MDrive® 17 Linear Actuator
MDrive 17 step motor linear actuator products feature single length, high torque NEMA 17 (1.7"/43mm sq.) 1.8° brushless step motor linear actuators with integrated electronics, providing the leading technology solution for all-in-one linear motion applications.
Two MDrive17 integrated motor + driver versions provide a choice of features and capabilities:
- Microstepping — motor + driver, for step and direction input
- Motion Control — motor + driver + programm able controller
- Specifications
- Version Comparison
- Microstepping
- Motion Control
- General
- Motor
- Mechanical
- Screw Specifications
| Input Voltage | Range (includes back-EMF) | +12 to +48 VDC |
| Power Supply Current Requirement | Max per MDrivePlus (depends on voltage and load) | 2.0 A |
| Operating Temperature | Measured at heat sink (non-condensing humidity) | 85°C |
| Measured at motor (non-condensing humidity) | 100°C |
| Single Length | ||
| Holding Torque oz-in (N-cm) | 29.16 (20.6) | |
| Rotor Inertia oz-in-sec2 (kg-cm2) |
0.0005 (0.035) | |
| Maximum screw misalignment | ± 1° | |
| Weight (Motor+Driver) oz (g) | 9.6 (272.2) | |
| Maximum thrust | General purpose nut | 25 lbs (111 N) |
| Anti-backlash nut | 5 lbs (22 N) | |
| Maximum repeatability | General purpose nut | 0.005" (0.127mm) |
| Anti-backlash nut | 0.0005" (0.0127 mm) | |
Speed Force Curves |
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12 VDC Curve
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24 VDC Curve
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48 VDC Curve
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| Standard screw | Screw end options | ||||||||||||||
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| Lead options | |||||||||||||||
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| Screw coating | |||||||||||||||
| An optional teflon screw coating is available for smooth operation and extended life. Contact factory for availability. | |||||||||||||||
MDrive versions |
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Microstepping |
Motion Control |
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Highly integrated microstepping driver and NEMA 17 |
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Integrated fully programmable motion controller |
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Integrated variable speed controller |
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Advanced 2nd generation current control for exceptional |
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Single supply: +12 to +48 VDC |
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Low cost |
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Extremely compact |
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20 programmable microstep resolutions to 51,200 steps/rev including: Degrees, Metric, Arc Minutes |
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Premium stainless steel lead screws |
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Linear actuator styles |
Non-captive shaft |
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External shaft |
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Options |
Internal magnetic encoder |
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Anti-backlash (external linear actuators only) |
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Coated screw |
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Interface connectors |
Pluggable locking wire crimp connector |
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Pluggable terminal strip connector |
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Flying leads — 12.0"/30.5cm long wires |
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Communications type |
SPI |
RS-422/485 |
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Electronically configurable |
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Programmable motor run and hold currents |
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Interface software included |
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Parameters switchable on-the-fly |
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Current reduction |
Automatic |
Programmable |
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Noise reduction |
Optically |
Programmable |
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Optically isolated logic input options 3 |
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Up to eight +5 to +24 VDC I/O lines 4 |
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Selectable 10-bit analog input for motion/speed control |
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High speed position capture input or trip output |
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Auxiliary logic power supply input |
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0 to 5MHz step clock rate selectable in 0.59Hz increments |
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62 software addresses for multi-drop communications |
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1 Includes: motor direction vs. direction input; clock type - step and direction, quadrature, step up and step down; programmable digital filtering for clock and direction inputs |
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- Comm
- Motion
- Parameters
- Connectivity
- Options
- Downloads/Support
| Protocol | Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) |
| Isolation | Galvanic |
| Digital Filter Range | 50 nS to 12.9 μS (10 MHz to 38.8 kHz) | |
| Clock Types | Step/Direction, Step Up/Step Down, Quadrature | |
| Step Frequency | 2 MHz (Default) 5 MHz (Max) | |
| Microstep Resolution | Number of Settings | 20 |
| Steps per Revolution | 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1600, 2000, 3200, 5000, 6400, 10000, 12800, 20000, 25000, 25600, 40000, 50000, 51200, 36000 (0.01 deg/μstep), 21600 (1 arc minute/μstep), 25400 (0.001mm/μstep) |
| Function | Range | Units | Default | |
| MHC | Motor Hold Current | 0 to 100 | Percent (%) | 5 |
| MRC | Motor Run Current | 1 to 100 | Percent (%) | 25 |
| MSEL | Microstep Resolution | See Spec Motion Settings Tab | µsteps/step | 256 |
| DIR | Motor Direction Override | CW/CCW | — | CW |
| HCDT | Hold Current Delay Time | 0 or 2 to 65535 | msec | 500 |
| CLK TYPE | Input Clock Type | Step/Dir, Up/Down, Quadrature | — | Step/Dir |
| CLK IOF | Clock and Direction Filter | 50 nS to 12.9 μS (10 MHz to 38.8 kHz) |
ns (MHz) | 200 (2.5) |
| USER ID | User ID | 1 to 3 characters | Viewable ASCII | IMS |
| EN ACT | Enable Active | High/Low | — | High |
MDrive® ConnectivityView mating connector interface options by MDrive part number (p/n). Launch pictorial guides from the pull-down menu(s) below. |
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Encoder
The internal encoder option is a differential magnetic encoder: The internal magnetic encoder offers several key advantages:
- Smaller footprint to the MDrive than an externally mounted encoder.
