Kinetix 5500 Servo Drives and VPL Servo Motors

Single cable motion system

Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

General Questions...................................................................................................... 2
What makes the VP Low Inertia Servo Motors different from other servo motors in the marketplace?...................2
What motor variants are available now, and what is the plan for future extensions?...............................................2
What is the product kW range?.................................................................................................................................2
Mechanically, is the VPL motor going to be compatible with the dimensions of the MPL?......................................2
For the cables, will it be flying leads into the drive?..................................................................................................2
Are there any plans for a connector version of drive-side cable terminations?........................................................3
Are there motor connections for third party induction motors? What about terminal blocks?.................................3
Is the VPL food grade qualified?...............................................................................................................................4
Does the VPL motor work with other Rockwell Automation drives such as the K6500? .........................................4

Commercial Questions................................................................................................. 5
How is VPL positioned against other Rockwell Automation products?.....................................................................5
Is there a chart showing relative positioning of the Kinetix 5500/VPL to the Kinetix 6500/MPL ..............................5
How does the VPL product configurator give me new variants?..............................................................................6
What are product lead times?...................................................................................................................................6
Will Proposal Works and Motion Analyzer updates going to incorporate the KINETIX 5500/VPL solution?............8
How does the product configurator work for VPL/how do I get the motor options I want through SAP?.................8
Will the Kinetix 5500 fit in my cabinet?......................................................................................................................8
Have you already built a cross reference for each MPL motor to corresponding VPL you want to use?................8
What are the different lengths of cables available?..................................................................................................8
What is the longest cable available?.........................................................................................................................8
Will both non-flex and continuous flex cables be available for sale?........................................................................9
Will the single cable be available in flying lead or with molded connector?.............................................................9
What will be the lead time of the single cables?.......................................................................................................9
What is the timing for the Regen Power Supplies?...................................................................................................9
Will the Kinetix 5500 have linear motor support?......................................................................................................9

Technical Questions.................................................................................................... 9
Why does a single cable work in VPL when we’ve always required two cables?....................................................9
Can I use my own cable with VPL or buy a single cable equivalent from a third party manufacturer?....................9
Do I need to use a Kinetix 5500 drive to run VPL?...................................................................................................9
Why is the Kinetix 5500/VPL solution more energy efficient?...................................................................................9
What version of RSLogix5000 software does the Kinetix 5500 work with?..............................................................9
Are there grounding screws on the Kinetix 5500 drive and do I have to remove them?........................................10
What power configurations does the Kinetix 5500 support?...................................................................................10
What input voltage does the Kinetix 5500 support?................................................................................................10
Can I connect an auxiliary encoder to the Kinetix 5500?........................................................................................10
Can I run the Kinetix 5500 in dual position loop?....................................................................................................10
What are the safety features in the Kinetix 5500?..................................................................................................10
If the back of the drive functions as a heat sink, is it OK that my backplane is painted?.......................................10
Do I get two distinct IP addresses because there are two Ethernet ports on the KINETIX 5500?.........................10
Should I worry about noise issues with power and feedback conductors running in the same jacket?.................10
What kind of connector does single cable use?......................................................................................................10
How soon will we have system level speed/torque curves and performance charts for the drive/motor combos?
.................................................................................................................................................................................10
Can I use an external encoder to enable an external master axis with Kinetix 5500/VPL?...................................11
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General Questions
What makes the VP Low Inertia Servo Motors different from other servo motors in the marketplace?
Kinetix VP Low Inertia Servo Motors were designed together with the Kinetix 5500 drives to optimize a customer’s operation through
creation of a single cable solution with windings in the speeds where their equipment runs, and thus minimizing the current required to
drive the motor. This in turn reduces energy input into the system which, together with cable reduction and right-sizing to perhaps a
smaller motor and drive combination, saves on system costs.

What motor variants are available now, and what is the plan for future extensions?
For motors, we have launched the IEC metric 100, 115, 130 and 165mm frame sizes October 31, 2012. VPL motors in the IEC metric 63
and 75mm are now released as of May 2013. We do plan on further extensions on this platform, such as food grade and stainless steel
versions, but no timing is available at this time.

