Help with CIM motor locking system?

[rich2202]

There is a setting on the Motor Controller that allows or resists free wheeling of the motor. It is called "brake" or "coast" mode. That mode may provide enough resistance to prevent the arm from moving.

You can also use encoders on the motor to PID control the position to hold the arm in place.

[adciv]

Placing a CIM in brake will not stop it completely. Brake mode turns the permanent magnet motor into a permanent magnet generator.

What you can do is operate the CIM at stall (using a PID for instance) and hold an arm in place. We did this a few years ago with our drive train a few years ago.

[CryptoStorm]

If you look at the video its clearly a cim connected to a standard gear box. a chain and sprockets deliver torque to a shaft going through the arm..

Its too hard to follow, however, if it were me and i was using this setup:

I'd attach a single turn pot to the end of the arm shaft and create a PID program to control the CIM output to match the analog value of the pot to a user defined value. pressing up increases the user defined value, pressing down decreases it.