Industrial Linear Actuators

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello friends,

I am interested in tackling a new project that controls linear actuators with Arduino. The actuator has a rear mounted integrated step motor driver. Here is a link to the SMD datasheet. http://www.jvl.dk/files/_2011clean/pdf/ld057gb.pdf

I plan on controlling it using TTL step-pulse and direction signals in the half-step mode (400 steps / rev). It says the SCK and DIR inputs must be supplied with signals from NPN, PNP or 5 V outputs. Is it entirely possible to control this drive using Arduino just like a smaller scale stepper / driver say from Sparkfun? If this is not possible, what are some alternatives to controlling this system.

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Also I wish to control the actuator position using feedback from an absolute encoder. The one on this device is 1600 counts / rev. This seems way too fast for Arduino to process. If this is the case, limit switches will work too.

A lot of this is new for me, so I apologize for any obvious remarks, oversights, and silly questions.

Any feedback is helpful!

2

According to your quote it supports 5V control inputs and the Arduino can provide those, so it would seem possible to control it using the Arduino.

You don't say what frequency the encoder output events would be generated at, or why you would need to read the encoder, so I can't judge whether that would be possible or useful.

3

The doc is saying that they provide different models of drivers; one uses 24V PNP, one uses 24V NPN, and the other uses 5V. Which model do you have?

4

I have not purchased one, just doing research before buying one. NPN and PNP refers to the signal being -5 or +5 because it is sourced to power or gnd?

5

You're looking for this doc: http://www.jvl.dk/files/_2011clean/pdf/ls001gb.pdf

I'm not clear on what they mean by a "PNP" or "NPN" signal. For the "NPN" interface, which is standard, it looks like the the signal line is pulled high to 24V and you would use a NPN transistor to sink that to GND.