What is the product kW range?

600W to 15kW

Mechanically, is the VPL motor going to be compatible with the dimensions of the MPL?
Yes, the VPL will have almost identical mounting dimensions and shaft sizes. We have used standard IEC 72-1 flange numbers and
designed to metric dimensions. See the latest GMC-TD001 document on ab.com’s Literature Library to compare MPL dimensions to VPL.

For the cables, will it be flying leads into the drive?

Yes. See following pictures from the drawing.

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 [for reference only; controlled document is DIR 10000146684]

Are there any plans for a connector version of drive-side cable terminations, or will we just offer the flying leads?
There are no plans for any drive mating connector version of the cable. We are only releasing a flying leads version.

Are there motor connections for third party induction motors? What about terminal blocks?
At this time, there are only connections for Allen-Bradley induction motors.

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Is the VPL food grade qualified?
The VPL is not currently food grade qualified. For use of the Kinetix 5500 drive in a food grade or stainless steel application, the customer
will need a Digital to Hiperface Converter kit. This solution is currently scheduled for release in 2013CY Q3. There are plans to add food
grade and stainless steel options; however we do not have projected timing as of launch of VPL.

Does the VPL motor work with other Rockwell Automation drives such as the K6500? Does the KINETIX 5500 work with
other motors besides the VPL motor family?
The VPL low inertia servo motor was designed for this single cable ecosystem, and the other Rockwell Automation drives need two cables
for operation (power and feedback). Thus VPL will only work with the Kinetix 5500 drive. The Kinetix 5500 upon launch works only with
the VPL motors for now, however there will be a “DSL to Hiperface Converter Kit” released CY2013Q4 (est.) which will allow the Kinetix
5500 to interface with any absolute position Stegmann sin/cos Hiperface feedback (MPF, MPS, some linear motors).

To give you an idea of what the converter kit will most likely look like, the early “DSL to Hiperface Converter Kit” prototype hooked up to a
Frame 1 Kinetix 5500 drive looks like this:

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Commercial Questions
How is VPL positioned against other Rockwell Automation products?
VPL is offered in what we believe to be the most common speed/torque combinations. However, MPL and Kinetix 6500 does have a larger
breadth of power range and motor frames (additionally has 215, 265, 300) with advanced safety features. The VPL and Kinetix 5500
solution offers similar torque performance at lower speeds than MPL may offer while also providing benefits of smaller footprint, fewer
SKUs, and simplified installation. Thus, VPL and Kinetix 5500 are positioned just below the MPL and K6500 solutions, but well above the
TL and TLY series paired with K350. TL and TLY are component level motors with an acceptable – but slower than Kinetix 5500 and
K6500 – loop closure rate, smaller power range, and no safety features.

In the internal presentation, there was a chart showing relative positioning of the Kinetix 5500/VPL to the Kinetix 6500/MPL
and the Kinetix 350/TLY. Isn’t the Kinetix 5500/VPL scaled closer to the K6500/MPL than the K350/TLY?
Yes – the image was not to scale. The refresh rate performance and power range is more similar to that of the K6500/MPL line but
ultimately fits nicely between the two other systems to provide great value for features that impact a large segment of the GMC market.

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How does the VPL product configurator give me new variants?
There are nearly 900 different combinations possible on VPL motors! Therefore, we couldn’t preconfigure all of the possibilities. A
customer will size and choose his/her motor using Motion Analyzer and Proposal Works, which have the possible combinations
programmed into their software. The customer will call the distributor to order the desired part, and the distributor will check to see if the
desired variant is already in SAP. If it is already configured in SAP, an order goes through “normally.” If it is not yet configured in SAP, the
distributor will have to configure the product through the “ZVP” product line, which utilizes the same configurator order process to other
Allen Bradley configured products. Variants are configurable on the following factors:
 Single turn / multi turn encoder
 Keyed shaft / smooth shaft
 Brake / No brake
 No seal / shaft seal

What are product lead times?

