News
Company News
SERVOsoft® News
- Winder Spooler
Hanging Load Tutorial
Aug 29, 2024 - Database Utility Import
Product Data Tutorial
Aug 28, 2024 - Master Follower with
Optimizer PRO Tutorial
Aug 27, 2024 - SERVOsoft v4.6 Released!
Aug 1, 2024 - SEW-EURODRIVE publishes
CMP and CM3C Series Motors
Feb 14, 2024 - YYC Machinery publishes
Rack & Pinion Solutions
Integrated Transmission
Components
Jan 24, 2024 - Supply Peak Power
Optimization Tutorial
Jul 6, 2023 - Harmonic Drive publishes
Planetary Gears, Strain Wave
Gears, Servo Actuators and
Integrated Drive Systems
Mar 23, 2023
SERVOsoft News
SERVOsoft® v4 Released!
July 17, 2017
Who Can Use SERVOsoft v4?
Any user with a current ACT or DGL license can use SERVOsoft v4. SERVOsoft v4 automatically works with v3 licenses. So no need to make a new license request. Install both v3 & v4 on the same machine and they will both work.
How is SERVOsoft v4 licensed and priced?
SERVOsoft v4 is licensed and priced exactly the same as v3. We continue to maintain the exact same pricing as of May 2014 when we decreased most of our prices by 10-25%, and some as much as 50%.
Therefore, for licensing and pricing, nothing has changed in v4.
Well... except for one thing... in v4, ACT licenses can now be re-used on the same machine. So if a hard drive needs to be reformatted, or a user needs to go back to a Windows Restore point, in most cases, there is no need to make a new license request. Now the user can simply re-install the ACT license file. This applies to all v4 ACT licenses, including manufacturer version licenses, so long as it is a v4 license on the same machine and user.
Project Structure
The ADVANCED version increases from 5 to 9 axes, and the PRO version increases from 40 to 50 axes. Both the ADVANCED & PRO versions support up to 3x Infeed, 3x Capacitor and 3x Bleeder modules per Power Group. And the PRO versions adds support for multiple Power Groups.
Optimizer PRO & Curve Fitting
Don't just find a good solution. Find the optimal solution.
The Optimizer PRO continues to improve, and now adds the 'Motor Peak Torque Margin' target, along with support for 'complex splines' with up to 3 different profile types in one spline.
The Optimizer PRO now works at both ends of the drive chain. As before, it works at the load by working with the motion profile. And now in v4 we have added Curve Fitting where the Optimizer works at the drive, motor, gearbox, mechanism, and then generates the motion profile.
Curve Fitting, shown in the image to the right, works within the rated limits of the motor, gearbox, mechanism, inverter and infeed to find the optimal accel/decel ramp. Specify which components and the margin for each, and then Curve Fitting finds the optimal ramp. No guessing. No more "it's good enough". Now, with a click and within seconds, you get the optimal ramp profile. If you compete on performance, then Curve Fitting is a must!
The Optimizer PRO is the only option offered in SERVOsoft v4. It must be ordered in addition to the SERVOsoft PRO version, which supports polynomials and splines that are required for the Optimizer PRO.
KOCH Energy Storage Modules
Working closely with Michael Koch GmbH, we developed a detailed model to size KOCH Dynamic Energy Storage Modules, including DES, DEV and DEK modules, as well as DSM 4.0 and super capacitors.
SERVOsoft models both the standard cycle and Backup Energy Supply on Power Loss. Users can drill down to investigate the energy storage, power flow, current and voltage levels at any stage of the system. "What if power failure" scenarios can be done with a simple right-click of the mouse at any point in the cycle. The detailed model is computed in real-time.
Ball Screw Database
Working closely with Moog Industrial Group, we have developed the Ball Screw database feature with extensive and detailed sizing rules for Moog ball screws.
Sizing rules include configurable custom screw lengths, column strength, critical speed, screw lifetime, 4 support types, ISO Grade tolerances, preload and associated torque, choice of wipers, etc.
Two Servo Pumps
The Servo Pump now adds support for "Two Pumps" driven by one motor, where the user can specify if Pump A, or B, or both A & B are active for each sequence segment.
And now in v4, the Servo Pump now comes standard with the Pro version. Previously in v3, the Servo Pump feature could only be ordered as an option.
Cart Mechanism
v4 also adds the Cart mechanism with an extensive range of variables to model a crane, electric car, etc.
Specify the number of wheels, number of driven wheels, additional traction force, rolling resistance, bearing friction, wheel flange and side friction as well as wheel-to-surface friction. The no slip force is monitored, and is reported in System Check if the wheel slips, called the "Wheel No Slip force".
By using the Optimizer PRO's Curve Fitting on the Cart mechanism, users can determine the absolute maximum acceleration and deceleration ramps with specified margins for the Wheel No Slip force.
Motor Charts with Field Weakening
The Motor Torque chart displays the field weakening area of operation in a shaded region, helping users "see" where the motor is operating in field weakening mode.
The field weakening zone is based on operating conditions including the motor temperature and bus voltage.
Other New Features
SERVOsoft v4 also adds the following:
- Quick Import Sequence
- User points to a sequence source file once
- If the source file changes, the program detects the file has changed and informs the user
- Then two clicks, and the new sequence is imported
- Sequence form:
- Option to display the motor vectors such as the Iq and Id profiles in the Sequence chart
- Database forms:
- Users can re-order columns, set grouped columns, sort on multiple columns, and then save as the "Default View"
- Utilization bars are everywhere, on all forms and the print report
- Product Zones
- Now each vendor can specify multiple product zones, each zone having one or more countries
- Previously this worked in v3 only for a specific manufacturer version
- Now this new approach works across all versions
- Print Report:
- Large sequences are supported with multiple Sequence pages. In v3, only the first 40 segments were printed on one page.
- Product Data Not in Local Database
- When loading a project and one or more products are not found, now the program waits until the entire project is loaded, and then provides a list of products that are not in the database
- Then the user can choose some or all the products to be saved from the project file into the local database
- Note that product data is always encrypted in the project file
Big Performance Improvements
There are several performance improvements in v4 compared to v3.3 including:
- Runs as 64-bit application on Windows 64-bit, allowing for better performance for large projects
- Up to 3.5x faster calculation performance
- 1.6x faster thrust and payload formula calculations
- Project files open 20% faster, and some large project files open as much as 5x faster
- Project files use a compression algorithm resulting in 2-8x smaller file size, making it that much quicker and easier to email large project files.
For a detailed comparison between v3 and v4, click here.
v4 Database
The SERVOsoft® database continues to grow with frequent updates, and now contains over 100,000+ products! Click here for a summary of the current products in the database.
If you are a vendor and want to add your products to the SERVOsoft® database and/or are interested in the Promotion Version, please contact us.