The high-performance EtherCAT servo drives now boast multiple samples per communication cycle on top of rapid control cycles

Beckhoff Enhances AX8000 Multi-axis Servo System with Oversampling Technology

SAVAGE, Minnesota, September 15, 2020 – The AX8000 multi-axis servo system from Beckhoff now offers oversampling technology in addition to extremely high dynamics and μs cycle times. Oversampling technology via EtherCAT enables process data scans several times within a communication cycle. This significantly boosts performance for precision processing machines and other systems that require evaluation of high-resolution measured values.

With the highly dynamic, EtherCAT-based AX8000 servo system, new setpoint values can transfer every 62.5 μs from the motion controller in the Industrial PC to the servo drive, along with μs motor current scans. Comparable control systems usually operate with a cycle time of only 1 ms. Now the AX8000 firmware also supports oversampling technology, which is well known from Beckhoff EtherCAT I/O devices. This feature enables multiple samples of process data within a communication cycle with an oversampling factor of up to 128 and the transfer of all data in an array via EtherCAT.

The AX8000 servo system’s new functionality allows the higher-level controller to transmit several setpoint positions or speeds to the drive within one communication cycle, which the drive then follows. Measured variables can be recorded several times in the drive, and the controller can access the buffered values within one cycle. In this way, a chart in TwinCAT Scope View can provide higher resolution, for example. In addition, synchronization with other drives – with or without oversampling functionality – remains unaffected through the distributed clocks principle of the EtherCAT industrial Ethernet system.