AP1 is an all-in-one, low-backlash planetary brushless servo actuator with integrated EtherCAT communications.
AP1 is compact and lightweight, with machined aluminium frame, high quality stainless steel gearing and brushless outrunner motor.
AP1 employs high performance motor control based on popular open-source servo control libraries.
AP1 is highly modular, and motor and planetary gearsets can be swapped out easily with minimal cost and effort. This makes the actuator highly repurposable, minimising cost during prototyping. Protokit sells AP1 motors and gearsets individually for this purpose. AP1 uses only a motor-side encoder by default, but an optional high-resolution load-side encoder can be added for improved repeatability.
Reduction ratios of 1:1 (direct-drive) to 60:1 are achievable.
The output flange can be configured with a cross-roller bearing for high rigidity under axial loading, or with a deep-groove ball bearing for good performance with reduced cost.
AP1 can be controlled in torque, velocity or position control modes, at rates of up to 8kHz, allowing high-performance multi-axis coordinated control suitable for model predictive control (MPC) implementations.
EtherCAT is a high-performance, deterministic communications fieldbus that is common in industry. The AP1 implements the CiA 402 drive profile, the most popular EtherCAT drive profile, which means that it is natively compatible with any EtherCAT master that supports CiA 402.
Features:
- Fully modular design allows complete reconfigurability
- Reduction ratios from 1:1 to 60:1
- Low-backlash
- Torque, velocity and position control modes
- High performance EtherCAT fieldbus simplifies communications, allowing up to 128 slaves on a single bus (achievable refresh rate depends on number of slaves and process data size)
Specifications:
| Mass | 300-500g |
| Dimensions | Ø 75mm, axial 80-120mm |
| Encoder type | Single-turn absolute magnetic (ams AS5047D) |
| Encoder resolution | 0.022° 16384 ticks/rev 14-bit |
| Position counter | 64-bit continuous |
| Stall torque | 2.55 N·m @ 6V 3.44 N·m @ 7V |
| Stall current | 4900 mA |
| No-load speed | 80rpm, 480°/s, 8.4 rad/s |
| Motor type | DC coreless |
| Standby current | 28 mA |
| Gear material | Titanium alloy |
| Inbuilt communications |
EtherCAT (CiA 402 + CoE) |
| Setpoints | Torque Velocity Position |
| Actuator mode |
YES |
| Wheel mode | YES |
| Position feedback | YES |
| Load voltage feedback | YES |
| Input voltage feedback | YES |
| Current feedback | YES |
| Velocity feedback | YES |
| Joint torque sensing | YES |
| Compliance/PID | YES |
| Realtime tick | YES |
| Overload protection | YES |