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Programming the Thomson Electrac Linear Actuator - ACM and AFM Data Frames

Posted by Wilfried Voss on

Thomson Electrac HD Linear Actuator Motion Control per CAN Bus

This post represents an excerpt of  Thomson Electrac HD Linear Actuator Motion Control per CAN Bus. The application note is available in eBook and Kindle format, and it includes a free downloadable source code. More Information...

In this post, I am explaining the Actuator Control Message (ACM) and Actuator Feedback Message (AFM).

Thomson Electrac Linear Actuator - ACM Design

The ACM data frame (PGN) controls:

  • Position Command
  • Current Limit
  • Speed Command
  • Motion Enable Signal

The architecture of the ACM message and its parameters is explained adequately in the user manual.

Reference: Page 24, “5.2.4 SAE J1939 actuator control message (ACM)” in the user manual.

The programming/coding of the actuator control message (ACM) is demonstrated in chapter Building the Actuator Control Message (ACM).

Thomson Electrac Linear Actuator - AFM Interpretation

In turn, the actuator provides feedback per AFM such as:

  • Measured Position
  • Measured Current
  • Running Speed
  • Voltage Error
  • Temperature Error
  • And more...

The architecture of the AFM message and its parameters is explained adequately in the user manual.

The programming/coding of the actuator feedback message (AFM) is demonstrated in chapter Handling the Actuator Feedback Message (AFM).


Arduino-Based ECU Development Board With Dual CAN Bus Interface

Arduino-Based ECU Development Board With Dual CAN Bus Interface

Leverage the power of an ARM Cortex M3 32-bit processing capability in combination with a dual CAN Bus interface to create your next CAN Bus or SAE J1939 application or prototype. By combining our dual CAN port interface, the Arduino DUE microcontroller, an OBD2 or SAE J1939 cable, and open-source software libraries you are ready to go with powerful a turn-key Arduino-based dual CAN bus solution.

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Programming the Thomson Electrac Linear Actuator - Sleep Mode

This post represents an excerpt of  Thomson Electrac HD Linear Actuator Motion Control per CAN Bus. The application note is available in eBook and Kindle format, and it includes a free downloadable source code. More Information... In this post, I am explaining the actuator's sleep mode, which, if not fully understood, may cause some headache during the development [...]

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ESP32 DC Motor PWM Speed Control (Pulse Width Modulation) - The Hidden Facts

Lately, I have worked on two projects requiring DC motor control per PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). What both projects had in common was a profound lack of documentation regarding PWM control, specifically the side effects that have a significant impact on the programming.  This post aims to point to these quirks that may cause considerable headaches [...]

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Thomson Electrak HD Linear Actuator - Multiple Actuators in the Same Network Will Empty the Batteries

Back in April 2022, I published a post,  Thomson Electrak Linear Actuator with SAE J1939 Interface for Railway and Industrial Applications with the intention to use the gained knowledge and publish it in form of an application report. However, after months of working with this product (time frame, not efforts), I still discovered what I call [...]

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