Sysmac: all in one (with that little bit more)

A year after the official presentation, the Omron Sysmac integrated automation platform has not only won the appreciation of the market, thanks to its speed, ease of programming and reliability, but Omron is relaunching it with new developments in the CPU, input and output modules, the possibility of managing delta robots and the addition of safety functions. L.G.

Motion, logic, robotics, safety, vision: presented as an automation platform capable of integrating all functions in one controller, Sysmac (System for Machine Automation Control) is being updated according to a development plan that will also have Omron committed in the coming years.
A strategic plan explained during the inauguration of the new European Automation Center in Barcelona through the words of Antonio Farras, Integrated Motion System General Manager of Omron and vivacious and delightful guest of an event which brought together the European sector press last October.
Farras reiterated that Omron aims at working alongside the machine builders, looking for increasingly "open", reliable and integrated automation solutions in order to ensure ease of programming and control. Thus, leveraging on maximum flexibility, Omron is already now able to offer answers to a whole range of needs, from entry level to top of the sector.

Renewing for growth
Broaching the subject of the developments of the Sysmac platform, we cite the main new features regarding the CPU, input and output modules, the possibility of managing delta robots and the integration of safety functions.
As far as Sysmac Studio programming software is concerned, Omron has systematically enhanced and developed Sysmac Studio over the past year by adding a range of new features, adding new characteristics that further simplify the development of the machine.
One of the main features of version 1.04 is a backup and restore function, facilitated by using an SD card in the NJ machine controller, or saving directly to a file on a computer. The backup is of the complete machine, including not only the program, but also all the field device settings and parameters, all in one file. This avoids data loss and allows a quick recovery solution when it might be needed.

New CPUs. The Sysmac CPU family, created with the NJ5 controller, is destined to extend both towards simpler applications as well as more accurate controls. A completely redesigned hardware system, with powerful Intel® Atom™ processors well tested for difficult environments, enables the changeover from a rigid architecture based on ASIC to a design centred on adaptable and scalable software. This ultra compact, cutting edge technology offers max flexibislity without compromising on the traditional reliability and sturdiness of Omron PLC. The NJ3 series is now being introduced, that consists of two CPUs, 4 and 8 axes, offering full compatibility and scalability from 4 to 64 axes. The NJ3 series is fully compatible with NJ5 series machine automation controllers, using the same programming and configuration tool (Sysmac Studio) and the same built-in networks, EtherCAT for machine control and EtherNet/IP for factory automation.
The total cycle time of Sysmac has been improved to provide a cycle of 0.5 ms for machines up to 32 axes and for a machine with 64 axes the cycle is only 1 ms. Moreover, the backup and restore of programs along with configurations and data are easier and more flexible.

Also for robots. Thanks to the new functionality introduced July this year, a single NJ series can now command up to eight delta robots with a single controller, while also handling the motion control, sequencing and vision system requirements of the machine on which it is installed.
Practically speaking, the eight delta robots can be synchronised with multiple conveyors to perform on-the-fly pick-and-place operations, with a parallel structure that can achieve up to 200 picking cycles per minute. A response time of 2ms when controlling eight delta robots is offered by the NJ controller, or 1ms when controlling four robots. Specific function blocks have been designed to simplify the programming of complex functions such as the tracking of several belts or the auto check of the workspace.

New NX I/Os that are also deterministic. Omron’s new system of Sysmac NX Series modular I/Os further expands the machine controller functions of the NJ series. The same has been developed to meet machine builders' requirements for a modular I/O system that can be used with Omron controllers and also with a wide range of open networks, and that combines openness and performance with superior real time performance and ease of use.
This is a new family of I/Os that will include all types of input/output modules: digital, analog, security, organized in three lines: standard for non-time critical applications, with updates to ms; high speed, with a maximum synchronization delay of less than microsecond, and time-stamp or deterministic, with a delay in the order of nanoseconds.
The I/O units in the Sysmac NX-series are offered in a wide range of variants, allowing users to establish a balance between I/O density and ease of installation, and between performance and cost. The wide variety of units available also helps meet local market needs when exporting machines globally.

In full safety. One of the major new features is the introduction of the NX Safety Controller which, combined with the NJ machine controller and with the new I/Os, is a cornerstone in the complete integration of all machine functions on the Sysmac platform. Security, logic, motion and vision, all programmable using a single software (Sysmac Studio), connected by a single network (EtherCAT) under a single control (NJ).
The structure of the NX system consists of input and output as well as safety modules plus safety controller modules: all these elements are placed on a single bus coupler connected to the NJ controller via EtherCAT. All elements can hence be inserted in the EtherCAT network and programmed and configured by the selfsame Sysmac Studio software.
Sysmac Integrated Safety can tackle the most demanding applications since it meets the performance level (Ple) according to ISO 13849-1 and SIL3 according to IEC61508.
The safety functions are fully integrated in the I/O Sysmac NX series. The programmable safety unit and the input and output modules can be inserted at any point in the I/O system. No further special hardware is required: the security communications are transmitted transparently through the EtherCAT standard interfaces of the Sysmac control network, enabling the easy adding of safety functions to any control system.