control Micro Actuators

Linear motion technologies like electric linear actuators are the technologies that make actuator automation easier, more convenient and more efficient. This became possible due to the great adjustability of this technology. But even greater success this technology gains thanks to the micro linear actuators - smaller actuator units that are usually implemented for more accurate, smaller and fragile automation where small electric equipment is needed. To control this type of actuators as well as other actuator types, the special microcontrollers are needed. But instant changes in the work of electric micro actuators demand careful approach in order to provide the safe and correct functioning of this technology. 

Means to Control Actuators

Due to the fact that the dimensions of microactuators are relatively small, the microcontrollers used to adjust their performance also have to be equal by dimensions in order to fit in the overall concept of small actuator solutions. For example, the micro actuator model PA-07 of Progressive Automations represents the perfect model of the actuator that takes the minimum space while functioning and provides minimum force indicators. It can be controlled with the help of microcontroller technology. But what are these microcontrollers

What are Microcontrollers

The microcontroller (also known as the MSU) developers came up with an ultimate idea - to combine the processor, memory, ROM, and peripherals inside one enclosure that looks like a regular microcircuit. Since then, the production of microcontrollers annually many times exceeds the production of processors. Nowadays microcontrollers continue to be among the most demanded products at the automation market as the need for them has not decreased, and even vice-versa increased due to the rising tendency to implement automation in various spheres of industry and everyday life. These small mechanical devices help to optimize the work of micro actuators making these devices working more effectively and accurately, at the same time increasing the actuators’ duty cycle, sometimes even by a few times longer. Moreover, thanks to the microcontrollers used to automate micro actuators, they can work in a more complicated manner and be used as the operational mechanism inside bigger and more complicated devices. 

Microcontrollers and Functional Algorithms

Microcontrollers can provide different patterns for actuators’ performance. This may be of great service when the craftsman needs to create a totally new functional device that must perform its duties in an extremely changeable or variable manner or when under the unstable environmental conditions that demand the micro actuator to change the manner of functioning when taking into account certain variables like workload, humidity, etc. With the help of this technology, the whole algorithms for micro electric linear actuators functioning can be created. Furthermore, microcontrollers used along with micro electric linear actuators allow avoiding the unwanted mistakes in the actuators’ performance caused by possible miscalculations. Also, microcontrollers allow adjusting the actuators to work independently without human influence or even presence. 

Microcontroller Selection

When it comes to the selection of the proper microcontroller for the micro linear actuator, some major standards play an integral role that describes the microcontroller as the reliable one. These standards are large travel - provided by the compatibility of the actuator and the microcontroller; high precision - achieved by the accurate pre-programmed pattern of work; fast switching - gained thanks to fast connection signals; low power consumption - achieved through the smart design of the microcontroller and the proper combination of microcontroller and actuator pair; and integrability - achieved through the universal design and simple but at the same time convenient dimensions and parameters.

With the proper microcontroller device chosen to be used along with the linear micro actuator, the performance and the stable work of the linear motion mechanism will never be doubted. The synergy of these two technologies creates a powerful solution that can be used to solve numerous automation solutions required in the modern industrial world and the developed technological environment.