831 N. Mountain Road. Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-953-7632 FAX: 860-953-9234

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We advise you to read thru the entire frequently asked questions but you can jump to a specific question by clicking on on the question below:

On the LAC-1 or LAC-25, what are some of the ballpark PID's for my actuator?

The following table gives ballpark  PID's. These are starting values only, they may need to be adjusted for different load values or actuator orientations.  Values should work with both LAC-25 and LAC-1 controllers. For 0.5µ and 0.1µ, reduce all values by a factor of 5 (e.g. SG25 becomes SG5).

What is a softland?

This is the routine which enables the actuator to land on a surface with a low force, for example to measure or weld a component. This is done in velocity mode, monitoring the position error as the rod is moving with a controlled force. It is also possible to set a position window where the component should be located, if it is not located within a certain position, the rod will retract.

How do I wire the I/O for the LAC-1 or LAC-25?

What are the PIN OUTS for the LAC-25?

LAC-25 DUAL AXIS CONTROLLER PIN OUT 

J4 -Power Interface : 6 Pin 5.08mm Centers Phoenix: Digi-Key#ED1721-ND

J2 -User I/O Interface : 26 Pin H/D Female D-Sub Mating Connector: Norcomp#HDT26P Digi-Key#T826M-NO

J3 -Optional I/O Expansion Interface : 6 Pin Modular Jack Mating Connector: AMP#5-641337-3 Digi-Key#A9093-ND

J4 -RS-232 Comm Interface : 6 Pin Modular Jack Mating Connector: AMP#5-641337-3 Digi-Key#A9093-ND

J5 -User I/O Interface : 26 Pin H/D Female D-Sub Mating Connector: Norcomp#HDT26P Digi-Key#TO26M-ND

What are the PIN OUTS for the LAC-1?

LAC-1 ONE AXIS CONTROLLER PIN OUT 

J1 -servo interface; 15-Pin Female D-Sub Mating Connector; Norcomp#ET15P , Digi-Key#215M-ND

J2 -User I/O Interface : 26 Pin H/D Female D-Sub Mating Connector: Norcomp#HDT26P Digi-Key#TO26M-ND

J3 -User I/O Expansion Interface : 6 Pin Modular Jack Mating Connector: AMP#5-641337-3 Digi-Key#A9093-ND

J4 -Power Interface : 4 Pin 5.08mm Centers Phoenix Mating Connector: OnShore#EDZ95004 Digi-Key#ED1719-ND

J5 -RS-232 Comm Interface : 6 Pin Modular Jack Mating Connector: AMP#5-641337-3 Digi-Key#A9093-ND

What are the PIN-OUTS for the LAA-5?

LAA-5 AMPLIFIER - ACTUATOR CONNECTOR, FEMALE (OUTPUT TO ACTUATOR)

 LAA-5 AMPLIFIER - ACTUATOR CONNECTOR, MALE (INPUT FROM CONTROLLER)    

I can't communicate with the controller?

 1) Check for green power light on controller.

 2) Check RS232 cable  pin-out. See Example 

3) Check that the baud rate is 9600. If it is any other value, reset it to 9600, click ok, exit hyper terminal and re open to activate new setting. 

I'm commanding the actuator to move but it will not go (Using SMAC controller)?

1) Check power to actuator - Green LED (5V) is on.

 2) Check the constants(TK). There must be values under SG,SI,SD,IL,SE,SQ,SV&SA. A frequent problem is there is SA is not loaded. Be sure the initial loading of constants is done after MF (motor off).

 3) To determine if the actuator has a problem, try moving in torque mode( this mode does not use constants, it's just current to the coil). >QM,MN,SQ5000 should extend the piston.

 4) If no movement, check for coil resistance. Please contact factory for exact ohms rating for your specific actuator . 

What is 40% duty cycle?

All units must be operated with a 40% maximum duty cycle, this can be calculated as follows:

% of max force applied x % of cycle time it is applied = % duty cycle

e.g.

