The stepping driver and the motor can be integrated into one unit, namely the integrated motor. The manufacturer provides various combinations of integrated stepper motor driver combinations, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of integrated motors include ease of layout, reduced wiring complexity, faster system setup and construction, and motor driver compatibility. In addition, an integrated unit with integrated control system is also provided.
The easy implementation of on-site layout may be the most significant advantage of integrated motors. They do not require wiring between the drive and motor, and can simply be placed in the appropriate location and connected to the controller. This means that the settings can be made faster so that the motion control system can transition from the design drawing to the production time in a short time.
At the same time, reducing wiring complexity means that engineers do not have to worry about whether the input and output are properly connected between the driver and the motor. Unipolar or bipolar wiring is no longer a problem. Similarly, the interference between cables is reduced, and communication is greatly enhanced.
This is NiMotion's 42 series integrated stepper motor, which is famous for its small size.
The integrated motor also means that there is good compatibility between the motor and the drive. This is because they are provided together by the manufacturer and can be used together. It is possible to reduce the workload of the torque-speed curve, because these have taken into account the drive. For example, there is no need to worry about whether the driver provides the correct type of microstep signal or uses the correct voltage, because all this has been resolved. If the integrated unit has controls, it may be simpler and can handle most control operations. At the same time, the merged unit can now be connected to other units, which is particularly useful in the Internet of Things.
The main disadvantage of this setup is the lack of implementation flexibility and potential supplier chain, followed by troubleshooting problems and equipment maintenance changes. Because the drive motor combination is a unit, it is usually only suitable for some applications and not for other applications. In addition, if the drive needs to be replaced, but the motor is normal, only the entire unit can be replaced.
