How to Choose an AMC Servo Drive
Made in the USA
To select an ADVANCED Motion Controls servo drive, start with three things: your supply (battery or DC bus voltage, or AC line voltage), the motor's continuous and peak current, and how the drive will be commanded (network, analog or stand-alone). Those three narrow the choice to one family: FlexPro, DigiFlex Performance or AxCent. Form factor, feedback, safety and environment then pick the exact model.
The selection checklist
- Supply voltageBattery or DC bus (for example 24, 48 or 72 VDC) points to AMC's low-voltage DC drives. For 120–480 VAC line power, look at panel mount drives. Leave headroom for regen and battery charge voltage.
- Continuous and peak currentSize from the motor's torque constant and your duty cycle. AMC's peak ratings are typically about double the continuous rating, so short accelerations don't force a bigger drive.
- Motor typeBrushless (BLDC/PMAC), brushed DC, stepper (closed loop), linear or voice coil. Most AMC families support several of these.
- Command and networkEtherCAT, CANopen, EtherNet/IP, Modbus or RS485 for networked systems. ±10 V analog or step and direction for a centralized controller such as Galil. Stand-alone indexing with the drive's built-in Motion Engine.
- FeedbackIncremental encoder, Halls, absolute encoder (BiSS-C, EnDat, Hiperface), Sin/Cos, resolver or tachometer.
- Form factorPCB mount for your own board, machine embedded for cable-connected compact designs, panel mount for cabinets, and vehicle mount (IP65) for mobile equipment.
- Safety and environmentSafe Torque Off (STO) for collaborative or AMR applications. Extended-environment versions are available for temperature, shock, vibration and contamination.
- Volume and customizationIf the design will ship in quantity, ask about modified drives (tuning, connectors, coating, branding) or a full custom design. At volume, unit cost can be close to standard.
Which family fits?
| If your application is… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Compact, battery-powered robot joint or AMR wheel | FlexPro® | Highest power density; 10–55 or 20–90 VDC; up to 100 A continuous / 200 A peak in a small footprint |
| Networked industrial machine needing a specific form factor or feedback | DigiFlex® Performance™ | 100+ models with wide network, feedback and form factor choice |
| Centralized controller closing the loop (for example Galil) with ±10 V command | AxCent™ | High-bandwidth analog architecture, simple hardware tuning |
| Heavy AGV traction, steering or lift | Vehicle mount (AxCent or DigiFlex) | IP65 sealed, up to 150 A continuous / 250 A peak, built-in regen |
| High-volume OEM with special requirements | Modified or custom | Built to your connectors, shape, axis count and features |
What to send EAC for a fast recommendation
Send the motor (make, model or datasheet), supply voltage, continuous and peak current or torque, feedback type, how the drive is commanded, the environment, and your estimated annual quantity. With that, EAC can come back with a recommended AMC drive and a matching motor and controller option.
Common mistakes we help avoid
Undersized power supply
Size the supply for peak demand and regenerated energy, not just the continuous current.
Noise and grounding
Intermittent network errors are often wiring and grounding, not the drive. Plan cable routing and grounding early.
Designing in before checking availability
Confirm lead time and prototype stock before the drive is locked into a production design.