Re: Gecko Vampire drive

Better heat sink clamping? Pretty good drive but I have "killed" a few
of the 201's. I do not own any at this time.

David Cofer


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Mariss Freimanis"
<mariss92705@y...> wrote:

> Due to recent events, the "bullet-proof" G201 has been renamed G204V
> and moved up to the front burner on the development stove. Vampires
> are very hard to kill, the G204V will be very hard to kill, therefore
> the name change. It will be the same size and pinout as the G201 but
> will incorporate the following improvements:
>
> 1) Radically different switching topology. The motor will be stone-
> cold while stopped or turning slowly. Overdrive ratios of 80:1 will
> be possible. The switching topology synthesises the best of
> circulating and non-recirculating techniques within a single
> switching cycle.
>
> 2) Short Circuit protection. Miswire a motor, short the motor leads,
> have a bad (shorted) motor, it won't care. The Gecko Vampire will
> simply light the Fault output (previously the Enable terminal). You
> clear the problem, reset it, and it takes off again.
>
> 3) Load dump. You are decelerating a large motor carring a heavy
> inertial load rapidly from a high speed. Energy is being extracted to
> stop the load and must be dissipated. No problem, the on-board energy
> dump circuit will safely shunt it to ground.
>
> 4) Thermal shutdown. Forgot to use one or have undersized the
> heatsink? No problem. The Gecko Vampire will light the Fault LED when
> things get too hot and will go into protective shutdown. Once things
> cool off it'll be ready to try again.
>
> 5) Motor connect/disconnect protection. You have a crappy motor
> connector or you forget to shut the power off before
> connecting/disconnecting the motor? Again, no problem. If the Vampire
> drive doesn't like what you just did it will light the Fault LED and
> wait until you get your act together:-)
>
> 6) G201 or G210? Both will be incorporated in the Vampire. Microstep,
> half-step, full-step, your choice. The jumpers will be available
> without taking the cover off.
>
> 7) No Caps, no Zeners need apply. The Gecko Vampire uses a completly
> new power section circuit that balances the circulating currents with
> almost no current ripple at all. This means no external "helper"
> parts will be needed. Hook it up to your supply and it's ready to go.
>
> 8) You still managed to blow it up? People are creative and someone
> will be a Vampire Slayer. It will not stand up to someone applying
> 115VAC to it for instance. For those special lucky (or unlucky) few,
> all will not be completely lost. The G204V is a two-board design.
> With effort, you may be able to blow up the main power section. The
> second board will survive, making your loss considerably less than
> 100%.
>
> 9) When, how much? Basically don't ask right now. The when part will
> probably be between next spring and summer. The cost is the last
> thing that's figured after everything else is done and working. The
> price won't be that much more than a G210 though. Otherwise there is
> no point in doing it; it has to be affordable.
>
> 10) Protection. It will be necessary to protect it by copyrights,
> patents, circut techniques and other means. As I have sadly
> discovered, not everyone is honest. I am lucky that I have good
> ideas, but I don't have them often enough that I don't mourn when
> someone steals one.
>
> Looking at the whole thing quixotically, the system is really set up
> to produce the best for everyone. The stupid steal from the smart,
> the smart in turn come up with something better to shake off the
> stupid. In the ensuing process everyone benefits.
>
> Until this little matter happened to me, there was no reason to come
> up with a better drive even though I had designed a far better one.
> See what I mean?
>
> Mariss