CAT-R02DOM-02 · Robotics components
Motor drives & controllers
Control mode, bus, and tuning effort.
Drives are bought on current rating and paid for in commissioning time. Fieldbus support, autotuning quality, and diagnostic depth decide how long the machine takes to reach production behaviour.
Parameter set
01Deciding parameters
The figures that actually decide selection — and why.
Continuous current
A
With the drive's own derating curve applied.
Control mode
—
Torque, velocity, or position changes the whole architecture.
Fieldbus
—
EtherCAT, CANopen, or proprietary — a lock-in decision.
Loop rate
kHz
Sets achievable bandwidth and disturbance rejection.
02Where it is used
Application changes the answer.
- Multi-axis motion control — synchronisation across axes
- Mobile robotics — efficiency and regeneration handling
- Force-controlled applications — torque loop fidelity
- Retrofit — compatibility with an installed fieldbus
03Decision drivers
What the choice actually turns on.
- Fieldbus alignment with the controller already in the plant
- Commissioning and tuning effort, which dominates the real cost
- Diagnostic and telemetry depth for fault isolation
- Regeneration and braking handling
04What we hold
The intelligence behind this category.
Fieldbus support depth against the marketing claim
Toolchain maturity and quality of documentation
Firmware update history and support horizon
Where a drive brand is an OEM rebadge
05What to watch for
Where selection in this category turns.
Treating fieldbus support as binary rather than a depth question
Underestimating commissioning time on an unfamiliar toolchain
Ignoring regeneration until the bus over-voltages
Mixing drive vendors across one synchronised axis group
Beyond this page
SKU-level intelligence sits behind the requirement.
Validated supplier records, per-SKU parameter data, pricing bands, MOQ patterns, and lead-time history for motor drives & controllers are released against a stated application — because a shortlist is only meaningful once the operating conditions are known.
06Coupled decisions in robotics components
Actuator · drive · encoder · controller share one control loop. Selecting any one of these without the others is the most common source of rework in this domain.
Start with the application
Sourcing motor drives & controllers?
Send the application and the operating conditions. We map the landscape, validate the claims, and return a shortlist with the reason each option is on it.