Data Sheet
MCP2xxx Dual Channel Motor Controller Data Sheet
(c) 2015 Ion Motion Control. All Rights Reserved.
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Important Notices
The following information is required for safe and reliable operation. It is up to the user to ensure the following criteria is met.
Several external factors can inuence how the MCP operates. Following basic safety procedures can prevent dangerous situations.
Warnings
The following guidelines should be followed when using the MCP or damage will occur. There are several factors that will affect the
operation of the MCP.
1. Battery wire should be no longer than 20 inches in length.
2. Motor wire should be no longer than 20 inches in length.
3. DO NOT overload the BEC. Logic power is drawn from the same source and brownouts can occur.
4. DO NOT reverse the battery polarity. Damage will result.
5. ALWAYS Incorporate an emergency main battery cut off switch.
6. Cut off should always be on the positive (+) of power to prevent ground loops.
7. Power diode, fuse and pre charge resistor should be added to all power switch circuits.
8. DO NOT get the MCP wet and avoid high moisture environments without proper moisture control.
Mounting
The MCP will generate heat. The controller should be mounted to a metal surface that will conduct the heat away from the MCP
during operation. The maximum amperage ratings can only be achieved and maintained with adequate heat dissipation.
Emergency Stop
MCP should be wired using an external contactor or relay to ultimately control the main power input. A second power source should
be used to power the logic section in situations where the main power will be under heavy load. Voltage level drops can occur from
constant full load or full speed direction changes and can potential cause logic brown outs.
USB
The MCP USB port can be used for conguration and debugging. The USB protocol is not meant for electrically noisy environments.
The USB port can potentially drop out during operation and may not recover without unplugging and plugging in the MCP. In high
electrical noise environment RS232 should be used.
CAN Bus
The MCP can interface to a CAN bus using CANOpen protocol. The MCP supports the DS402 prole for motion control devices. The
MCP can be a master or slave device on the bus. CAN is available when the MCP is plugged into the USB. The MCP can be used as a
master interface to control other MCPs over the a CAN bus.
I2C
The I2C bus can be used to communicate to any compatible I2C device. The I2C devices can be controlled by a user program. The
MCP can be easily interfaced to devices such as Gyro and Accelerometers for standalone applications.
Firmware Updates
From time to time new rmware updates will be available to add new features or resolve an issue. It is recommended to update to
the latest rmware during development. Firmware updates are handled by the IonMotion PC utility. IonMotion is free to download
from Ionmc.com. Once IonMotion is installed, connect the motor controller to your computer running Windows 7 or newer. Once
IonMotion is launched it will detect the attached motor controller and attempt to rst download the latest rmware from Ionmc.com
before updating.
User Regulated Power (BEC)
The MCP motor controllers provides a user power source typically referred to as a battery elimination circuit or BEC. This regulated
supply provides power to user electronics and sensors. It eliminates the need for secondary battery sources due to high input
voltages from the main power source. The BEC circuit is not monitored. The logic control circuits of the motor controller are supplied
from the same switching regulator circuit. If maximum current is exceed the switching regulators built in thermal protection circuitry
will activate causing a system wide brown out.