We have launched VPL with 128 pre-configured variations. As of April 2013, we have over 200 valid configurations set up. We have many
pieces of raw material and subassemblies on hand to build configured and pre-configured versions. We have approval and are setting up
the following Preferred Motors list in CDC/Memphis (approximate 3 day lead time to be in effect ~ late June 2013):

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All other VPL motor lead times are currently 7-8 weeks depending on what raw materials are in stock. We continue to try and pull this lead
time in to be shorter, but we need a consistent sales pipeline to do so. Please forecast any potential business as soon as possible so that
we can start sourcing material as soon as possible! Do not be afraid to expedite your motor request through the Customer Care Tier 3
service team. The system does work.

Drives Lead times

 Launch: 6 weeks
 December: 3 days

We fully anticipate that lead times will shorten during first year after launch to current MPL lead times for stocked/Preferred variants & to
about 3-4 weeks for non-stocked variants. Cable lead times may be shortened to 2-3 weeks for pre-configured variants as volume ramps
up.

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Will Proposal Works and Motion Analyzer updates going to incorporate the KINETIX 5500/VPL solution?
Absolutely and Kinetix 5500 and VPL are in both valuable tools! Sizing tools are extremely important to realize the full value of the Kinetix
5500/VPL single cable solution!

How does the product configurator work for VPL/how do I get the motor options I want through SAP?
The end customer should not see anything differently from their perspective. Proposal Works and Motion Analyzer show the configurable
options for the VPL motor. The distributor or Rockwell Customer Care representative entering the order will determine if the desired
configuration is already set up. If it is, the order may be placed immediately. If it has not, this person will use the same configurator they
use for other Rockwell Automation products, but use the code “ZVP” and go through the configuration steps when they order the motors.

Will the Kinetix 5500 fit in my cabinet?

Kinetix 5500 was designed to fit in a standard 12” cabinet. The dimensional depth is the same (under 9”) for each frame size of the Kinetix
5500.

Have you already built a cross reference for each MPL motor to corresponding VPL you want to use?
We do not create a cross reference for MPL to VPL, because there is significant opportunity to downsize the motor through sizing since we
have designed VPL with optimized motor drive matching. We suggest that you optimize the sizing through Motion Analyzer.

What are the different lengths of cables available?

Both standard and flex cables are available in increments of 1m (from 1m to 50m). However, on flex cables, if you are using a Frame 1
(H003 or H008) drive, you can only use up to 30m maximum length. Frames 2 and 3 drives may be used with up to 50m of cable length.

What is the longest cable available?

50m is the longest cable available.

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Will both non-flex and continuous flex cables be available for sale?
Both standard and flex cables are available for sale to optimize your solution. Due to lower sales volume compared to standard cable
volumes, flex cables are only available with brake wires; however, these cables may be used with brake or non-brake applications with no
issues. Please terminate the brake wires into the drive even if you have a non-brake motor.

Will the single cable be available in flying lead or with molded connector?
The single cable will be available with flying lead. The connection kit will be shipped with the Kinetix 5500 drive. Since there is only one
pair of feedback conductors, the termination is very easy in the single cable solution. We will not be offering a molded connector on the
single cable’s drive end.

What will be the lead time of the single cables?

The lead time of the single cables should be approximately 3-4 weeks if it is not in stock. Again, do not be afraid to use the Tier 3 Expedite
process if you need something sooner!

What is the timing for the Regen Power Supplies?

This project is just starting now, so it will not be available until late 2013.

Will the Kinetix 5500 have linear motor support?

Not upon initial launch. The DSL to Hiperface Converter Kit would need to be used to make this option work. This solution is currently
scheduled for release in 2013CY Q4.

