Transitioning to MDrivePlus Microstepping from
Legacy MDrive
The MDrivePlus Microstepping (MDM) products represent significant improvements over the legacy MDrives. They feature a broader parameter setup, 20 microstep resolutions, better detectable pulse width as low as 50 nanoseconds, improved current control, programmable filtering and enhanced thermal dissipation. With these many improvements, the MDrivePlus Microstepping are not "drop in replacements" for existing legacy MDMs.
Pictured here, legacy MDM products had a single parameter setup screen using the supplied IMS SPI Motor Interface.
MDrivePlus now offers an expanded range of 11 selectable setup parameters with several software screens (shown below) to accommodate the additional parameters. Available paramenters for the MDrivePlus Microstepping (MDM) are compared below with those available for legacy MDrive Microstepping. For more detailed information about various MDrivePlus Microstepping parameter settings, please refer to the applicable manual: MDrive17 & 23 Plus Microstepping, MDrive34Plus Microstepping or MDrive34AC & 42AC Plus Microstepping.
Screen #1 - Motion Parameters
Screen #2 - I/O Parameters
MDrive34Plus Microstepping SPI interface screen for I/O parameters have an additional Warning Temperature setting:
Screen #3 - Part and Serial Numbers
| Available Setup Parameters - Comparison (please refer to screens above) | ||||
| Parameter | Legacy MDM 17 & 23 | Legacy MDM 34 | MDM 17 & 23 Plus, |
|
| Screen #1 above | ||||
| MSEL | Microstep Resolution | 14 choices – 2 to 256 microsteps/full step | 14 choices – 2 to 256 microsteps/full step | 20 choices – 1 to 256 microsteps/full step |
| MRC | Motor Run Current | 1 to 100 % | 1 to 100 % | 1 to 100 % |
| MHC | Motor Hold Current | 0 to 100 % | 0 to 100 % | 0 to 100 % |
| DIR | Motor Direction Override | C connector version only – CW/CCW | CW/CCW | CW/CCW |
| HCDT | Hold Current Delay Time | Not Available | Not Available | 0 to 65,000 mSec |
| Screen #2 above | ||||
| Clock Type |
Input Clock Type | Not Available | Not Available | Step & Direction, Quadrature, Up/Down |
| Clock IOF |
Input Clock Filter | Not Available | Not Available | 50 nanoseconds to 12.9 microseconds |
| Enable | State of the Enable Input | Not Available | Not Available | Active High/Active Low |
| Warning Temp |
Warning Temperature | Not Available | Not Available | 34 Plus (DC) and 34 AC Plus Only |
| Screen #3 above | ||||
| PN/SN | Part / Serial Number | Not Available | Not Available | Yes |
| Screens #1 and #2 above | ||||
| User ID | User ID | Not Available | Not Available | 1–3 viewable ASCII characters |
| All screens | ||||
| Fault | Fault / Checksum Error | Yes | Yes | Yes |