Are there pros and cons to integrated stepper motor-drive systems?

Are you interested to learn about stepper motor? Read on…
 
Stepper drives and motors can be integrated into one unit. Manufacturers offer various stepper motor-drive combinations. Integrated stepper and drive units have advantages and disadvantages. In addition to ease of implementation, reduced wiring complexity, and faster setup and construction of a system, motor-drive integration offers several benefits. Also available are integrated units that incorporate systems on a chip (SoC).

Reduced configuration options, lack of customizability, and vendor lock-in are all disadvantages. There are also troubleshooting concerns and changes in maintenance practices. One of the most notable advantages of integrated drive-motor units is their ease of implementation. No wiring is necessary between the drive and motor, and they can be simply dropped into place and connected to a controller. Faster setup means a system can go from blueprints to production faster.

Engineers do not have to worry about connecting inputs and outputs between the drive and motor due to reduced wiring complexity.

Wiring considerations for unipolar or bipolar systems are no longer an issue. Long wiring runs also do not degrade the signal.

Integrated drives guarantee motor and driver compatibility as well. Because they are supplied together by the manufacturer, they will work together. This reduces work when looking at torque-speed curves since the curves already account for the drive. No need to worry whether the drive supplies the right kind of micro-stepping signals or uses the correct voltage, for example. Everything is taken care of. Even more, simplicity is possible if the integrated unit is equipped with an SoC. The SoC can handle most control functions. Furthermore, the unit can now connect to others, which is especially useful in the Internet of Things.

A primary disadvantage of such a setup is the lack of flexibility and customization. Since the drive-motor combination is a single unit, it is normally only suitable for certain applications. Furthermore, if the driver needs to be changed, but the motor is fine, or vice-versa, the entire unit needs to be replaced. 

There are several articles and blogs on “JVL integrated stepper motor” and “integrated closed loop stepper motor” available online. If you are interested then you can browse.