Technical Questions
Why does a single cable work in VPL when we’ve always required two cables?
Rockwell Automation has been developing new technology to make single cable a reality over the last 5 years. The engineering team took
a previously analog signal and developed a digital signal. The interpolation of the signal is now done at the encoder (at the point of
creation) instead of at the drive, maintaining application-acceptable resolution and sending the interpolated digital position to the drive.
The engineering team developed a series of checks & balances to verify that the packets of information are being sent and received, and
they also have redundancy of the packets of information being sent across the line ensuring the signal is not interrupted. The highly
engineered cable has been designed to minimize interference from U V W through shielding and construction of the cable.

Can I use my own cable with VPL or buy a single cable equivalent from a third party manufacturer?
No; due to the protections required to make the digital signal correctly propagate between the drive and the motor, you must use the
corresponding Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley cable. The VPL motors and the Rockwell Automation single cables have been designed
and optimized to work together. You should purchase the mating single cable only from our authorized distributors.

Do I need to use a Kinetix 5500 drive to run VPL?

Yes. VPL is a single cable, digital based solution, and as such, other drives are unable to communicate to the VPL servo motor.

Why is the Kinetix 5500/VPL solution more energy efficient?

The Kinetix 5500/VPL system was designed to optimize a customer’s operation through creation of a single cable solution with windings in
the speeds where their equipment runs, and thus minimizing the current required to drive the motor. This in turn reduces energy input into
the system which, together with cable reduction and right-sizing to perhaps a smaller motor and drive combination, saves on system costs.

Additionally, the Kinetix 5500’s capacitor module helps eliminate wasted energy & heat through a shunt resistor. It allows the system to
share stored energy with other servos on its ecosystem.

What version of RSLogix5000 software does the Kinetix 5500 work with?
Version 21 (or greater) of Studio 5000 Logix Designer application. The Logix Designer application is the rebranding of RSLogix™ 5000
software.

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Are there grounding screws on the Kinetix 5500 drive and do I have to remove them?
Yes, there are grounding screws. Removing the grounding screws is necessary only when using ungrounded or corner-ground
configurations. Note: Even though corner-grounded power configurations have a ground connection, treat them as ungrounded when
installing Kinetix 5500 drive systems.

What power configurations does the Kinetix 5500 support?

The Kinetix 5500 can be used in multi-axis applications with AC/DC supply sharing, DC bus sharing or in a hybrid combination consisting
of drives that can share AC/DC supply and DC bus only.

What input voltage does the Kinetix 5500 support?

All Kinetix 5500 drives support 195-528 VAC input voltage

Can I connect an auxiliary encoder to the Kinetix 5500?

No, the Kinetix 5500 does not accept auxiliary encoder input.

Can I run the Kinetix 5500 in dual position loop?

No, because the Kinetix 5500 does not allow auxiliary encoder input.

What are the safety features in the Kinetix 5500?

Kinetix 5500 offers Safe Torque Off.

If the back of the drive functions as a heat sink, is it OK that my backplane is painted?
Yes – backplane paint will not affect the performance of the drive.

Do I get two distinct IP addresses because there are two Ethernet ports on the KINETIX 5500?
No. The dual Ethernet ports support one IP address because the second is used for ring redundancy.

Should I worry about noise issues with power and feedback conductors running in the same jacket?
Our cables have been designed and tested to work together with the Kinetix 5500 drive and VPL motors. We are using a unique triad
design with enhanced shielding to make sure there are no noise issues. Verify installation of the cables and motors using recommended
procedures in the installation manuals, and you should not have any noise issues.

What kind of connector does single cable use?

Single cable uses the same connector family “SpeedTec DIN” that your customers have been using over the last two years. It has the
same quick quarter- turn, reliable connection system.

How soon will we have system level speed/torque curves and performance charts for the drive/motor combos?
These are available now at commercial launch in the Selection Guide on ab.com, and we recommend that a user size their system for the
most efficient design using Motion Analyzer 7.0.

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 Can I use an external encoder to enable an external master axis with Kinetix 5500/VPL?
The CIP network encoder is available for sale today to enable master axis programming. Unfortunately, the KINETIX 5500 does not have
a physical input for external encoder feedback. The CIP network encoder comes over the Ethernet/IP network and will integrate easily into
the Logix environment.

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