Camera driver and Linux.

The Linux kernel driver for THine’s ISP THP7312 is available now in the Linux mainline kernel. The driver development finalization and upstreaming were done under partnership with Ideas on Board, one of the most reputable Linux consulting service companies for camera and display systems.

There had been no production-ready driver for standalone ISPs in the mainline Linux kernel up to now. It has always been a heavy burden for system design engineers to develop and integrate a Linux kernel driver for the ISP, because it requires deep architectural understanding of the ISP and the Linux kernel structure. THine THP7312 is the first standalone ISP whose Linux driver is available in the mainline kernel. This now makes it easier to use their standalone Image Signal Processor (ISP) with high performance image sensors in various SoC platforms to achieve high image quality.

The driver being upstream is beneficial not only for system design engineers but also to SoC platforms suppliers. MediaTek has integrated this driver into the Software Development Kit (SDK) for their Genio family of edge-computing platforms targeting AI and IoT. Pumpkin Evaluation Kits (EVK) for MediaTek Genio with THine THEIA-CAM™ Kit are available from OLogic, Inc.

“For 15 years, we have assisted many different clients with their camera needs in Linux,” said Laurent Pinchart, Company Owner at Ideas on Board Oy. “It will be a great improvement for users who want to use a high-performance standalone ISP without spending considerable amount of time and effort.”

MediaTek’s Senior Director of Technology Stéphane Le Provost said, “Now that the THine's driver is available in mainline kernel, we could easily integrate it into our Linux SDK for MediaTek Genio SoC family and use standard V4L2 controls. Customers can quickly develop high resolution camera systems based on THine’s reference camera boards and OLogic’s EVKs.”

“It is a great honor that our Linux driver is now accepted in the mainline kernel thanks to Ideas on Board’s expertise,” said Tak Iizuka, Chief Solution Architect, THine Solutions, Inc. “As a result, numerous industry device manufacturers are now able to easily integrate our Image Signal Processors into their embedded vision products and applications.”

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#Thine #Automation #Linux

Ten top torque tips.

Driveshafts deliver power as a rotary force, and in most applications there is a need to know the amount of power in the system. Getting measurements from a turning shaft requires some engineering ingenuity, and Tony Ingham from Sensor Technology runs through the basics.

Tony Ingham

01. Torque is a turning force and, because every material from which a driveshaft can be made has a degree of elasticity, it is also a twisting force that deforms the shaft in the direction of rotation. This deformation is usually only very slight, but it is massively important when it comes to measuring torque.

02. Probably the most common way to measure torque in a turning shaft is to glue strain gauges onto it. A strain gauge is effectively a zig-zag of wire encapsulated in a flexible substrate for protection. When the shaft twists under torque the zig-zag will be stretched, which will change its electrical impedance. Therefore, the resistance of the wire is proportional to the torque in the shaft. However, there is a problem in that electrical leads connected to the strain gauges would wrap around the shaft as it turned and eventually snap. Fortunately, there are solutions to this, which we will look at later.

03. In fact, it is normal practise to use not one, but four strain gauges spaced along the shaft. All are at 45deg to the direction of rotation, two to the left and two to the right. These are then connected into a Wheatstone bridge configuration, which produces an electrical output that is linearly proportional to the torque in the shaft as it rotates. The circuitry is completed with a power supply, amplifier and a display, recorder or computer. These are usually mounted somewhere close to the driveshaft in a secure, static location.

04. We now come onto the elephant in the room. How do we connect the stationary parts of the circuit to the spinning Wheatstone bridge? One answer is slip rings – collars mounted onto and standing proud of the shaft, which contacts static brushes.
Unfortunately, the slip rings are rather delicate; so much care must be exercised in their use. Also, they need to be set up with some precision so that a constant and even contact is maintained in operation.
Because of brush wear, slip rings need regular attention and they are not really suitable for long-term use, nor for deployment in harsh working environments. It is also notable that the contact between the stationary brushes and rotating collars will create a degree of electrical noise which, particularly at higher speeds, will interfere with signal transmission. A final shortcoming of slip rings is that they create a drag force, which must be accounted for in signal measurements and frequently checked to make sure that it has not changed in value.

