Product Description:

Bosch Rexroth Indramat manufactured the VT 17173-52. The VT 17173-52 proportional amplifier is where reliability and usefulness really shine. That's because it performs consistently well within a pretty broad range of electrical conditions. You can supply it with anything from 22 VDC to 35 VDC—though it runs best at 24 VDC. That flexibility in supply voltage doesn't come at the cost of internal stability. But if you do push the voltage too high or too low, you'll see the semiconductor components get stressed. That can lead to inadequate signal processing, actuator underperformance, or even dielectric failure. The power consumption is very manageable 25 VA, which means the power supply upstream doesn't have to work as hard. That's because the amplifier is designed to use energy efficiently. When you limit the current consumption to less than 1 A, you get precise coordination between power draw and thermal management. The amplifier has two inputs for precise control and signal interface. Each one is designed to support different industrial control applications. One of those inputs is a single-ended 0 to +9 V input in relation to the M0 reference. That controls the proportional valve directly.

The linear mapping of voltage to valve position ensures fine precision in flow or pressure control. The second input is differential, ranging from 0 to +10 V. That differential arrangement really improves signal integrity in areas with a lot of electromagnetic interference. The high 100 kΩ input resistance reduces loading effects on the controller's analog output. You can adjust the actuator response over time with a tunable biasing current and ramp time. The ramp time—determined by jumper S1—can be set to either 30 ms, 1 s or 5 s. That helps smooth out the movement profile of the valve, preventing hydraulic shocks and lowering mechanical wear. You'd use longer ramp lengths for applications with delicate dynamics and shorter settings for fast-response setups.

The biasing current, which you can adjust using a potentiometer R130 from 10 mA to 300 mA, is also essential for removing static friction from the valve mechanism. Inside the amplifier, you can choose a variable clock frequency of either 100 Hz or 200 Hz (±10%) via jumper S2. That controls how quickly the solenoid drive signals and internal control logic are updated. A higher frequency can give you faster system responsiveness, which is crucial for applications that need quick control loop updates. The solenoid converts electrical current into magnetic force for valve actuation by energizing a 19.5 Ω coil at 20°C with a nominal current of 800 mA (±10% / -5%). You can use Ohm's Law to predict the voltage drop across the coil, which is essential for diagnostics and circuit design. There are test points to measure the solenoid current (0 to 800 mV for 0 to 800 mA ±10 mA) and the command value (0 to +6 V representing 0 to +9 V input). That lets you do in-situ diagnostics without interfering with system functionality.