Upgrading your Unidrive SP to an M-Series drive

In 2013, Control Techniques released the M-Series range of drives.  The M Series is based on the Unidrive SP and makes use of market leading technology.  With a choice of 5 drives, you have great choice when picking a suitable product to suit your application.

Compatability

Mechanical
• Compatible physical dimensions, weights and surface mount footprint
• When retrofitting surface mount drives, existing mounting holes can be reused - negating the need for additional drilling. Mounting holes are in the same place or retrofit kits are available

Electrical
• Power and control wiring adopt the same philosophy as Commander SK and Unidrive SP

Parameters
• The same menu and parameter structure is adopted by Unidrive M
• Parameters can be transferred from Unidrive SP to Unidrive M using a Smartcard
• Unidrive M Connect can be used to transfer parameters from Unidrive SP and Commander SK to Unidrive M

Software programs
• The SI-Applications Plus option module can compile SyPTPro programs for Unidrive M

Unidrive M is capable of fully replacing and enhancing Unidrive SP installations. Therefore, Unidrive SP is moving onto next stage of its lifecycle.  Unidrive SP transitioned to become a legacy product in 2015, which means it is subject to price and lead time changes as volume production reduces.

The legacy period lasted for two years and was then followed by the maintenance period. In the maintenance period of the lifecycle, volume production ceased, but contractual obligations regarding warranty, service and repairs continued. The maintenance period is expected to last ten years (2027) subject to raw material and component availability.

Superseded Product Unidrive M Replacement Features
Unidrive M600 - Simplified feature set with the addition of sensorless permanent magnet motor control. For Unidrive SP users who do not require:
• Servo motor control
• MCi/SI-Applications support
Closed loop vector control of induction motors can be achieved with SI-Encoder/ SIUniversal Encoder option
Unidrive SP Unidrive M700 - Unidrive SP with integrated Ethernet and other enhancements. For Unidrive SP users who want to use Ethernet protocols to communicate with other drives and automation components Enhancements include:
• Improved motor control performance
• Onboard advanced motion controller
• Improved encoder support
Unidrive M701 - This is the default Unidrive SP migration product Matched feature set with enhancements. Perfect choice for Unidrive SP users as it provides the same functionality and feature set
Enhancements include:
• Improved motor control performance
• Onboard advanced motion controller
• Improved encoder support
Unidrive M702 - Digital version of Unidrive SP with integrated Ethernet and dual Safe Torque Off For Unidrive SP users who want to use Ethernet protocols and also require onboard dual Safe Torque Of

 

Unidrive M600 - M700 enhancements over Unidrive SP

Performance Innovations

• Unidrive M600 and M700 improve productivity with enhanced motor control algorithms which are combined with the latest microprocessor technology
– More than double the current loop bandwidth for demanding performance applications
– New sensorless control of permanent magnet motors for applications that require maximum efficiency and reduced motor size
• Unidrive M700 maximizes machine throughput with a new onboard Advanced Motion Controller (AMC) which can be easily set up to deliver faster, more precise, dynamic machine operation
• M700 has an integrated dual port Ethernet switch which supports Ethernet/IP as well as standard Ethernet open protocols such as TCP/IP and UDP for easy integration with popular PLCs
– RTMoE (Real Time Motion over Ethernet) provides synchronized communication between drives using the Precision Time Protocol as defined by IEEE1588 V2
• Faster switching frequencies of up to 16 kHz in systems up to 160 kW (250 hp) and 8 kHz in systems up to 250 kW (400 hp) are available for Unidrive M to provide enhanced operations in demanding  applications such as test stands

Programming and Software Innovations

• MCi200 and MCi210 are new options available for Unidrive M700 that provide advanced second processors to execute PLC programs for multi-axis machine control. Programs can be created quickly and easily using Machine Control Studio which utilizes industry standard IEC61131-3 programs
• Unidrive M600 and M700 can execute smaller deterministic Machine Control Studio programs onboard without MCi
• Unidrive M supports standard SD cards for cloning and backing up parameters and application programs
• All keypads are equipped with multilingual real-text displays to provide faster, easier programming with helpful descriptions of diagnostic information and drive parameters
• SI-Applications modules are available to compile and run SyPTPro application programs written for Unidrive SP. This assists the migration of standalone applications as well as Unidrive SPs that form part of a CTNet or CTSync Network
• Unidrive M has a menu and programming structure that is consistent with Unidrive SP. Parameter sets can be transferred from SP to M using Unidrive M Connect software tool and Smartcards

Hardware and Installation Innovations

• Higher power range – Unidrive M modular systems can now reach 2.8 MW with up to 250 kW in a single power module
• A low switching frequency of 2 kHz can be selected to maximize the output power of large drives
• Unidrive M’s DC bus schemes use a dedicated bus bar arrangement for side-by-side mounting and can eliminate the need for many power input components such as DC fuses, reducing installation complexity,
cost and space
• Unidrive M has conformally coated PCBs to ensure increased resilience in harsh environments
• Greater onboard encoder connection flexibility eliminates the need to purchase additional encoder or resolver option modules. The universal encoder port has been extended to enable two inputs, more encoder types and a simulated encoder output
• Higher power density with more compact drives means smaller control cabinets and lower system cost
• A new low power standby mode is available to reduce energy usage when Unidrive M is idle
• Higher level of integration with machine safety systems. Unidrive M702 has a dual channel Safe Torque Off (STO) which conforms to SIL3/PLe

Migration path by product number for Unidrive SP to M600, M700, M701 or M702