05. An alternative to the slip ring is the rotary transformer, sometimes called an inductive loop. This consists of two adjacent electrical coils – one static the other rotating with the driveshaft – the relative motion of which induces a current in the transducer.
There is no physical contact between the coils, nor between shaft and transducer, yet power and signals are passed between them. This overcomes many of the drawbacks of slip ring systems; set up is easier, operation is more robust, there is no friction and higher speed operations can be accommodated.
However, every rotary transformer will have a maximum operating speed due to its inertia. They are also susceptible to noise and errors, especially if the coils become misaligned.

06. The next development on a torque sensor is the type that is based on radio telemetry. These operate on the internationally licence-free 2.4GHz frequency band and are based on the concept of mounting a receiver pickup so that it can communicate with the strain gauges. The pickup can actually be many metres from the driveshaft, so long as communication is maintained.
Installation and maintenance are straightforward because there is no slip ring to adjust, coils to align or cabling to accommodate. However, a battery is required to power the signals, which although small and long lasting, does require consideration.

07. Perhaps the ultimate type of torque sensor is that based on the detection of Rayleigh waves or surface acoustic waves (SAWs). These are non-contact and use piezoelectric strain gauges. In a SAW sensor, the surface waves are produced by passing an alternating voltage across the terminals of two interleaved comb-shaped arrays, laid onto one end of a piezoelectric substrate. A receiving array at the other end of the transducer converts the wave into an electric signal.
The wave frequency is dependent upon the spacing of the teeth in the array and the direction of wave propagation is at right angles to the teeth. Therefore, any change in its length, caused by the dynamic forces of the shaft's rotation, alters the spacing of the teeth and hence the operating frequency. To measure the torque in a rotating shaft, two SAW sensors are bonded to a shaft at 45° to the axis of rotation. When the shaft is subjected to torque, a signal is produced, which is transmitted to the adjacent stationary pick-up via the RF couple.
Interestingly, SAWs were first detected by 19th century gentleman–scientist and Nobel Laureate Lord Rayleigh when he was investigating the cause and effects of earthquakes.

08. Selection of the type of torque transducer will be based on many considerations including: the working environment, the expected length of operation, the rotational speed of the driveshaft, mechanical connection options and costs. There is no overall ‘best’, but an optimum choice for each individual situation.

09. Positioning a torque sensor can be a complicated decision if a true reading is to be obtained. Inaccuracies can creep in due to the effects of adjoining elements in the drive train, the damping effect of the driveshaft’s own end couplings and drag caused by contact-type sensors.

10. The final piece of advice is that expert help is usually available through the company supplying your torque sensor. Availing yourself of this service will probably save time, money and frustration.

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@sensortech #Automotive #Torque

Drive systems for transportation & mobility.

Gefeg-Neckar Antriebssysteme GmbH is a drive systems expert for transportation machinery and materials handling equipment applications in mobility, medical, logistics and many other branches of industry. The German designer and manufacturer, represented in Britain by motion specialist Mclennan, includes a custom designed drive systems capability specifically aimed at integration on Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs). 

Supplied as complete Vulkollan™ equipped wheel assemblies with mechanical interfacing adapters, these modular systems include brushless DC geared motors, feedback encoders, optional dynamic or holding brakes - and are supplied with integrated on-board motor controls or for use with external motor controls and optional Safe Torque Off (STO).

Extensively used in production and warehousing settings for transportation, loading and retrieval of pallets, crates, boxes, and components etc., all types of AGVs can be equipped with Gefeg-Neckar’s drives up to a maximum power of 1.5 kW. Powerful brushless DC motors provide maximum efficiency for battery operated AGVs as well as extended life with low maintenance. With load carrying capability per wheel up to 1000 kg, three outline drive models are available for customisation with the nominal wheel diameter between 160 and 230 mm. These are variously equipped with 24 or 48 VDC geared motors with maximum torque output of approximately 16, 27 and 88 Nm, and respective maximum speeds of 244, 182 and 78 rpm. This equates to nominal AGV cart speeds of 2.0, 1.5 and 0.9 m/sec respectively. The modularly designed models can be flexibly adapted to match application specifics with alternative gear unit technologies (planetary, worm and spur), adjusted motor characteristics and tailored componentry to suit the performance required. For medical or high hygiene environments, stainless steel motor, gear unit and hardware versions are available.

