The task of designing a motion control system is hardly the work of a moment. After all, the complexities involved in controlling movement are formidable.

By marrying mechanical hardware to sophisticated software, the best motion control systems in the 2020s deliver precise and repeatable movement, every time.

The Design Process for Motion Control Systems Depends on The Right Tools

If you are reading this as an engineer involved in designing motion control systems, you should already be familiar with the basics of motion control, such as position, velocity, and torque control.

However, there might be various tools, platforms, and resources that your toolkit presently lacks, and which could be instrumental in your efforts to realise effective motion control systems. Below, we’ll take you through some of them.

  • Software Tools for Design and Simulation

These tools assist engineers with the processes of modelling, simulating, and optimising motion control prior to hardware implementation.

As for what specific tools you might use, there is no doubting the status of MATLAB and Simulink as industry standards when it comes to modelling, simulation, and control system design.

Whether you use these tools to simulate dynamic systems, design control algorithms, and/or analyse system performance, you will greatly appreciate the comprehensive environment they provide.

We could be similarly complimentary about such other tools as LabVIEW – which provides a graphical programming environment in which to interface with hardware to program motion control logic – and SolidWorks.

The latter 3D CAD software can be an excellent choice for designing mechanical components and simulating kinematics/dynamics to ensure compatibility with control systems.

  • Hardware Tools And Platforms

Various hardware components and tools – encompassing the likes of motion controllers, motor drives, motors, and feedback sensors, together with supporting platforms for development and testing – are routinely needed in the design process for motion control systems.

Your own projects in this field may see you call upon microcontrollers and development boards like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, given their usefulness for small-scale or prototype systems.

Motion controllers, meanwhile, can be imperative for ensuring precise, multi-axis motion control. For these purposes, such renowned solutions as National Instruments’ CompactRIO or Galil’s motion controllers may come into play.

  • Online Calculators and Sizing Tools

It might seem quite remarkable that so many calculators that are easy to find online can also play a fundamental role in the design process for motion control systems.

It turns out, this is indeed the case. Your upcoming projects could see you turn to linear motion calculators for the calculation of motion profiles like triangular, trapezoidal, and sinusoidal acceleration.

You may also find yourself in need of motor sizing tools to help you choose the right motor based on the required torque, speed, and inertia.

There are various places online where you can access calculators like these. One of them is the RS website, which – to give just one example – presents the ideal free online stepper motor calculator to optimise performance.

Stepper motor calculators can be essential in the design process for motion control systems, given how they help determine the appropriate motor, driver, and other components.

Ensure You Have All the Vital Tools at Hand for Your Next Project

The above is just a selection of the tools to which you might conceivably turn to assist with the motion control system design process.

Various leading solutions are also available to help with such processes as design, analysis, communication, testing, and debugging.

Nonetheless, we hope the above will have helped give you a sense of just how well-stocked your toolkit could be as an engineer taking on a motion control system project.