Appendix C - Using Non-IDC Motors with the Impulse
C-2
Custom or User-Defined Motors
This section applies to users of non-IDC motors or those who would like to modify an existing motor
file.
Note: All motor characteristics must be entered in the text input boxes before the Advanced tuning
feature will be available.
• Click on the Add Custom Motor button and the Motor Editor will appear.
• Enter a file name for your custom motor in the Motor File Name text-entry box. File
names may be up to eight (8) characters in length (all keyboard characters are valid). This
also applies if you are editing an existing IDC motor file.
• Enter the Mechanical characteristics of your custom motor.
Rotor Inertia in kg-m2
Tooth Count in number of teeth on the rotor
• Enter the Electrical characteristics of your custom motor.
Operating Current is the current-magnitude command to the drive in Amps (it is not
RMS). The value entered represents the peak amplitude of the phase currents.
Saturation Current (in Amps) is critical for the implementation of the Impulse’s exclusive
Open Loop Stall DetectTM feature. Saturation Current has been pre-configured under labo-
ratory conditions for IDC motors, but cannot be accurately determined in the field for cus-
tom motors. If an incorrect Saturation Current is entered, the Open Loop Stall Detect
(OLSD) feature may be ineffective. Contact your distributor or IDC Applications Engi-
neering for assistance.
In the absence of an accurate Saturation Current, you have three options: 1) enter an esti-
mated value based on the characteristics of a similar type of motor, 2) enter the same value
as the Operating Current, or 3) disable the OLSD feature (see Application Developer Setup
> Axis > Advanced tab to disable Stall Detection).
Rated Torque is the rated torque (N-m) of the manufacturer’s motor at the rated current.
This may be set to zero (0) if unknown and it will have no effect on the drive. This number
is used by the Speed Torque Curve utility and is numerically equal to the quotient of the
manufacturer’s specified 2-phase resting torque divided by the specified current (Nm/
Amp). Always convert torque to Newton-meters.
Rated Current is the amplitude of the current generated when the windings are shorted and
the motor’s rotor is back-driven (forced to move). This short-circuit current is of constant
amplitude for speeds above 2 RPS. Determining Rated Current in the field is very diffi-