D3 Engineering and Kruse Control.

Kruse Control technology implemented on a Texas Instruments DSP allows precision motion control beyond that which can be achieved with 8-bit microcontrollers. The major benefits of using Kruse Control on a precision motion controller project are speed/torque curve improvements, extremely fine position control, and a cost savings over servo motion control systems.

Maximize your motor's Speed/Torque curve

Kruse Control treats a stepper motor as a closed loop servo system and achieves a high torque/speed range. Typical stepper motor designs utilize an 'over-designed' motor to achieve enough torque to move the system at the required speed. By utilizing a sense winding, the control-law algorithm behind Kruse Control can deliver the required torque at the correct time. Kruse Control is so efficient that a designer can usually use a smaller, less expensive motor to achieve the same speed/torque performance as their previous 8-bit based design.

Because the system is monitoring torque in real-time, Kruse Control can detect changes in the load that can also be used for preventive maintenance.

Precise Positioning

Kruse Control uses a feedback sense winding to determine exact position of the armature. The calculations required to determine the position can be performed in real-time due to the DSP's processing power. The Texas Instruments 'LF2407 on-board 10-bit A/D converter's resolution yields a 10,000 count per revolution encoder.

Kruse vs Servo Cost

Off-the-shelf motion control systems utilizing a brushless DC motor and control board can match the performance of Kruse Control, but they do it at a much higher cost. Kruse Control's power lies in mathematical computations that can be performed real-time in a sub-$5 Texas Instruments DSP. Kruse Control requires a hybrid-stepper motor; usually available at a slight premium over a typical 4 or 6 wire stepper motor. With relatively little external circuitry a low system cost can be realized.

The patented Kruse Control technology is available from D3 Engineering as a licensable software core or in a custom designed solution. For details, contact D3 via phone or email kruse@d3engineering.com.

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