LINK Drive Network

Fiber Optic Based Drive and Process Control System

LINK is an ultra high speed distributed drive control system. It enables all machine control elements including variable speed drives, operator controls and plant I/O to be networked together to provide integrated machine control of unrivalled flexibility.

Highlights

• Total configurability for the most advanced multi-drive systems

• Noise immune fiber optic based highway

• Real time peer-to-peer communications

• Fieldbus compatibility

• Modem remote access capability

• AC and DC networked drives

Communication speeds of 2.7 Mbaud allows LINK to operate a real time, event driven, deterministic network. Each control element of the machine or process is interconnected on a single, noise immune, fiber optic cable, which replaces the myriad of control wires traditionally associated with multi-drive systems. Typically savings of 50% in site cabling time and cost are possible with LINK compared to a standard wired system.

Each LINK system may comprise any combination of SSD Drives sensorless and closed loop AC drives (690+, 605 and 620 series) or DC drives (590+ series). Digital and analog plant equipment can be interfaced onto the network via local or distributed I/O modules and a variety of gateway devices allow seamless integration with PC based control and monitoring packages.

The major component parts of a LINK control system are listed below. There are however many other interface and peripheral components available that make LINK the world’s most flexible control system, so please contact your nearest SSD Drives sales outlet to discuss your application in detail.  Click here for more information on LINK products and options.

Listing of LINK Products

• LinkRacks:  high speed intelligent controllers

• LinkStations:  touch-sensitive, color LCD operator stations

• Digital I/O LinkCard:  16 x 24V channel digital input/output module

• Analog I/O LinkCard:  8 x Input and 2 x Output analog module

• RTN Fiber Optic LinkCard

• Devicenet LinkCard

• Profibus LinkCard

• Serial Link/Modbus LinkCard

• Remote Analog I/O Unit

• Remote Digital I/O Unit

• DDE Interface

• Universal Gateway:  to additional Bus standards including Data Highway, Ethernet and VME.

Click here for more details on these products.

DRIVE SYSTEM DESIGNER

Revolutionary System Design Software

Drive System Designer (“DSD”) is like no other drive software. With the Auto Configure option, it actually designs the drive control system for you! You simply enter basic data on your process (line speed, web tension etc) and identify the function of each drive (unwind, nip roll etc) and DSD does the rest by selecting and configuring all the LINK hardware and software. Click here for full details on this unique software package.
 

Use the link below to view (left click) or download (right mouse click and "Save Target As") PDF file on this topic. 

Click here for "LINK Network Overview" PDF (53k)

Click here for "LINK Network Architecture" PDF (33k)