Actuon8 Motion Controller Package

Actuon8 Motion Controller Package

The Actuon8 is the control electronics at the centre of the Actuon Ecosystem. It receives motion telemetry from your PC and converts it into coordinated, real-time commands for your servo drives, so that your platform reproduces what happens on screen with the timing and consistency of a system engineered for continuous use.

This package is a complete control layer: controller, Actuon-SIB safety board in a machined enclosure with emergency stop, COG control wiring, configuration parameters and a documented commissioning procedure. It is designed for builders and integrators who already have — or are building — the mechanical side of a motion platform.

Supplied for private, non-commercial use. For commercial or professional applications, see Actuon Ecosystem — Commercial Use.

How the Actuon8 is supplied

The Actuon8 motion controller is supplied as a PCB assembly — a controller board, without enclosure. Mounting and housing it in your installation is your part of the job.

The Actuon-SIB is different: it comes as a finished assembly in a machined enclosure, ready to install.

Four platform configurations, one controller

A single Actuon8 drives up to eight independent control channels. That range covers every architecture below from the same unit, with no change of hardware. You select the configuration when you order; the package ships with the control cables, parameters and commissioning procedure that match it.

Supported configurations in detail

• 4-Point Active Belt Tensioner — 2 servo drives. Two drives working a four-point harness, for belt tension effects on seat and shoulders. Includes 2 x COG control cables and belt-specific drive parameters.
• 3DOF Motion Platform — 4 servo drives. Heave, pitch and roll on a four-actuator platform. Includes 4 x COG control cables and motion parameters.
• Hexapod / Stewart — 6 servo drives. Six legs in a Stewart configuration, for full six-degree-of-freedom motion from the geometry itself. Includes 6 x COG control cables and hexapod-specific parameters.
• 6DOF Motion Platform — 7 servo drives. The COG 6DOF architecture: the four-actuator platform plus three dedicated axes — traction loss front, traction loss rear and surge. Includes 7 x COG control cables and motion parameters.

Hexapod and 6DOF are two different routes to six degrees of freedom. A hexapod produces them from the geometry of six legs; the COG 6DOF architecture produces them by adding three dedicated axes to a four-actuator platform. Both are supported; which one suits you is a mechanical decision, not a controller decision.

Mechanical envelope the parameters assume

The published servo drive parameters are not universal values. They are the baseline for the transmission and speed below, and a different lead or target speed changes the relationship between motor revolutions and linear travel.

Both motion arrangements arrive at the same motor speed. A 1605 screw has a 5 mm lead, so 250 mm/s is 3000 rpm; a 2010 screw has a 10 mm lead, so 500 mm/s is also 3000 rpm. The mechanics differ, the motor does not.

COG does not supply, select or validate ball screws, gearboxes, actuators or structure. The arrangement above is stated because the published parameters depend on it. Mechanical design remains the responsibility of the integrator.

Actuon-SIB safety module

Every Actuon8 package includes the Actuon-SIB, the safety interface module of the Actuon control layer. It is supplied as a finished assembly: a machined enclosure housing the Actuon-SIB safety board, the emergency stop and a two-position selector used during system calibration.

The Actuon-SIB sits between the controller and your servo drives and interrupts their enable signal on demand, removing drive torque independently of the controller and of the host PC.

It is not an optional accessory and is not sold separately: the Actuon8 is supplied with it because the controller and the safety interface are designed as one unit. You do not have to specify, house or wire a safety circuit yourself.

Belt and Motion modes

A physical two-position selector on the controller board sets the Actuon8 to Belt Mode or Motion Mode. These are two different functional modes, each matched to a product family, and the selector is what determines which one is active.

The belt tensioner uses Belt Mode. The 3DOF, hexapod and 6DOF configurations use Motion Mode. You set the mode that corresponds to your configuration before putting the system into service; the commissioning procedure supplied with the package covers it. This selector is independent of the calibration selector on the Actuon-SIB enclosure.

What is included

• 1 x Actuon8 motion controller — PCB assembly, without enclosure, with Belt / Motion mode selector
• 1 x machined enclosure with the Actuon-SIB safety board, emergency stop and calibration selector
• COG control cables, Actuon8 to servo drive — quantity according to the selected configuration
• 1 x USB-C cable
• 1 x RJ45 network cable, 3 m
• Installation, configuration and operation documentation
• Servo drive configuration parameters for the selected configuration
• Documented commissioning procedure
• Motion software according to the selected option

What is not included

• Servo drives
• Servo motors
• Actuators, ball screws and transmission
• Enclosure for the Actuon8 controller board
• Mechanical structure, frame or platform
• Host PC
• Power supply and mains installation
• SimHub software or any SimHub licence

Motion software

SimHub Compatible — licence not included. Compatible with SimHub. SimHub software and any required licence are not included and must be obtained separately by the customer. COG has no commercial association with SimHub and cannot guarantee future compatibility with changes made to third-party software.

Actuon Control Manager - Standard Edition — licence included. Motion software with broad title compatibility, supplied with a licence included in the package and configured for the Actuon8 out of the box.

Actuon Control Manager - Professional Edition, with deeper Actuon integration, diagnostics and tuning tools, is available separately for professional and integration projects.