Gefeg-Neckar designs and manufactures many other specialist drive transmission systems including wheelchair mobility, wind turbine rotor adjustment, solar panel actuators, rehabilitation equipment, home automation, machinery for wood and metal working, packaging and more.

@mepaxIntPR #McLennan #gefeg_neckar #Transportation #Motion

World's smallest EtherCAT drive.

High-end positioning applications where space is critical now find an optimal solution in the incredibly small iPOS2401 servo drive from Technosoft, with an EtherCAT interface.

Small and light, 19 x 50 x 10 mm, and weighing only 12 g, the iPOS2401 MX-CAT drive can be used in high precision positioning applications with any motor technology (brushless, stepper, DC/voice coil or linear) that requires no more than 1 A continuous at 24 V.

Users can achieve an optimal mechanical integration, due to the plug-in design of the iPOS2401 that offers full flexibility in terms of motherboard design and connectors choice, for either single or multi-axes applications.

A miniaturized drive, yet with no compromise in performance, the iPOS2401 MX-CAT sup-ports full CoE (CAN application protocol over EtherCAT) protocol, which makes it the ideal solution to medical, robotics, instrumentation or automation projects where a high-end Swiss product can make the difference in terms of quality and performance of the application.

A lighter, CAN version is also available, embedding a motion controller that can execute complex motion sequences programmed in TML (Technosoft Motion Language), stored at drive level and called by specific CANopen commands to reduce the bus traffic in multi-axis applications.

In both EtherCAT and CANopen versions, the iPOS2401 completes the extended Technosoft offer (from 25 W to 1.6 kW) in terms of intelligent drives with embedded motion controller for high-end positioning applications.

@TECHNOSOFT_MT  #Pauto @EtherCAT_Group

Torque at sea!

Wireless sensors from Sensor Technology are playing an important role in new product development for Hydraulic Projects Limited (Hy-Pro), one of Britain's leading developers and suppliers of hydraulic drive units for marine steering and autopilot systems.

The TorqSense sensors, which accurately measure shaft torque in rotary drive systems, are providing the essential data that Hy-Pro needs to refine the design of the electrically powered pump assemblies used in the high-performance hydraulic steering systems that the company supplies for use in yachts and other small pleasure craft.

Developing suitable pump assemblies for these marine applications in small vessels is challenging. The motors must operate economically as electrical power is usually derived from 12 V or 24 V storage batteries with limited capacity, yet the pump systems must be able to supply high power when called upon to do so, to ensure that the steering systems continue to operate reliably in heavy seas and bad weather.

To ensure that its products offer the best possible performance in relation to these seemingly conflicting requirements, Hy-Pro is constantly evaluating potential improvements to its pump drive systems. A crucial part of the evaluation process is accurately measuring the torque delivered by the electric drive motor to the pump, under varying load conditions and over a wide range of speeds, in a purpose-built test rig.

“We considered various ways of measuring the torque in the motor shaft on the test rig,” said Barry Wynn, Senior Design Engineer at Hy-Pro, “but all were either inconvenient or were incapable of delivering the accuracy and fast response that we needed. Then we looked at TorqSense sensors from Sensor Technology, and realised that they offered a reliable, easy-to-use and cost-effective solution that would meet all of our requirements.”

TorqSense sensors, which are covered by patents, depend for their operation on surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers. These transducers comprise two thin metal electrodes, in the form of interlocking “fingers”, on a piezoelectric substrate such as quartz. When an RF signal of the correct frequency is applied to the transducer, surface acoustic waves are set up, and the transducer behaves as a resonant circuit.

The key feature, however, is that if the substrate is deformed, the resonant frequency changes. When the transducer is attached to a drive shaft, the deformation of the substrate and hence the change in resonant frequency will be related to the torque applied to the shaft. In other words, the transducer, in effect, becomes a frequency-dependent strain gauge.

