XPLC864E is an 8-axis high-performance EtherCAT bus motion control super PLC launched by ZMotion Technology, which is a very representative motion control PLC supporting EtherCAT bus in China.

ZMC306E is a 6-axis high-performance EtherCAT bus motion controller launched by ZMotion Technology. Also, it is a representative EtherCAT Bus motion controller in China.

Therefore, these two EtherCAT Bus motion controllers are XPLC864E and ZMC306E, both are developed by ZMotion itself. Next, let me show you their common things and differences in hardware level and software level.

(1) XPLC864E and ZMC306E both support EtherCAT axis. XPLC864E supports 8 axes and ZMC306E supports 6 axes. All kinds of EtherCAT servo drives or stepper drives can be connected, and for EtherCAT slave station IO, you could select according to your actual requirements.

(2) Both EtherNet can download programs, diagnose and debug through upper computer software ZDevelop. Also, they can be used for program calling of API functions on the PC side, and there are many platforms they support, such as, C++, C#, VB, DELPHI, LabView, Linux, iMAC, .net, etc. In addition, the EtherNet interface supports master and slave stations of standard ModbusTCP, when it is as a ModbusTCP master station, third-party ModbusTCP devices also can be connected. For motion controller, as a ModbusTCP slave station, it can connect to touch screens that support ModbusTCP master stations with network ports.

(3) It is very convenient for onboard Ethernet of the controller to download the program, quickly and practically. Moreover, more than 250 motion controllers can be realized with switches or routers, and multiple motion control PLCs, HMIs, and computers can be networked and communicated more conveniently.

(4) Both serial communication supports RS485 (port1) and RS232 (port0) communication interfaces, and both support the master station and slave station protocol of ModbusRTU.

(5) Both XPLC864E and ZMC306E have the USB disk interface, which can be used to read and write stored data, also can be used to upgrade the firmware and customer’s application programs. After the equipment is sent to the customer, the upgrade and maintenance of the U disk is very practical in the later period.

(6) Both have CAN interface, which means both support ZCAN protocol, then ZMotion ZIO modules can be expanded. There are 512 digital inputs, 512 digital outputs, 256 analog inputs and 128 analog outputs.

(7) There are 2 0-10V ADC and 2 -10 DAC interfaces on board.

XPLC864E the PLC typed motion controller has 32 digital inputs and 32 digital outputs on board.

→ Digital input: 2 single-ended high-speed ABZ encoder (the highest frequency is 500KHz), and for 2 high-speed color mark digital inputs, some inputs of XPLC864E onboard can be reused.

→ Digital output: 8 pairs of high-speed single-ended pulse output (occupy 16 outputs), pulse frequency of max 500KHz also can be supported. It can control single ended servo and single ended stepper.

ZMC306E motion controller has 2 axis-control terminals, each includes 1 differential encoder input (A+, A-, B+, B-, Z+, Z-, GND), 1 differential pulse output (DIR+, DIR-, PUL-, PUL+), 1 drive alarm input and 1 drive enable output. There are 24 inputs and 16 outputs on board.

→ Digital input: 1 single-ended high-speed ABZ encoder (the highest frequency is 500KHz) and 1 single-ended low-speed ABZ encoder (the highest frequency is 20KHz), also for 4 high-speed color mark digital inputs, some inputs of ZMC306E onboard can be reused.

→ Digital output: 2 pairs of high-speed single-ended pulse output (occupy 4 outputs), pulse frequency of max 500KHz also can be supported. It can control single ended servo and single ended stepper.

For some equipment, there are EtherCAT axis (servo / stepper) and pulse axis (servo / stepper), but also need high-speed encoder. ZMC306E or XPLC864E can solve applications in one-stop-shop.

From applications, XPLC864E is more suitable for automation equipment that requires 24V level interface, but ZMC306E is more suitable for high-speed and high-precision stand-alone equipment. Both models can be the options for upgrading equipment from pulse-type operation control to EtherCAT bus operation control.

(1) XPLC864E and ZMC304E both support all kinds of interpolations, such as, linear interpolation, circular interpolation, space arc, ellipse, etc., and one interpolation supports 16 axes at most. Also, they support max 16 machines parallel interpolation. In addition, there are many valid functions on XPLC864E and ZMC304E, speed look-ahead, electronic cam, electronic gear, pitch compensation, synchronous tracking, motion superposition, virtual-axis, pulse closed loop, hardware position latch, position comparison output, continuous interpolation, motion pause, etc.

(2) Both use uniform forward and inverse algorithm, which provides more than 30 algorithms of more than 30 robot arm types, including parallel robot, 6-joint robot, etc. One controller can control multiple robots, or multiple robots superpose, then, all kinds of rotation motion workpieces can be processed by robots well.

(3) Both support EtherCAT bus axis and pulse axis mutual interpolation, and bus axis hardware position latch and position comparison output are valid.

From above, we could know more about XPLC864E and ZMC306E. They are definitely good choices, but depend on your actual and specific requirements, if you wonder more, please contact with me.

Actually, there is one thing both are the same. In intellectual property’s protection, programs only can be downloaded, can’t be uploaded. The passport is overlarge character string, which is stored according to irreversible algorithm. However, the program file can be compiled as encrypted library files.

What’s more, each motion controller of ZMotion has their own unique No., program can be bound with one single controller or a series of controllers.

That's all, thank you for your reading.

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ZMOTION Technology has attracted experienced talents from famous companies or institutions, such as Huawei, ZET, Huazhong University of Science and Technology etc. ZMOTION insists self- innovating and collaborating with comprehensive universities, to research basic knowledge of motion control. Due to its concentration and hard work in motion control technology, ZMOTION already become one of the fastest growing industrial motion control companies in China, and is also the rare company who has managed core technologies of motion control and real time industrial control software completely.

ZMotion Technology provides motion control card, motion controller  , vision motion controller, expansion module and HMI. ( more keywords  for ZMOTION: EtherCAT motion control card, EtherCAT motion controller, motion control system, vision controller, motion control PLC, robot controller, vision positioning...)