Validated drive and motor combinations

The Actuon8 works with the AASD servo drive family. Two combinations have been validated by COG, each matched to a class of machine, and the published parameters refer to them.

The hexapod is a heavier machine and uses a larger drive and motor. The additional torque is contained by the parameter set, which limits torque and moderates the response so that the extra capability becomes control margin rather than mechanical violence.

Other drives in the AASD family may be used where the machine requires it, but only the combinations above have been validated by COG. Compatibility with servo drives outside the AASD family, with other servo motors, hardware revisions or equivalent implementations is not guaranteed and is not supported unless explicitly validated by COG in writing. Other combinations may be used by the integrator at their own risk.

Scope of supply and support

COG supplies control electronics, control wiring and software. Servo drives, servo motors, mechanical structure and host PC are not supplied by COG and are not part of this product.

• COG does not supply the servo drives or the servo motors.
• COG provides no warranty on any AASD drive, servo motor, or third-party actuator or structure.
• COG provides no technical support for the servo drive itself — firmware, internal parameters beyond the values we publish, faults or RMA.
• Drives and motors outside the validated combinations are not supported.

COG support covers: Actuon8 hardware, Actuon-SIB, COG control wiring, Actuon Control Manager and the published commissioning procedure.

Commissioning

The package ships with a documented commissioning procedure: mode selection, wiring verification, drive parameter loading, channel assignment, range and limit setting, and a first-motion checklist that begins by confirming the Actuon-SIB removes drive torque. Following it in order is what produces a predictable, repeatable result on a machine COG has not built.

Support and troubleshooting

Product Support covers issues attributable to COG products: the Actuon8, the Actuon-SIB, COG control wiring and Actuon Control Manager.

System Integration Support covers your machine: customer mechanics, third-party motors and drives, structure, unsupported configurations and external integrations. This is available as a paid engineering service and is not included with the product.

Limitations

• This is a control layer, not a complete motion system. It does not move anything on its own.
• Performance depends on mechanics, drives, motors and structure that COG neither supplies nor validates.
• Configuration is selected at purchase. Changing configuration later requires the corresponding wiring and parameters.
• COG does not supply internal protocol, firmware, source code, schematics, PCB files, BOM or manufacturing documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Which configuration do I need?
It follows your mechanics. Two drives for a 4-point active belt tensioner, four for a 3DOF platform, six for a hexapod or Stewart platform, seven for the COG 6DOF architecture with traction loss front, traction loss rear and surge.

What is the difference between the hexapod and the 6DOF configuration?
Both give six degrees of freedom by different mechanical routes. A hexapod derives them from the geometry of six legs. The COG 6DOF architecture adds three dedicated axes — traction loss front, traction loss rear and surge — to a four-actuator platform. The controller supports both.

Which ball screw should my platform use?
The published parameters assume a 1605 screw at 250 mm/s for 3DOF and 6DOF platforms, and a 2010 screw at 500 mm/s for a hexapod. Both work out to 3000 rpm at the motor. A belt tensioner can use a gear system or an actuator.

Which drive and motor is it validated with?
The AASD-15A with the 90ST-M02430 servo motor for belt tensioner and motion platforms, and the AASD-30A with the 110ST-M06030 for a hexapod. The Actuon8 works with the AASD servo drive family; those two combinations are the validated ones.

Can I use a different servo drive or motor?
Other drives in the AASD family may be used where your machine requires it. Combinations outside those validated by COG are not supported and carry no warranty. Servo drives outside the AASD family have not been validated at all. You may use them at your own risk.

Do I need servo drives and motors as well?
Yes. This package is the control electronics, wiring and software. Drives, motors, actuators and structure are yours to supply.

Does the controller come in an enclosure?
The Actuon8 is supplied as a PCB assembly, without enclosure. The Actuon-SIB does come in a machined enclosure, with its emergency stop and calibration selector.

Is the Actuon-SIB included?
Yes. It ships with every Actuon8 package as a machined enclosure containing the safety board, the emergency stop and the calibration selector. It is not sold separately.

Which cables are in the box?
The COG control cables from the Actuon8 to your servo drives, in the quantity that matches your configuration, plus a USB-C cable and a 3 m RJ45 network cable.

What is the mode selector for?
It sets the Actuon8 to Belt Mode or Motion Mode. The belt tensioner uses Belt Mode; the 3DOF, hexapod and 6DOF configurations use Motion Mode.

Is a SimHub licence included?
No. SimHub software and any required licence are not included and must be obtained separately.

Can I use this in my simulation centre or training facility?
Not under a standard purchase, which covers private, non-commercial use. Commercial operation — charging for sessions, public installations, training businesses, integration into a product you sell — needs a commercial licence. See Actuon Ecosystem — Commercial Use.

Can I move to another configuration later?
The controller supports all four. You would need the additional COG control cables and the corresponding drive parameters. Buying a smaller configuration and adding cables later costs exactly the same as buying the larger one from the start.

Do you provide the communication protocol or firmware?
No. COG supplies finished, supported products. Internal protocol, firmware and engineering documentation are not part of the supply.

Building commercially?

Standard purchases through this store are supplied for private, non-commercial use. If you are building for a business — a simulation centre, a training facility, an OEM product or resale — see Actuon Ecosystem — Commercial Use, or visit Actuon for Business.