Application NotesTechnical Documentation & Guides

Overview

A linear shaft motor moves the load directly. No ball screw, no belt, nothing converting rotary motion into linear. The forcer rides along a stationary shaft on a magnetic field, so there's no backlash and no parts wearing against each other. Positioning gets down to the micron, and the resolution you can hold depends on the encoder, not the motor. Sizing is where it goes right or wrong: the motor has to make your force at your speed with margin left over.

Force Requirements

Add up every force the motor has to overcome:

• Payload weight (for vertical applications: F = m × g)
• Acceleration force (F = m × a for the desired acceleration)
• Friction force from bearings, seals, and cable carriers
• Process force (pressing, dispensing, probing, etc.)
• Add 30% safety margin for peak force requirement

Speed and Resolution

These motors run anywhere from microns per second for slow scanning up to more than 1 m/s when you need throughput. Resolution comes from the encoder, not the motor, so with a fine enough encoder you can hold sub-micron. Pick the motor on its continuous force at your operating speed, straight off the force-speed curve in the datasheet.

Thermal Considerations

The forcer coils heat up under load, and that heat is what caps the continuous force rating. For high continuous force, use a larger forcer assembly or add external cooling. The shaft carries no windings, so it stays cool. That matters when the motor sits near temperature-sensitive parts.

Typical Applications

• Precision pick-and-place
• Optical inspection scanning
• Microelectronics assembly
• Laboratory sample handling

Related Products

S Series Linear Shaft Motor • L Series • PF Series

Overview

The Commander controllers run motion for stepper and servo systems on their own. They come single-axis (Commander 1) or multi-axis. Either way the controller generates the motion profile, handles I/O, and talks over serial, USB, or Ethernet, and you program it through a plain command protocol.

Controller Setup

First pass is telling it what it's driving: motor type, encoder, and the drive interface. It puts out step/direction for stepper drives and analog or PWM for servo drives:

• Set motor type: stepper (open loop) or servo (closed loop)
• Configure encoder resolution and direction
• Set acceleration/deceleration profiles (trapezoidal or S-curve)
• Define I/O assignments for home, limits, and general purpose
• Store configuration to non-volatile memory

Motion Profile Programming

The Commander builds the profile internally and feeds step pulses or analog commands to the drive. It'll do absolute positioning, relative moves, velocity mode, and electronic gearing. S-curve acceleration cuts vibration and jerk compared with a trapezoidal profile.

Stored Program Execution

For standalone jobs, you can store a motion sequence in the Commander's non-volatile memory and have it run on power-up or off a trigger input. That drops the host PC out of simple automation entirely. Stored programs handle conditional branching, loops, I/O monitoring, and timers.

Typical Applications

• Single-axis positioning systems
• Automated test equipment
• Medical device motion control
• Standalone motion sequences

Related Products

Commander 1 • Commander 2 • PCL Series

Overview

Nippon Pulse will custom-wind its linear shaft motors and tin-can steppers so the motor's electrical characteristics match your drive voltage, current, and force target. Run a standard winding on a driver it wasn't matched to and you leave real performance behind. A winding cut for your setup gets it back.

Winding Parameter Relationships

The winding parameters (turns, wire gauge, and series-versus-parallel connection) all pull on each other. Change one and the others move:

• More turns = higher voltage constant, lower current, higher inductance
• Fewer turns = lower voltage constant, higher current, lower inductance
• Larger wire gauge = lower resistance, higher current capacity, fewer turns
• Series connection = doubles voltage constant, same current
• Parallel connection = same voltage constant, doubles current capacity

Matching Winding to Driver

The right winding gets the most out of the voltage and current your drive actually has. For a current-limited drive (most servo drives), pick a winding that reaches rated current at the drive's voltage ceiling at your operating speed. For a voltage-limited drive (step/direction), go with lower inductance for better high-speed behavior.

Requesting Custom Windings

Send Bravo Automation or Nippon Pulse your numbers: supply voltage, max current, target force, speed range, and duty cycle. Engineering will spec a winding and turn around custom-wound motors in about 4-6 weeks.

Typical Applications

• Battery-powered systems (low voltage optimization)
• High-speed applications (low inductance winding)
• High-force applications (maximum current winding)
• Non-standard voltage systems

Related Products

S Series Linear Shaft Motor • PF Series Tin-Can Steppers