FAQs

Cardinal Kinetic brings a collaboration of Expertise, Talents, and Resources which are "pooled" together amongst 3 successful and complementary Companies - to create deliverables which are unparalleled by any other single company. Three minds are always better than one.

InoDrive steps beyond old barriers and paradigms of control panels, PLCs, and congested wiring, allowing distributed automation solutions which interface with "state of the art" Computers, SBCs, and a growing selection of smart devices.

Most stepper motor solutions are Marginally programmable, generally with low level move commands, and lacking in special features, thus often dependent upon an additional controller.  InoDrive packs all capabilities into a bulletproof package, and servos speed range is 3x or 4x that of a Stepper motor.

Virtually all multi-Axis controllers require a control panel, sometimes an additional PLC, with costly cabling runs.  InoDrives are robust, field mounted devices, local to the motion systems and daisy chained via internal Ethernet Switch and standard CAT5/6 media, reducing overall installed cost.  Furthermore, status indicators on the InoDrives provide diagnostics on the equipment, not buried in a remote panel.

InoDrive utilizes “InoSync” to handle deterministic Motion communications, and widely accepted Modbus TCP for control of VFDs, Remote I/O, HMIs, etc.   Options for EIP exist, however the market is increasingly calling for communication APIs for PCs and SBCs (ie. Raspberry Pi) and other Smart devices, and these APIs are provided by InoDrive and InoWorx.

Cardinal Kinetic offers a Cloud based software IDE called “InoWorx” -  for InoDrive system development, data collection, and remote diagnostics/maintenance.  There is no simpler and more universal way to achieve these goals/capabilities than to have the software reside in the Cloud.  Don’t be intimidated by the word “Cloud”...it’s not outer space, it’s Web friendly computing systems that interact and communicate seamlessly with Web browsers, Cellular systems, and the Global Internet.  This approach also protects companies by centralizing the development efforts of multiple design engineers. 

These terms describe the new “4th Revolution” in Manufacturing and Computer based Automation, where data and trending information is transmitted to and from Smart/Edge devices throughout the environment (often via MQTT), eliminating controller bottlenecks, thus increasing productivity and allowing systems to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Smart devices such as Robotic controllers, Sensors, Transducers - are increasingly becoming Ethernet based and Web accessible. 

Yes indeed.  Whether it be Ethernet based HMI, or a Raspberry Pi, a PC, or a mobile device, InoDrive can connect easily.  In fact, the highly unique feature of an embedded “Ethernet switch” means that InoDrive can be simply inserted into virtually any Ethernet network without the nuisance and cost associated with Ethernet switches.

InoDrive includes what most other control do not.   It includes the Switch, the rugged construction, the I/O, the Safe Torque Off, the Motion routines, the Brake control, AC or DC brushless motor control, the UL Listing, and the InoWorx program features…..All in one package.