Since the transducers operate at radio frequencies, it is easy to couple signals to them wirelessly. Hence, the TorqSense sensors incorporating the SAW transducer technology can be used on rotating shafts, and can provide data continuously without the need for the inherently unreliable brushes and slip rings that are often found in traditional torque measurement systems.

In the Hy-Pro application, a TorqSense sensor is used to measure the torque applied to the pump over the critical speed range of 500 to 4,000 rpm. The results are displayed in real time, so that the progress of tests can be readily monitored, and are also captured and stored for more detailed analysis later with Labview software.

“The TorqSense sensor has proved to be completely dependable and very accurate,” said Barry Wynn. “The data it has provided us with has played an important role in helping us to refine our systems by ensuring an optimum match between the characteristics of the pump and motor over the full operating range.”

“In fact, the insights we’ve gained during our tests have enabled us to further enhance the performance and reliability of our steering and autopilot systems, which, of course, means big benefits for our customers and a very useful boost to our own competitive position.”

@sensortech  #PAuto #Marine

Variable speed drive helps tissue manufacturer.

A leading manufacturer of tissue and paper-based consumer products has upgraded to Control Techniques Unidrive M variable speed drives.

UNIDrive M700 Family

Soffass SpA, based in Porcari (I), is part of the Sofidel group of companies. It produces a range of products including Regina, as well as a wide selection of other products aimed at the global consumer tissue paper market. These include toilet paper, kitchen towel, napkins, paper tablecloths, handkerchiefs, facial tissues and sheets for medical and industrial use.

The company is a long-term user of Control Techniques variable speed drives. However, with mature products such as Commander SK and Unidrive SP moving into the next stage of their lifecycle, the benefits of upgrading to the latest industrial AC drive technology, Unidrive M, were clear.

Unidrive M is capable of fully replacing and enhancing Commander SK and Unidrive SP installations. It offers full mechanical compatibility in terms of dimensions and weights, and when retrofitting surface mount drives existing mounting holes can be reused, negating the need for additional drilling. Furthermore, Unidrive M offers the same power and control wiring philosophy and the same menu and parameter structure. Indeed, parameters can be transferred from Unidrive SP and Commander SK using Unidrive M Connect software, or via a smartcard (Unidrive SP only).

The maintenance team management at Soffass, lead by Giuliano Dinelli (Maintenance Manager) and Luca Manfredini (Electrical Engineer), was keen to tap into the extra benefits offered by Unidrive M, and were able to do this quickly and easily thanks to a number of key design features.

“Previously we used Commander SK and Unidrive SP drives with the SM-Applications and SM-Safety modules, and even though we knew these products would continue to be supported for the next 10 years at least, we thought it provided a good opportunity to take advantage of Unidrive M,”  he  said. “As a result of the upgrade we now use Unidrive M200 drives for asynchronous motor control in the conveyors, and Unidrive M700 drives in the remainder of the applications.”

Among the principal uses for Unidrive M at Soffass is the embosser, where paper veils are matched together to make the final product thicker and softer. The drives also control the print units, as well as the winder/unwinder, which delivers materials to further stages of the process.

“We have complete trust in the Unidrive M platform and wanted to upgrade for many reasons, not least the ease of programming, set-up, commissioning and cabling,” says Mr Dinelli. “Furthermore, we liked technical features such as synchronous Ethernet, on-board AMC and the multi-protocol encoder connector. This multi-axis system with multiple controls is the perfect fit for our converting machinery at Porcari. In total, we have now purchased around 100 Unidrive M drives from Emerson.”

Such has been the success of the upgrade programme that Soffass is now considering the use of additional products from Control Techniques and its sister company, Leroy-Somer, in future projects. Specifically, the company has earmarked the adoption of permanent magnet (PM) motors as they can offer energy savings in equipment such as paper mills, where power requirements are typically high.

“We like Control Techniques because its products are reliable and easy to use,” concludes Mr Dinelli. “In addition, Control Techniques has supported us in the design and development of the machines, and responded positively to our demands in terms of throughput and budget.”

@CTandLS #PAuto @Emerson_News #Italy @sofidelsharing

#HM16 Efficient automation, sustainable service, and integrated industry highlighted.

