Mind Overmatter

Selecting a microdrive

I’ve begun reading a book that was given to me on a visit to the Maxon Motors facility in Fall River, MA. Written and distributed by Maxon, The selection of high-precision microdrives is a 13-chapter, 150+-page how-to in which author Urs Kafader details basically every nuance of designing miniature dc drives into motor-based systems.

As Kafader states in the foreword, “…the basic idea of this book is to guide along a short and direct path from the formulation of the drive problem to its solution.”

Why publish such a book? Kafader points out, again in the foreword, that while the integration of sensor technology has gained greater importance in the current “education and training of designers and engineers”, this relatively new focus has come “at the expense of practical experience in the mechanical area.” (I’ve heard this opinion before from working EEs who believe that newer crops of engineers are not being taught as much analog design as they need in their careers.)

Anyway, there are few things I really like about this book so far. First, it’s easy to understand, even though I’m not an EE. Second, and more importantly, it’s definitely a resource any EE will find useful. The descriptive book features in-depth discussion, formulas, design examples, diagrams, term definitions, and much more to make its point.

One thing the book is short on, thankfully, is the attempt to market the company’s products. There are a couple of pages dedicated to Maxon’s various product lines, but it’s a very small percentage relative to the entire book.

Currently, the company is offering the book free if you purchase one of their new Freedom Series motors, or by ordering direct from the company at www.maxonmotorusa.com/media_releases_Selection-of-High-Precision-Microdrives.html.