
no need to power down or reboot the computer.
2. Connect one or more peripherals to the X-MCC controller using the recommended cables. See the Quick
Tutorial for more information.
3. Connect the power plug of your power supply to the power connector of the device. The green LED should
light up indicating the device has power.
4. Additional devices can simply be daisy-chained to the first. See Daisy-Chaining Devices below.
5. Install software from the Software page. For the initial setup, using Zaber Console is recommended.

As a simple first test, try entering:
/renumber
/1 home
/1 move rel 10000
The parameter of 10000 in the move command above specifies 10000 increments. To see the increment size
(default resolution) for the peripheral and how it translates to displacement, first go to the product overview page,
find your device, click through to the device's webpage, and click on the "Series Specs" tab. The increment size
(default resolution) will be shown in the list of product specs either in the "Group Specifications" section or the
"Comparison" section.
Daisy-Chaining Devices
Multiple devices can be connected together in a chain through the Prev and Next connectors. This allows any
number of devices to be controlled from a single connection to a computer, reducing cabling demands. In addition,
X-Series devices carry power through the daisy chain, so in most cases a power supply only needs to be connected
to one device in the chain. Whenever a device is added or removed from a chain, a renumber command should be
sent to prevent device-address conflicts.
To daisy-chain X-Series devices with A-Series devices:
Ensure all devices are set to the same baud rate and the A-Series devices are using the ASCII
communication protocol before connecting them.
Connect any X-Series devices at the start of the chain (closest to the computer). This configuration will
reduce the number of adaptor cables required.