Description
Technical Specifications
| Parameter Name | Parameter Value |
|---|---|
| Product Model | Allen-Bradley 4100-234-R |
| Manufacturer | Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley |
| Product Type | Compact Motion Controller, IMC S-Class, IMC-S/234-R |
| Number of Controlled Axes | 4 (Axis 0, 1, 2 and 3) |
| Motion Control Microprocessor | Intel 80960SB RISC, 16 MHz |
| Programming Language | GML (Graphical Motion Control Language), GML Commander software, catalogue GMLC-5.2 |
| Application Storage | Write-lockable battery-backed RAM, 32 K program capacity, 10-year minimum battery life |
| User Variables and CAM Capacity | 2,000 user-definable variables stored as 64-bit floating point; 26,000 total electronic cam points (13,000 master + 13,000 slave) |
| Motion Profiles and Functions | Trapezoidal, parabolic and S-curve point-to-point; electronic gearing 0.00001:1 to 9.99999:1; electronic cam; linear, circular and helical interpolation on up to 3 axes; phase shift, auto-registration, auto-correction; rotary unwind; imaginary axis |
| Servo Loop Update Rate | 250 Hz to 2 kHz per axis |
| Encoder Feedback Inputs | 4 optically isolated incremental AB quadrature inputs with marker, 4 MHz maximum count rate, 7 kΩ input impedance, 5 or 12 V DC encoder power at 1 A total |
| Servo Drive Outputs | 4 isolated, field-configurable 16-bit outputs, ±10 V DC (305 µV per bit) or ±150 mA (4.58 µA per bit), 220 Ω load, ±80 mV maximum offset |
| Dedicated Discrete I/O | 20 dedicated optically isolated inputs (home, positive and negative overtravel, drive fault and high-speed registration per axis); 8 optically isolated relay-contact outputs including drive enable |
| Expansion I/O Capability | Up to 8 Allen-Bradley Flex I/O modules for 128 additional discrete I/O points, plus analog options |
| Communication Interfaces | Remote I/O (RIO) adapter for PLC-5, SLC 500 and ControlLogix; 2 serial ports configurable RS-232C or RS-422; DH-485 via RJ-45; DB-9 AT-compatible MMI port |
| AC Power Input | 90–132 V AC or 175–264 V AC, 47–63 Hz, 3 A maximum; 3 A dual-element time-delay fuse (1/4 x 1-1/4 in) |
| I/O Power Input | 18–36 V DC (24 V nominal), 3 A maximum; 3 A dual-element time-delay fuse |
| Pre-Engineered Cables | 4100-CCF1/CCF3 (Flex I/O), 4100-CCS15F (servo and feedback), 4100-CCA15F (dedicated discrete I/O), 4100-CCW15F (CPU watchdog) |
| Environmental Limits | Operating 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F); storage -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F); 95% humidity non-condensing |
| Physical Dimensions and Weight | 342.9 mm x 263.6 mm x 155.7 mm (13.5 x 10.38 x 6.13 in); approximately 7.7 kg (17 lb) |
| Enclosure and Mounting | Panel mount with 1/4-20 or M6 bolts; requires NEMA Type 12/13 or 4X indoor, IP54 or IP65 rated cabinet |
| Product Lifecycle Status | Discontinued by the manufacturer; supported through surplus, refurbished and repair channels |
Main Features and Advantages
Four coordinated axes without a host PLC: The Allen-Bradley 4100-234-R executes motion and machine logic locally on its i960 processor, so a packaging cell or converting line does not depend on a supervisory PLC scan to generate profiles. Up to ten tasks run concurrently, which means indexing, registration correction, cam execution and housekeeping logic can all proceed in parallel inside a single compact chassis.
Motion profiles that protect the product, not just the machine: Beyond standard trapezoidal moves, the Allen-Bradley 4100-234-R supports parabolic and S-curve profiles that limit jerk rather than acceleration alone. On a conveyor carrying open containers or a feeder handling fragile parts, that difference is the margin between a stable product and a spill, and separate programmable acceleration and deceleration rates give engineers the freedom to tune each direction independently.
Electronic gearing and electronic cam built in: Any axis can be slaved to another at a ratio from 0.00001:1 to 9.99999:1, and the electronic cam function holds 13,000 master and 13,000 slave points for profiles expressed either as position versus time or as slave position versus master position. Combined with phase shift, advance/retard and automatic registration correction, the Allen-Bradley 4100-234-R handles high-speed cut-to-length, print registration and rotary knife work that would otherwise require an external mechanical lineshaft. An Imaginary Axis provides a command-only virtual master, ideal when a machine needs a lineshaft reference that no physical motor is attached to.
Clean analogue command and robust feedback: Four isolated 16-bit DACs deliver smooth ±10 V or ±150 mA references with software offset correction that eliminates drift in analogue servo drives, while encoder inputs accept up to 4 MHz count rates with encoder-loss detection that stops the machine safely when feedback disappears. Velocity feedforward reduces following error, programmable software travel limits add a layer of overtravel protection, and a front-panel CPU watchdog with dedicated relay output provides fail-safe supervision.
Remote I/O integration and expandable discrete capacity: With the RIO adapter fitted, the Allen-Bradley 4100-234-R becomes a node on an Allen-Bradley Remote I/O network, communicating with a master PLC through both discrete and block transfers. Onboard, 20 optically isolated dedicated inputs and 8 isolated relay outputs cover home sensors, overtravel limits, drive fault and drive enable for every axis, and up to eight Flex I/O modules can be added directly for 128 further points or for analogue expansion. Hookup diagnostics and automatic servo setup routines with self-tuning shorten commissioning considerably.