Baumüller Group will showcase components, systems, and services connected to automation, system networking, and mobile drive technology from April 25-29, 2016 at booth K 17 in hall 14. Integrated industry from component to maintenance.

The Hannover Messe 2016 focuses again on integrated industry. Matching the trade fair focus, Baumüller presents Industry 4.0-capable components, network-capable systems, software solutions, and integrated service concepts. Innovations at the Nuremberg automation provider focus on complete solutions for the integration of production processes into cross-business networks. As company group, Baumüller covers complete system solutions with life cycle service, from project planning, engineering, and commissioning to maintenance, repair, and relocation. “Consideration of the complete life cycle is particularly important when discussing integrated industry,” says Andreas Baumüller, Managing Partner at Baumüller.

The clear visualization for handling systems renders long training times unnecessary and accelerates the operating process

Complete system live

As example of such a complete system, a handling system is presented live at the trade fair booth. Visitors can convince themselves of the intuitive operation, the new Baumüller visualization, and the advantages of web capability and open interfaces directly at the machine. The unit can be integrated into nearly any machine type. With extremely short commissioning times, it is suitable for new as well as existing machines. In the service area, Baumüller offers networking via sensor-based machine monitoring that can be coupled by machinery manufacturers or users with different service models. This solution is also presented at the trade fair booth as part of the overall package.

In the system area, the focus is on component developments as well as innovations in software and visualization. Standardized databases, a wide range of field buses and open interfaces are the basis for flexible and efficient communication and networking. In addition to a wide range of field buses and matching software modules, Baumüller therefore offers Engineering Framework ProMaster as very user-friendly tool for machine programming and monitoring as well as intelligent data storage.

Visualization and simulation make life easier

With complete function packages, e.g., for handling units, Baumüller also takes into account the increased importance of machine modularization and flexibility. Pre-configured packages are available to the machinery manufacturer from drive to visualization. These can be integrated into existing systems and operated platform-independently via all mobile terminals thanks to web-based visualization. The machinery manufacturer can use simulation techniques to simulate complete motion profiles. This saves complicated calculations, prevents surprises during commissioning, and thus saves time and costs.

News

In the component area at the control level, Baumüller presents the new industrial PCs of the b maXX PC004 series that offer in combination with the new HMI a powerful and scalable solution for all control tasks. The system is compatible with the remaining Baumüller portfolio. It can be used as master control for all machines or as slave in existing Ethernet-based systems.

In the power electronics area, the Nuremberg manufacturer presents their new multi-axis controllers. The new b maXX 5800 can control up to six axes independently from one another. For example, gantry axes can be controlled within one computer unit. This means that this solution does not require field bus communication between the axes and enables extremely fast communication and response times of 62.5 µs. The dead times of field bus communication as well as following errors are omitted and dynamics and accuracy increased.

Using the new version of three phase current synchronous motors DSC 135, Baumüller presents a particularly compact and quick-accelerating drive. The new DSC was equipped with a special mount for axial process force compensation, high overload capability, and a mechanical interface for spindle connection in particular for the plastic industry and here as ejector drive. In addition to the surface-cooled variant, the motor is available with integrated liquid cooling for maximum power density and compactness. The DSD2 56-100 servomotors and DST2 135-400 high-torque motors are newly available with oil cooling. With that, Baumüller offers an alternative to water cooling, which should be of particular interest for machines with hydraulic system, as the cooling medium is then already in the system and no additional costs are incurred.

Diversely mobile

For manufacturers of mobile machines, vehicles, and ships, Baumüller presents environmentally friendly and cost-optimized drives from 400 W to 280 kW at the Hannover Messe 2016. Among others, the DSE synchronous motor is presented, which offers a high power density thanks to specially arranged, buried magnets. This and the flexibility of the built-in motor during vehicle integration, make the DSE a suitable mobile drive for the power range up to 15 kW and a speed range up to 9000 rpm. With their solutions for hybrid ship drives, Baumüller enables fuel and emission savings and better maneuverability. The DTS2 high-torque motors are equipped with so-called wing mounts for perfect integration into the ship construction.

@BM_Services #PAuto