Micropulsing is a technique that makes it possible to rotate the motor in extremely small increments. Power is applied to the motor as very short pulses. Using an unloaded rotor, increments as small as 1/2,500,000 of a revolution are possible. Please note: By nature these increments are not well-defined step sizes like those based on […]
What’s the maximum resolution of a PCBMotor?
The rotors on the High Resolution Twin Motor Kit are made of PCB and the code wheel is implemented in the copper layer with 200 lines/revolution. By triggering on both leading and trailing edge of the light pulses, resolution can be increased to 400 and by using both channels in the position sensor’s edges resolution […]
What does a positioning system look like?
The basic elements are a: 1. Code wheel on the rotor. The rotors on our demo PCBMotors are made from standard PCB material – the code wheel pattern is an etched Cu-layer. 2. Optical reflective switch that sends light towards the code wheel and senses reflected light pulses. The demo kits use the reflective optical switch […]
Do I need a positioning system?
If you want to rotate the motor to a specified position the answer is yes, you do. A positioning system is needed to keep track of position and turn the power off when it’s in position. Such a system is implemented on our High Resolution Twin Motor Kit. If you’re not interested in the exact […]
What are the advantages of a PCBMotor compared to a stepper motor?
By driving the integration of the motor (including electronics) into the PCB itself, we’re facilitating the design of smaller, cheaper and faster applications. PCBMotor uses less space and material. Electronics (driver) and mechanics (motor) are mounted directly on the PCB – so it’s totally flat and without gears and connections. PCB enables more design flexibility […]
What’s in it for PCBMotor?
Our technology is patented. We, obviously, want to spread the use of this new technology and will earn our investment by being the sole supplier of piezo components used in PCBMotors.
What’s in it for me/the customer?
You can improve your market position by offering your customers state of the art technology/applications AND save them money at the same time. Offer your customers faster, smaller and cheaper motors. That’s because of the innovative design of the PCBMotor: Mounted directly on the PCB – the motor and all electronics (driver) are integrated into […]
Why is the stator connected to the board via only a few bridges?
The piezos generate the vibrations, a traveling wave, on the stator which makes the rotor turn. The stator needs to be able to vibrate freely for this traveling wave to exist.
Does PCBMotor deliver the rotor?
No, the rotor is a part of the individual customer’s application and, therefore, not part of our delivery.
Can I build a PCBMotor on my own?
Yes. PCBMotor can provide you with training and help you to design and build your own PCBMotors. We can also provide schematic for the control driver (free of charge), which you then can build on your own. See our Steps to Success.
Does PCBMotor build the motors?
Yes. PCBMotor can design and manufacture an entire PCBMotor solution – comprising stator, driver and positioning system – all designed specifically for your application. See our Steps to Success and how we can accelerate your product’s time-to-market.
What applications are best suited for this technology?
Medico Microscope focus Dosing equipment Instrumentation Dashboard pointers Positioning Laboratory equipment Telecom Filter tuning Audio and video Audio mixing equipment Factory automation and robotics Industrial machinery and equipment Aerospace and aviation Automotive/Marine
Why is friction tape needed?
It is the friction between piezo elements and rotor that translates the traveling wave on stator into a rotational force on rotor. To ensure sufficient friction a friction tape is mounted on rotor. We’ve had good experience and results using H-old: GL.96.glass fiber enforced adhesive tape with an alu layer. Apart from ensuring the required […]
Can I damage the motor if I turn the rotor by hand?
No, you will be able to turn the rotor without damaging anything. If the positioning system power is still ‘On’, the positioning system will keep track of its position. This can be used in, for example, a sound mixing console allowing a PCBMotor-operated control to be set to a specific setting and adjusted manually to […]
Is power required to hold the motor in position?
No, the rotors are preloaded by springs pressing them against the piezo elements. This results in a holding torque whether the power is on or off. The holding torque is about 2-3x the stall torque. Being able to turn motor power off when not rotating can, in some applications, prove to be a very important […]
How quickly can a PCBMotor start and stop?
With no load on the rotor the start/stop time is less than 1 ms. With load on rotors the start and stop time will of course increase.
How much weight can a PCBMotor hold?
The rotors are preloaded by springs pressing them against the stator ensuring stable contact between piezos and rotor. The spring force is set for optimum motor performance. A load of 100-200 grams on the rotor or the axle will have little or no effect on performance. Heavier objects should be mounted directly onto the axle […]
What is the step size of a PCBMotor?
A PCBMotor has no inherent, mechanically-defined step size. It will rotate with a constant speed of around 1 revolution per sec is requiredond as long as power is applied. To establish and use stepping functionality, a positioning system, see section “Positioning System”.
What is the cost of a control driver for larger volumes?
The most expensive components in the driver are the transformers. In large volumes >100ku the transformer price will be app. 0.80 EUR each – each driver needs two transformers. The price is not negotiated, so it might be possible to drive the cost down even further. The remaining components for the driver will be at […]
What’s the lifetime of a PCBMotor?
The lifetime is related to the wear of the friction tape. A lifetime test over 666 hours has shown no indication of performance degradation or wear of friction tape. A lot of friction tape remained intact at the end of the test, indicating an expected lifetime of 1000 hours or more.
Are there any options if I need a smaller control driver footprint?
Yes. The transformers we use in our control drivers can handle the power requirements for our full motor range. When dealing with the smaller versions of PCBMotors, there is room for optimization of the transformer size. This requires careful redesign, as the transformers – apart from stepping up the voltage – also act as inductors […]
Can I expect EMC issues wth the control driver and motor?
No, the control driver is working at fairly low frequencies (40kHz and 160kHz) and furthermore the stator is operating at resonance and therefore the content of higher harmonics will be low. We’ve done some preliminary EMC-testing with the present layout of the driver. Customers have done the necessary optimization including additional decoupling and shielding to […]
Can a PCBMotor, control driver and application circuit be mounted on the same PCB?
Yes. The PCBMotor, the control driver and your application circuit can be mounted on the same PCB if you want to. See the images on Our product gallery
Can several PCBMotors be controlled by the same driver?
Yes, one central driver can drive several motor positions by multiplexing. These boards are examples of designs with several motors driven by same control driver. We have had customer design with more than 40 motors in one design. The motors can be on same board or on different boards. To save space multiple motors can […]
What supply voltage do the driver need?
The control driver is supplied with nominally +5V used for the driver circuitry and for the motor supply. A voltage regulator can set the motor supply to anywhere between the +5V and 0V. Maximum rotating speed and torque is achieved at +5V. Lowering the motor supply will lower the rotating speed (and torque). How low […]
Do I have to purchase the control driver from PCBMotor?
No. We’re happy to provide you with the full schematic, BOM and white papers enabling you to design and manufacture your own control driver. However, if you prefer we are also happy to do this for you.
Why do I need frequency tracking?
The rotating force is achieved by exciting the piezo elements on the stator in a pattern that generates a traveling wave. This wave makes the rotor rotate. To get the maximum wave amplitude, and thereby maximum torque, the stator has to vibrate at its mechanical resonance frequency. This is around 45 kHz, but varies with […]
What does the control driver do?
The driver is controlled via two input pins, one for turning power ON/OFF, and another for selecting direction CW/CCW. When turned ON, the control driver converts the motor supply voltage Vs of up to +5V into two square wave signals at around 45 kHz, shifted 90 degrees. Two transformers step up the voltages to around […]