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Component Configuration Tool
Configure and evaluate a CANopen motor driver for your robotics application. Check CiA 402 PDO mappings, control mode suitability, and compare trade-offs against EtherCAT alternatives.
Configure your intended CANopen motor driver setup to determine the optimal CiA 402 mapping, detect potential synchronization bottlenecks, and review safety prerequisites.
Confirms the driver is not just raw CAN with a marketing CANopen label.
Proof: EDS file plus firmware revision and supported CiA 402 modes.
Determines whether target/status objects fit the intended control loop.
Proof: RxPDO/TxPDO map, transmission type, inhibit/event timer settings.
Cyclic motion failures usually appear only under loaded network timing.
Proof: Analyzer trace at target bitrate, cable length, and node count.
Quick Stop and STO are different layers in the safety case.
Proof: Fault-reset timing, STO wiring diagram, IEC 61800-5-2 claim where applicable.
Integrating a CANopen motor driver requires understanding the CiA 402 state machine, PDO mapping limitations, and the true cost of cyclic control over a non-deterministic bus.
Use this table as the minimum evidence request before treating a CANopen motor driver as ready for AMR or AGV integration.
| Decision claim | Evidence to request | What remains unknown | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver supports the required CiA 402 mode | EDS file, object dictionary, firmware revision | Optional objects and vendor extensions may differ by firmware | Import EDS into the target master and map the required PDOs |
| CANopen timing is sufficient | Analyzer trace at target bitrate, cable length, and node count | Emergency traffic and field noise may alter worst-case timing | Pass under acceleration, braking, heartbeat, and fault traffic |
| Safety response is documented | STO diagram, stop category, fault-reset sequence, risk file | Public pages rarely prove a specific supplier implementation | Validate the vehicle safety case against ISO 3691-4:2023 and drive safety claims |
| Fieldbus choice is justified | Axis cycle-time requirement and supplier timing data | Vendor benchmarks may not match the final wiring topology | Compare CANopen profile modes against EtherCAT only on the required motion class |
The mode choice should follow loop ownership and evidence needs, not only the motor type.
| Mode | Best fit | Watch item | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile Velocity (PV) | Traction and conveyor axes with local velocity loop closure | Master still needs clear acceleration, stop, and fault policy | Mode object support, target velocity PDO, actual velocity PDO |
| Profile Position (PP) | Steering, lift, indexing, and point-to-point positioning | Confirm homing, following-error limits, and target reached bit | Homing objects, profile parameters, status word behavior |
| CSV | Velocity loops coordinated by a higher-level controller | SYNC cycle and bus-load margin must be measured | SYNC period limit, trace under full node count, error reaction |
| CSP | Only when timing and feedback behavior are proven for the axis | Highest mismatch risk for steppers and multi-axis traction | Position setpoint rate, jitter tolerance, missed-step handling |
Before any motion can occur, the master must transition the driver through these CiA 402 states using Control Word (0x6040).
| Feature | CANopen Motor Driver | EtherCAT Motor Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronization | Software SYNC on a priority-arbitrated CAN bus; verify jitter under target bus load | Distributed-clock architecture available on many EtherCAT drive systems; confirm vendor performance data |
| Multi-Axis Coordinated Motion | Requires measured cycle-time and jitter margin before scaling cyclic modes across axes | Often preferred for coordinated multi-axis motion when the controller, drives, and vendor data support it |
| Cost & Ecosystem | Highly cost-effective, ubiquitous in standard AGVs | Premium controllers needed, strict compliance requirements |
| Best Use Case | Decentralized profile-mode axes where the driver owns loop closure | Synchronous multi-axis systems where timing is a core requirement |
| Proof Needed | EDS, PDO map, state-machine behavior, and measured bus trace | Vendor timing data, conformance status, and integration test trace |
These are the common failure modes when a CANopen motor driver is selected from a datasheet without commissioning evidence.
| Risk type | Trigger | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Misuse risk | Treating Quick Stop or control-word commands as personnel safety. | Unsafe stop assumptions during AGV hazard analysis. | Use hardware safety functions and validate against ISO 3691-4:2023 and IEC 61800-5-2. |
| Timing risk | Running CSV/CSP on a loaded Classical CAN bus without trace data. | Late setpoints, following error, or step loss. | Use profile modes, reduce node traffic, or select EtherCAT when coordination dominates. |
| Cost risk | Choosing EtherCAT only because it is faster, or CANopen only because it is cheaper. | Overbuilt controls or expensive late redesign. | Map each axis to required cycle time, safety evidence, and commissioning effort before supplier selection. |
| Scenario mismatch | Applying a traction-drive pattern to steering, lift, or indexing axes. | Poor hold accuracy, wrong feedback assumptions, or difficult commissioning. | Match PV, PP, CSV, or CSP to the physical axis and required fault behavior. |
Each example states the premise, the recommended CANopen motor driver approach, and the decision outcome.
Evidence note: public standards pages confirm scope and terminology; supplier-specific limits such as PDO cycle time, STO category, and jitter tolerance still require the selected drive manual, EDS file, and bench measurements.
The evaluator classifies architecture risk from control mode, motor technology, and axis duty. It intentionally does not claim exact bus load without frame-level input data.
Public standards pages support the role of CiA 402, ISO 3691-4, and IEC 61800-5-2. The page uses those sources for scope and terminology, not supplier-specific performance claims.
Cycle-time margin, actual jitter, STO implementation, firmware behavior, and optional object support remain unknown until the selected driver is reviewed and tested.
Use this page to narrow the CANopen motor driver architecture, then move to the adjacent engineering checks before requesting a quote.
It should expose CANopen communication, normally including a device profile such as CiA 402 for drives and motion control. Ask for the EDS file and object dictionary before treating it as a standard interoperable drive.
Often yes when each drive closes its velocity loop locally and the master sends profile targets. The decision changes when the vehicle needs tightly coordinated multi-axis motion or very short synchronous cycles.
Profile Position is usually easier to verify for steering because the driver can own target position, limits, and target-reached behavior. PV can work, but the master must close more of the position loop.
They can share a bus if bitrate, node IDs, termination, and profile support are compatible. Mixed motor technology increases commissioning work because each drive may expose different optional CiA 402 objects.
The Electronic Data Sheet tells the master which objects, data types, access rights, PDO mappings, and optional modes the specific firmware supports. It is the fastest way to catch marketing-level CANopen claims.
Ask for the EDS file, PDO examples, supported CiA 402 modes, fault-state behavior, STO documentation if claimed, firmware revision, and a sample trace or commissioning guide for your target mode.
No. Exact load needs bitrate, frame count, payload length, SYNC period, heartbeat timing, emergency traffic, and node count. This page screens architectural fit and tells you which measurements to request.
The page was reviewed in June 2026. ISO 3691-4:2023 is cited for driverless truck safety context, while IEC 61800-5-2 is cited for drive safety functions.
Standard CANopen commands are not a safety layer. CANopen Safety exists, but many AGV designs still rely on hardwired safety functions such as STO and document that behavior in the vehicle risk assessment.
CSP streams frequent position setpoints. If arbitration, SYNC jitter, or driver buffering exceeds the stepper margin, missed steps or following errors can appear before the master notices.
Switch when coordinated motion, short deterministic cycles, or vendor-proven distributed-clock behavior becomes a core requirement. Keep CANopen when simple local profile modes and lower integration cost meet the requirement.
Run the selected mode at target bitrate, cable length, node count, load profile, and fault conditions. Save the analyzer trace, drive status word transitions, and STO or stop-response evidence.