QPT’s MicroDyno take a look at platform demos how GaN know-how can enhance the efficiency of cobot motors. | Credit score: QPT
QPT has launched MicroDyno, a low-voltage motor drive take a look at platform that demonstrates the efficiency of ultra-high frequency GaN-based motor drives. The platform is designed to supply improved management and effectivity whereas decreasing system complexity and price, with purposes within the rising collaborative robotic (cobot) market.
Working at 1 MHz switching speeds, MicroDyno integrates a compact filter to ship a real sine wave voltage to motors. Whereas QPT‘s IP scales as much as excessive energy, this low-voltage platform will likely be used to indicate the way it can remodel the efficiency of cobots and common robotics by means of the dynamic correction of torque cogging and torque ripple, and high-fidelity sensing inside the drive. All of that is achieved with out costly exterior sensors or encoders to each considerably scale back the prices of those techniques while additionally massively enhancing the efficiency over customary PWM-based techniques.
Most present robotic drives function at 4–16 kHz PWM frequencies, shaping present right into a sine wave however leaving the voltage on the motor as excessive dv/dt PWM. Some specialist techniques attain 100 kHz, however these face electromagnetic challenges and are nonetheless too low frequency to allow small, cost-effective filtering required for true sine voltage output and EMI filtering.
By extracting the utmost efficiency from GaN transistors, it is ready to working at round 100x the usual frequency which permits a really small, low cost output filter, producing a clear sine voltage straight on the motor terminals with an especially excessive signal-to-noise ratio. This additionally eliminates EMI, reduces bearing currents, permits “sensing with out sensors”, and permits the usage of unshielded cables or a completely built-in motor drive — a transformative shift for robotics integration.
Dynamic torque ripple and cogging correction: Actual-time compensation utilizing QPT’s built-in qSense know-how, detecting voltage and present disturbances within the time and frequency domains due to the excessive signal-to-noise ratio of a sine wave drive.
qControl permits 14-bit decision at 1MHz PWM converter frequency, enabling the high-precision sinewaves. The picture exhibits the heartbeat width being managed in 40 picosecond steps. | Credit score: QPT
Precision and smoothness: QPT’s qControl know-how is able to producing the 1MHz alerts with picosecond accuracy. The tiny filters ship true sine voltage enabling cleaner management alerts, delivering smoother movement essential for delicate meeting and medical robotics.
Excessive-fidelity sensorless diagnostics: Clear sine wave output helps superior torque and vibration monitoring for superior sensing and predictive upkeep. The motor drive can detect and report on the reason for any vibrations within the system, all with out the necessity for costly exterior sensors.
Compact, light-weight integration: 1 MHz switching reduces filter and drive dimension, enabling the motor drives to be totally built-in with the motors within the robotic joints.
Decrease system and growth prices: With the built-in filters, costly shielded cabling just isn’t required. EMC can also be a lot less complicated, motor life is prolonged, costly encoders and sensors will be eliminated, and far increased efficiency will be achieved from cheaper motors.
AI enabled for next-generation designs: MicroDyno lays the muse for native AI processing to enhance the efficiency of every motor, and a cloud-based answer to watch and optimize throughout a fleet of electrical motor techniques, resembling a whole manufacturing line of machine instruments or robots.
MicroDyno demonstrates QPT’s structure at 48V for robotics and cobots, however the underlying know-how is totally scalable. Utilizing QPT’s proprietary qAttach packaging, the identical high-frequency sine-wave benefits prolong to 400V and 800V techniques. The sine wave output additionally unlocks the power for the design of multiphase modules that can be utilized in parallel to achieve megawatt ranges of energy with a a lot smaller vary of modules for motor drive OEMs to deal with.