- Available line counts: 100, 200, 250, 256, 400, 500, 512, 800, 1000.
- Encoder in a closed environment, limited susceptibilty to dust contamination.
- Robust output sink current of 20 mA.
- May be connected as single-end or differential.
- Encoder interfaces via connector P4, a 10-pin locking wire crimp. Avaialble connectivity accessories
Communications Converters
Electrically Isolated, in-line converters pre-wired with mating connectors to conveniently set parameters and program a single MDrivePlus via a PC USB port.
To view specific connectivity options for each model MDrive, select from the drop-down listing above.
| Converter Part Number | Mating Connector Type |
| MD-CC300-001 (USB to SPI) | 10-Pin IDC |
| MD-CC303-001 (USB to SPI) | 12-Pin Tyco |
If building your own cabling, you will need:
- SPI inline converter or PC parallel port
- Cabling with appropriate mating connectors for the MDrive model selected
are:
- Mating connector kit: Part number CK-13
- Prototype development cable: Part number ED=CABLE-JST10
Protoype Development Cables
Used to build your own cables. Kits contain 5 mating connector shells with pins. Cable not supplied. Manufacturer crimp tooling recommended.
To view specific connectivity options for each model MDrive, select from the drop-down listing above.
| Mating Connector Kit P/N | Mating Connector Type | Shell Mfg. P/N | Crimp Pins Mfg. P/N |
| CK-03 | 12-Pin Locking Wire Crimp | Tyco: 1-794617-2 | Tyco: 794610-1 |
| CK-01 | 10-Pin IDC | Samtec: TCSD-0501-N | -- |
Mating Connector Kits
Mating Connector Kits are used to build your own cables. Kits contain 5 mating connector shells with pins. Cable not supplied. Manufacturer crimp tooling recommended.
| Mating Connector Kit P/N | Mating Connector Type | Shell Mfg. P/N | Crimp Pins Mfg. P/N |
| CK-01 | 10-Pin IDC | Samtec: TCSD-0501-N | -- |
| CK-03 | 12-Pin Locking Wire Crimp | Tyco: 1-794617-2 | Tyco: 794610-1 |
| CK-13 | 10-Pin JST Locking Wire Crimp for Internal Encoder | JST: PADP-10V-1S | JST: SPH-001T-P0.5L |
- Comm
- I/O
- Motion
- Software
- Connectivity
- Options
- Downloads/Support
| RS-422/485 | BAUD Rate | 4.8 to 115.2 kbps |
| CANopen | Application Layer | DS301 V3.0 |
| Bus | 2.0B Active | |
| Device Profile | DSP-402 | |
| Isolation | Galvanic | |
| Features | Node Guarding, Heartbeat Producer, SDO, PDO (Variable mapping) |
Standard I/O (Plus)
| General Purpose I/O | Number/Type | 4 I/O points, programmable as sinking outputs or sinking and sourcing inputs |
| Logic Range | Inputs and outputs tolerant to +24 VDC, inputs TTL compatible | |
| Output Sink Current | Up to 600 mA per channel | |
| Protection | Over Temp, Short Circuit, Transient Over Voltage, Over Voltage, Inductive Clamp | |
| Dedicated I/O | Type | Step/Clock, Direction/Clock, Capture/Trip |
| Logic Range | 0 to +5 VDC, TTL compatible | |
| Analog Input | Resolution | 10 bit |
| Range (selectable) | 0 to +5 VDC, 0 to 10 VDC, 0 to 20 mA, 4 to 20 mA |
Expanded I/O (Plus2)
| General Purpose I/O | Number/Type | 8 I/O points, programmable as sinking or sourcing outputs or sinking and sourcing inputs (4 when remote encoder option is selected) |
| Logic Range | Sourcing Outputs +12 to +24 VDC, Inputs and Sinking Outputs Tolerant to +24 VDC, Inputs TTL Level Compatible | |
| Output Sink Current | Up to 600 mA per channel | |
| Electronic Gearing | Range‡/Resolution/ Threshold (External Clock In) |
0.001 to 2.000/32 Bit/TTL |
| Input Filter Range | 50 nS to 12.9 μS (10 MHz to 38.8 kHz) | |
| Range‡ (Secondary Clock Out) | 1 to 1 | |
| High Speed I/O | Capture Filter Range | 50 nS to 12.9 μS (10 MHz to 38.8 kHz) |
| Capture Resolution | 32 bit | |
| Trip Output Speed/Resolution/ Threshold |
150 ns/32 bit/TTL | |
Closed Loop Configuration |
Type | User supplied differential encoder |
| Steps per Revolution | 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1600, 2000, 3200, 5000, 6400, 10000, 12800, 20000, 25000, 25600, 40000, 50000, 51200, 36000 (0.01 deg/μstep), 21600 (1 arc minute/μstep), 25400 (0.001mm/μstep) | |
| Resolution | User-Defined Note: μstep/rev 2X the encoder count/rev minimum |
