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AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual 21
SECTION 3 AX500 Motor
Controller
Overview
Congratulations! By selecting Roboteq’s AX500 you have empowered yourself with
the industry’s most versatile, and programmable DC Motor Controller for mobile
robots. This manual will guide you step by step through its many possibilities.
Product Description
The AX500 is a highly configurable, microcomputer-based, dual-channel digital
speed or position controller with built-in high power drivers. The controller is
designed to interface directly to high power DC motors in computer controlled or
remote controlled mobile robotics and automated vehicle applications.
The AX500 controller can accept speed or position commands in a variety of ways:
pulse-width based control from a standard Radio Control receiver, Analog Voltage
commands, or RS-232 commands from a microcontroller or wireless modem.
The controller's two channels can be operated independently or can be combined to
set the forward/reverse direction and steering of a vehicle by coordinating the
motion on each side of the vehicle. In the speed control mode, the AX500 can oper-
ate in open loop or closed loop. In closed loop operation, actual speed measure-
ments from tachometers are used to verify that the motor is rotating at the desired
speed and direction and to adjust the power to the motors accordingly.
The AX500 can also be configured to operate as a precision, high torque servo con-
troller. When connected to a potentiometer coupled to the motor assembly, the
controller will command the motor to rotate up to a desired angular position.
Depending on the DC motor's power and gear ratio, the AX500 can be used to
move or rotate steering columns or other physical objects with very high torque.
The AX500 is fitted with many safety features ensuring a secure power-on start,
automatic stop in case of command loss, over current protection on both channels,
and overheat protection.
The motors are driven using high-efficiency Power MOSFET transistors controlled
using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) at 16kHz. The AX500 power stages can oper-