100% force x 40% of cycle time = 40 % duty

60% force x 50% of cycle time = 30 % duty

40% force x 100% of cycle time = 40 % duty

Recommendations from SMAC are that this duty cycle must not be exceeded over a one second time period.

NOTE: Failure to observe this duty cycle recommendation will usually result in the actuator sustaining damage through overloading. Overloading will overheat the coil and may cause it to deform and touch on the magnet housing.

What size power supply should I get?

The following are minimum requirements. For exact requirements contact the factory.

What type of safety's are recommended?

Handle the actuator carefully, do not drop it or subject it to excessive shock loading

Do not apply any side loads to the rod, this can lead to increased friction and wear on the internal components

Avoid putting the actuator in hazardous environments such as wet, dusty, very hot (>50° C), very cold (<0° C). Consult SMAC if the actuator is required to work in these environments.

Other points to note:

• Use the optical index to home the actuator on a regular basis, this is especially important when the actuator is being moved around on another axis, or subject to vibration. There is typically a rear limit (and an extend limit) available for additional conformation of the rods position.
• Avoid powering the rod into the endstops (this is also related to duty cycle)
• Use the internal thermister to protect from overtemp.

Get familiar with the actuator by first using it on a horizontal surface with no load and limited force

Sizing actuator for application?

We recommend choosing an actuator capable of 2 -3 times the force needed in your application. This would allow the maximum force needed to be a continuous value for safety. If your application requires a precise force accuracy, it is critical for the coil temperature doesn't increase. This would change the Ratio/Calibration between the output current and the out put force.

How do I set up my computer?

To communicate with SMAC controllers, any text editor can be used. Normally a laptop running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95/98/NT is used.

1. In program manager, select accessories window, double click on ‘Terminal’
2. If previously configured, open SMAC.trm, jump to step 8.
3. Otherwise select settings from the pull down menu, click on communications.
4. Setup as follows: Baud Rate - 9600

   Data Bits - 8

   Stop Bits - 1

   Parity - None

   Flow control - Xon/Xoff

   Connector - COM1 Click ‘OK’

5. Select settings from the pull down menu, click on Text Transfers.
6. Setup as follows: Flow control - Line at a time

   Delay between lines - 2/10 sec

7. Save as SMAC.trm.
8. With power to the controller, pressing the ‘esc’ key should give a greater than sign (>) indicating the unit is communicating properly.

1. Select programs, accessories then HyperTerminal. Double click on Hyper term icon. If  SMAC.trm has previously been setup, click this icon and jump to step 8.
2. Enter name for program (e.g. SMAC.trm) and choose an icon, click ‘OK’
3. Phone number window will appear. In ‘connect using’ window, choose Direct to COM1, click ‘OK’.
4. COM1 properties will appear – set as follows:

   Bits per second - 9600

   Data Bits - 8

   Parity - None

   Stop Bits - 1

   Flow Control - Xon/Xoff Click ‘OK’

5. Select file from pull down menu, select properties, choose settings in properties window.
6. Click on ASCII setup, set line delay to 250ms, click on ‘wrap lines that exceed terminal width.’. Click ‘OK’.
7. Select file from pull down menu and save.

With RS232 connected and power to the SMAC unit, pressing the ‘esc’ key should display a greater than sign (>).

What type of software do I need?

For the SMAC controllers, no additional software is needed to program them. They require a .txt formatted program usually written in notepad and downloaded through HyperTerminal. Refer to the program manuals on this site. 

How do I download a program?

1.) Load using hyperterminal. Click on "transfer" and "Send text file". Open your saved .txt file and download will commence.

2.) Another quick way is to simply "copy" program or macro line and paste in hyperterminal.

3.) Be sure to include MF,RM(for LAC1), OMF,RM(for LAC25) above first macro of program. This will remove any existing macros before loading new program. Do not include these 2 commands in a macro as a part of the program.