| Open Loop Configuration | Number of Microstep Resolutions | 20 |
| Steps per Revolution | 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1600, 2000, 3200, 5000, 6400, 10000, 12800, 20000, 25000, 25600, 40000, 50000, 51200, 36000 (0.01 deg/μstep), 21600 (1 arc minute/μstep), 25400 (0.001mm/μstep) | |
| Closed Loop Configuration (Optional Internal Encoder) |
Type | Differential, Magnetic |
| Steps per Revolution | 51200 | |
| Resolution | 512 lines (2048 edges) | |
| Counters | Type | 32 bit Position and Encoder |
| Edge Rate (Max) | 5 MHz | |
| Velocity | Range | +/- 5,000,000 Steps per Second |
| Resolution | 0.5961 Steps per Second | |
| Acceleration/Deceleration | Range | 1.5 X 109 Steps per Second2 |
| Resolution | 90.9 Steps per Second2 |
| Program Storage | Type/Size | Flash/6384 Bytes |
| User Registers | (4) 32-bit | |
| User Program Labels and Variables | 192 | |
| Math Functions | +, -, x, ÷, >, <, =, <=, >=, AND, OR, XOR, NOT | |
| Branch Functions | Branch & Call | |
| General Purpose I/O Functions | Inputs | Home, Limit Plus, Limit Minus, Go, Stop, Pause, Jog Plus, Jog Minus, General Purpose |
| Outputs | Moving, Fault, Velocity Change, General Purpose | |
| Trip Functions | Trip on Input, Trip on Position, Trip on Time, Trip Capture, Trip on Relative Position | |
| Encoder Functions | Stall Detection, Position Maintenance, Find Index | |
| Party Mode Addresses | 62 | |
MDrive® Connectivity View mating connector interface options by MDrive part number (p/n). Launch pictorial guides from the pull-down menu(s) below. |
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Encoder
The internal encoder option is a 512-line (2048 count) differential magnetic encoder: The internal magnetic encoder offers two key advantages:
- Reduced connections externally, thus reduced system cabling, as encoder feedback is all internal to the MDrivePlus.
- Smaller footprint to the MDrivePlus than an externally mounted encoder.
Communications Converters
Electrically Isolated, in-line converters pre-wired with mating connectors to conveniently set parameters and program a single MDrivePlus via a PC USB port.
To view specific connectivity options for each model MDrive, select from the drop-down listing above.
| Converter Part Number | Mating Connector Type |
| MD-CC400-001 (USB to RS-422/485) | 10-Pin IDC |
| MD-CC402-001 (USB to RS-422/485) | 10-Pin Friction Lock Wire Crimp |
| MD-CC500-000 (CANopen) | Interface cable required - view details |
If building your own cabling, you will need:
- RS-422/485 inline converter or PC card
- Cabling with appropriate mating connectors for the MDrive model selected
- For information on Party Mode (Multidrop) communications view the product manual
Protoype Development Cables
Prototype development cables are designed to speed test/development with pre-wired mating connectors that have flying leads other end. No prototype development cables are available for the MDrivePlus using the 12' Flying Leads or Pluggable Clamp Terminal Strip.
To view specific connectivity options for each model MDrive, select from the drop-down listing above.
| Prototype Development Cable P/N | Mating Connector Type | Signal Type |
| PD16-1417-FL3 | 16-Pin Locking Wire Crimp | I/O and Power |
If building your own cabling, you will need:
- Appropriate mating connector and crimp pins if required (Mating connector kits are available for Locking Wire Crimp style connectors)
- Crimp tooling (Locking Wire Crimp)
- Shielded twisted pair cabling
Mating Connector Kits
Used to build your own cables. Kits contain 5 mating connector shells with pins. Cable not supplied. Manufacturer crimp tooling recommended.
To view specific connectivity options for each model MDrive, select from the drop-down listing above.
| Mating Connector Kit P/N | Mating Connector Type | Shell Mfg. P/N | Crimp Pins Mfg. P/N |
| CK-10 | 16-Pin Locking Wire Crimp | JST: PADP-16V-1S | JST: SPH-001T-PO.5L |
| CK-02 | 10-Pin Friction Lock Wire Crimp | Hirose: DF-11-10DS-2C | Hirose: DF11-2428SC |
| CK-01 | 10-Pin IDC | Samtec: TCSD-0501-N | -- |










