April 2021

n TECHNOLOGY April 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 18 ONLOGIC, THE INDUSTRIAL computer manufacturer that specialises in IoT edge applications, has announced a computer based on the low-cost Raspberry Pi platform that is aimed at industrial and IoT applications. The tiny device (measuring 102.5 x 129 x 38mm) will use a Rasperry Pi Compute Module 4 mounted on an industrial-grade carrier board, and will incorporate a variety of I/O. It will allow the popular Arm-based computing platform to be deployed in factories, warehouses and IoT applications, and is expected to become commercially available later this year. “This isn’t going to be just another off- the-shelf Raspberry Pi enclosed in an inexpensive case,” says OnLogic solution architect, Johnny Chen. “Our system will offer a unique opportunity to prototype solutions on Raspberry Pi architecture and then rapidly deploy to the factory floor or within a stacked solution. “The established Raspberry Pi maker community has built an incredible foundation on which new innovations in the Industry 4.0, Scada, and IoT spaces are now possible,” he adds. “With many engineers looking to apply their experience building passion projects on Raspberry Pi to solve challenges they’re faced with professionally, we wanted to provide a piece of true professional- grade hardware.” Most of the external surface of the computer consists of an aluminium heatsink that provides efficient fan-less cooling as well as protecting the internal components. Provisional specifications include: n an Arm-based Raspberry Pi CM4 SOM processor; n up to 8GB of onboard LPDDR4 memory; n up to 32GB of onboard eMMC storage; n M.2 2280 Sata storage; n two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports; n two USB 3.2 ports and one USB 2.0 port; n an RS-232/422/485 terminal block; n a micro-HDMI port; and n a micro-USB port for OTG (on-the-go) uses. “By utilising each element of the design for multiple purposes, we’re able to create an incredibly effective device in a small form factor,” explains OnLogic’s head of design, Dave Lovegrove. “We’ve carried our expertise in passive cooling, and the iconic design language from our Helix Series into the development of our Raspberry- Pi-powered device, meaning there are no moving parts, greater reliability, and protection against the ingress of particulates. The goal from the start was to help make Raspberry Pi a scalable option for industrial users – and our first device of what we expect to be multiple devices, does just that.” OnLogic, founded in 2003 as Logic Supply, has operations in the US, the Netherlands, Taiwan and Malaysia. It operates a “unique” direct-to-customer business model that combines vertical integration, modular product design, and an online platform. It builds computers to order, and delivers them “within days”. www.onlogic.com/eu-en/industrial- raspberry-pi www.onlogic.com/eu-en Raspberry Pi powered computer will target industrial and IoT tasks CELERA MOTION has announced a series of miniature servodrives that, it claims, are the world’s “smallest and most powerful”with “the highest power density in the smallest profile possible”. The Ingenia Capitan drives weigh just 18g and are 10.3mm high. They can provide 10A of continuous current, operating from 8–60V DC supplies. Advanced power control and fast current and servo loops, combined with PWM frequencies up to 200kHz, are said to offer best-in-class performance. Efficiency is up to 99% and standby power consumption is as low as 1.12W, reducing heat generation. The drives support multi-axis applications using EtherCat (with a bus latency down to two cycles), CANopen or high-speed SPI bus communications, with command update rates up to 20Hz. The low latency optimises responsiveness. The drives have SIL-3 / PLe STO inputs. Multiple drives can be linked via a fieldbus to create multi-axis systems, and can be mounted close to axes, cutting wiring costs and installation times. The drives can be used with various types of motor including DC brushed and rotary brushless machines. They can also be used with Celera’s direct-drive frameless motors. The low-profile drives are aimed at applications such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, flat actuators, end-effectors, exoskeletons, gimbals and haptic systems. There is a ready-to-use version (XCR) for rapid installation and commissioning. Pluggable module versions (NET and CORE) allow easy integration into carrier boards. Multiple axes can be embedded in a single PCB. The drives are programmed using Celera’s Ingenia Motion Lab software which includes autotuning and monitoring functions. Celera Motion is a business unit of Novanta Corporation. The Capitan drives were developed by the Spanish-based servodrive specialist Ingenia, which Celera acquired in 2019. The drives are available in the UK from Inmoco. https://ingeniamc.com/capitan-series www.inmoco.co.uk OnLogic’s Raspberry Pi based computer is aimed at industrial and IoT applications n ‘World’s smallest’ servodrives weigh just 18g