RoboteQ AX500 Connecting the Motors, Powering the Controller Using a Main and Backup Battery

Connecting Power and Motors to the Controller

There is no need to insert a separate switch on Power cables, although for safety reasons, it is highly recommended that a way of quickly disconnecting the Motor Power be provided in the case of loss of control and all of the AX500 safety features fail to activate.

Powering the Controller Using a Main and Backup Battery

In typical applications, the main motor batteries will get eventually weaker and the voltage will drop below the level needed for the internal microcomputer to properly operate. For all professional applications it is therefore recommended to add a separate 12V (to 24V) power supply to ensure proper powering of the controller under any conditions. This dual battery configuration is highly recommended in 12V systems.

Motor2
+	Power on/off
-	switch

	-
	+
Motor1	Fuse

VMot	M1+	M1-	VCon GND GND	GND	M2-	M2+	VMot
								12V to 24V		12V to 24V
			Controller					Motor Battery	Backup Battery

FIGURE 10. Powering the AX500 with a Main and Backup Supply

Important Warning

Unless you can ensure a steady 8V to 24V voltage in all conditions, it is recom- mended that the battery used to power the controller’s electronics be separate from the one used to power the motors. This is because it is very likely that the motor bat- teries will be subject to very large current loads which may cause the voltage to eventually dip below 12V as the batteries’ charge drops. The separate backup power supply should be connected to the VCon input.

Connecting the Motors

Connecting the motors is simply done by connecting each motor terminal to the M1+ (M2+) and M1- (M2-) terminal. Which motor terminal goes to which of the + or - controller output is typically determined empirically.

28 AX500 Motor Controller User’s Manual Version 1.9b. June 1, 2007