Sauer-Danfoss, the international manufacturer of engineered hydraulic and electronic systems for mobile equipment, has announced the release of Plus 1, an innovatively designed system that allows manufacturers to customise electronic machine control. Plus 1 comprises a powerful programming environment with easy-to-use software tools, newly-developed microcontrollers, input/output (I/O) modules, graphical terminals and joysticks.
Plus 1 offers equipment design engineers the ability to develop and tailor their control and monitoring networks to meet users' specific operating needs. The mix-and-match system allows for custom configuration and tuning of work and propulsion functions, such as speed, engine anti-stall and position and pressure. Applications include equipment in agriculture, construction, forestry, material handling, road building and utility vehicles.
The basis of the Plus 1 network is a line of durable, stackable microcontrollers and I/O modules that provide a scalable platform to meet machine requirements. The powerful Plus 1 GUIDE (graphical user integrated development environment) enables a design engineer to quickly build customised applications from a library of software control objects, including diagnostic tools and service interfaces. The ready-to-fit platform reduces the cost and development time to maximise productivity and bring a better machine to market faster.
Sauer-Danfoss' Ron Sheehan says: "We expect Plus 1 to be the new industry standard for developing machine control due to its endless expandability. The goal was to give design engineers an easier way to integrate control functions for their specific operating requirements, knowing that they range from highly automated, heavy-duty uses to smaller, simpler, lighter uses. The beauty of Plus 1 is that design engineers can use it for almost any application, and everything they need is in one package."
Powerful, easy-to-use modular hardware and software
The Plus 1 microcontrollers are available in various housing sizes and I/O configurations for multiple control options. The system incorporates CAN-based communications and DSP technology. Mounting flexibility and rugged design facilitate flexibility in machine design options, even for the harshest operating environments.
The Plus 1 GUIDE is object-based offering software modularity to match the hardware. Design engineers can determine the level of fine tuning, diagnostics and service capabilities they want service technicians to be able to perform with a laptop or PDA connected into the individual machine.
Joysticks and graphic terminals
Physical control of the machine is incorporated using Plus 1 compliant joysticks. The design engineer selects from a family of joystick bases to match the application, from light duty to heavy duty service. Options can be specified into the joysticks' configuration, including detents, friction locks, redundant outputs and switch functions. Hall-effect and potentiometric sensing technologies are available, as well as custom grips. A Plus 1 compliant graphic terminal can be configured to monitor the functions suited to the vehicle - from the basics, such as oil pressure, to machine angles. The terminals are easily visible and can give an operator or service technician immediate machine operating information. External device inputs allow for cameras, and multiple CAN bus interfaces provide for environmental monitoring, vehicle diagnostics and servicing data. USB and RS232 connections allow laptop and PDA interfaces, with a buzzer alarm output providing audible feedback.
As mobile equipment becomes more automated, the electronic control system becomes more significant in determining a machine's performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness and market position. The Plus 1 system puts the power to develop specialised control solutions in the hands of those who know best which features the operator needs for the type of work to be accomplished.
Sheehan concludes: "Using Plus 1, manufacturers can develop smart, high-performance, mobile equipment that meets more demanding work functions and provides greater operator comfort and ease of use."
For more information contact Ron Sheehan, Sauer-Danfoss, +27 (0)11 803 8390, [email protected], www.sauer-danfoss.com
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