PMD in the News

How to Control Brushless Motors (Series)

Performance Motion Devices — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:22:52 GMT

The article “Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Control, Explained (Part 1)” provides a foundational overview of how BLDC motors are constructed, how they generate torque, and why they are widely used in high-performance motion systems. It begins by explaining that, unlike brushed motors, BLDC motors rely on electronic commutation rather than mechanical brushes, eliminating wear-related issues and enabling higher reliability, efficiency, and speed. These advantages make them well suited for applications that demand long life, high torque output, and precise control, though typically at a higher cost than alternative motor types.

Electric Actuators for High-Mix Production: How Smart Design Reduces Changeover Time and TCO

Performance Motion Devices — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 13:30:00 GMT

The article “Electric Actuators for High-Mix Production: How Smart Design Reduces Changeover Time and TCO” explores how modern electric actuator technology is helping manufacturers adapt to increasingly complex, high-mix production environments. It emphasizes that as product variety increases and batch sizes shrink, traditional automation approaches struggle to keep up due to long changeover times and rigid system designs. Electric actuators, however, are emerging as a key enabler of flexible manufacturing by combining precise motion control with software-driven configurability, allowing machines to quickly adapt to new product requirements with minimal downtime.

November 2025 Casebook: OLogic Case Study

Performance Motion Devices — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

The November 2025 Special Issue: Casebook from Design World showcases a collection of real-world engineering success stories, highlighting how modern motion control technologies are transforming manufacturing, automation, and robotics. The issue focuses on the broader theme of “smart motion,” demonstrating how advanced control systems, integrated electronics, and intelligent software are enabling more efficient, precise, and adaptable machines across industries. From industrial retrofits to cutting-edge robotics applications, the casebook emphasizes practical implementations that deliver measurable performance improvements.

A Simple PID Loop Tuning Technique

Performance Motion Devices — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

The article “A Simple PID Loop Tuning Technique: Part 1 of 2” introduces a practical, accessible approach to tuning PID position loops for motor control applications. It begins by outlining the fundamentals of PID control, where proportional (Kp), integral (Ki), and derivative (Kd) gains are adjusted to shape how a system responds to position error. These three parameters determine how aggressively the controller reacts to current error, accumulated past error, and the rate of change of error, respectively. While additional parameters like integral limits and derivative timing can refine performance, the core of PID tuning revolves around balancing these three gains to achieve stable, responsive motion.

Improve Liquid Handling With These Motion Control Techniques

Performance Motion Devices — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:57:31 GMT

Peristaltic pumps are critical components in medical, laboratory, and industrial liquid handling systems, offering contamination-free fluid transport. The effects of their pulsating flow behavior must be accounted for in their design. In this Electronic Design feature, Performance Motion Devices (PMD) explores how adaptive motion control techniques can smooth flow fluctuations and improve dosing accuracy.

Actuators and Drives: Foundations of High-Performance Motion Systems

Performance Motion Devices — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The article “Actuators and Drives: Foundations of High-Performance Motion Systems” explains how actuators and drives serve as the core building blocks of modern motion control systems. It emphasizes that achieving high performance in any automated machine depends not just on control algorithms, but on how effectively energy is converted into motion and precisely regulated. Actuators function as the physical mechanism that produces movement, while drives act as the intermediary that translates control signals into usable power for those actuators. Together, they form the essential link between digital control systems and real-world mechanical motion.

Using Motion Control in Autonomous Robotics

Performance Motion Devices — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The article “Using Motion Controls in Autonomous Robotics” explores how advanced motion-control systems enable autonomous robots to operate with precision, adaptability, and reliability in real-world environments. It centers on the idea that motion control is not just about moving a motor, but about coordinating sensors, feedback loops, and intelligent control algorithms to achieve accurate and repeatable motion. In autonomous systems, this coordination is critical, as robots must continuously interpret their surroundings and adjust their behavior in real time without human intervention.

A Rugged, Smart System for Motor Drive Control

Performance Motion Devices — Wed, 21 May 2025 10:15:00 GMT

Performance Motion Devices (PMD) was recently featured in Electronic Design for its ION/CME N-Series Digital Drive, a rugged and compact solution for intelligent motor-drive control. The article highlights how the PCB-mountable drives integrate advanced motion-control capabilities into a small footprint, delivering up to 1 kW of power while supporting brushed DC, brushless DC, and stepper motors. Designed for embedded applications in industries like semiconductor, medical, and automation, the system combines high performance with flexibility across a wide range of use cases.