Connect a maxon IDX70 drive with a ctrlX OS device

This how-to describes how to connect an IDX70 drive from maxon with ctrlX CORE as a step-by-step guide.
It adresses customers using maxon drives as well as ctrlX OS devices, such as controls in their machines or installations.

Requirements

Hardware

maxon IDX70L EMT P ET 48V
ctrlX CORE X3 with ctrlX OS version 1.20 (or higher) pre-installed

Software installed on ctrlX CORE X3

PLC basic app (or higher/with add ons)
EtherCAT Master app
Motion app

Software installed on engineering PC

Maxon EPOS Studio
ctrlX I/O Engineering and PLC Engineering (parts of ctrlX WORKS)

For operation of ctrlX PLC, ctrlX EtherCAT Master and ctrlX Motion app an adequate software license is required!

Export of the ESI file for EtherCAT

Start EPOS Studio
Connect IDX Drive via USB with the EPOS Studio
Set up Your IDX via the Startup Wizard in EPOS Studio

Startup Wizard
Note down the resolution of your IDX drive during the configuration.

Resolution of IDX
Tune the IDX Motor via the Autotune Function.

IDX Controller auto tuning
Open the "Object Dictionary" tool.
Right-click on any line in the "Object Dictionary".
Select "Export ESI File".

Export ESI File from object Dictionary

Setup ctrlX I/O Engineering

Open the web-based engineering of the ctrlX CORE either via your network folder of Microsoft Windows, from ctrlX WORKS or directly by entering the IP in a web browser and login.

Open The “Home” tab and select “Configure EtherCAT”.
Add a new EtherCAT Master configuration.
Select the correct port for the EtherCAT Master at XF 50.

Select the port for the EtherCAT Master
The EtherCAT Master will then be created. Next Step is to open the ctrlX I/O Engineering.

Open ctrlX I/O Engineering
Via the Device Repository, the ESI file needed will be added to the system.

Device Repository
After clicking the Install Button, the ESI file created earlier must be selected.
If you do not have a specific ESI file created as described above, all standard ESI files will be installed with the EPOS Studio. The standard path for this example is:
C:\Program Files (x86)\maxon motor ag\EPOS IDX\IDX\03 Configuration

Install all maxon ESI files with the EPOS Studio
Now the maxon devices can be detected. With the selection of Scan for Devices, all known devices in the network will be shown.

Select Scan for Devices
Click on the “insert all newly scanned devices”-button in order to copy all EtherCAT devices from the control to the project.

Copy all EtherCAT devices from the control to the project
Click apply and OK to create the device in the I/O-Project.

Create the device in the I/O-Project
Once the configuration is completed, click on the “download the fieldbus configuration” button.

Download fieldbus configuration
After the fieldbus configuration is downloaded successfully to the ctrlX CORE, the EtherCAT status will be switched to “OP”. To validate this, you can click on the “EtherCAT” bar to see the current state of the EtherCAT Master and all connected slaves. The fieldbus configuration can now also be seen in the ctrlX CORE Datalayer.

EtherCAT Status

Setup a ctrlX Motion

Add Axis Profile
Add axis profile
Enter a name, select device via dropdown and select CANopen over Ethercat

Add axis profile
Since the necessary Variables are not mapped yet, they have to be mapped manually

Map Variables
Map the variables
Mappig of actual Position Variable

Mapping of Statusword, Controlword and Target Position
Go to Setting and selct Data layer

Data Layer
Go to axisprofile/profiles/IDX70L/scaling-information and change the Values to the ones below. For Resolution, enter the value you noted down early or look it up in your datasheet.

Edit scaling
Add Motion axis and connect axis to the profile.
Switch Motion into running Mode

Activate running mode

Support

The Company

maxon is a developer and manufacturer of brushed and brushless DC motors, as well as gearheads, encoders, controllers, and entire mechatronic systems. maxon drives are used wherever the requirements are particularly high: in NASA’s Mars rovers, in surgical power tools, in humanoid robots, and in precision industrial applications, for example.