Programming and Operating B&R ACOPOS Drives

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Introduction

B&R Automation’s ACOPOS drives are high-performance servo drive systems widely used in industrial automation for precise motion control. From factory engineers to plant owners, stakeholders rely on ACOPOS servo drives to achieve faster production cycles, improved quality, and greater precision in their machines. These drives form a core part of B&R’s integrated automation solutions and come in various series – including the ACOPOSmulti system, 8V1 single-axis servo drives, and 8I7 ACOPOSinverter series – to cover different power ranges and application needs.  Today, we’ll dive into programming and operating these drives as well as providing real world use cases. To get an ACOPOS Unit repaired or replaced contact Wake Industrial now by filling out the quote form embedded on the page or by calling 1-919-443-0207. Wake Industrial specializes in current and legacy B&R equipment and offers quick and efficient repair services backed by decades of experience.  (Note: Wake Industrial is not an authorized B&R distributor.)

Overview of the B&R ACOPOS Drive Family

B&R’s ACOPOS drive family encompasses intelligent servo drives designed for fast, precise, and robust motion control. A key performance highlight is their extremely short control cycle times – ACOPOS drives operate with communication cycle times as low as 400 µs, and control loop updates can be as fast as 50 µs. Such high-speed response allows the drives to react quickly to changing loads or production events, ensuring tight control over speed and position. ACOPOS drives are also engineered for reliability in industrial environments: all necessary electromagnetic filters are integrated to meet CE compliance, simplifying wiring and ensuring stable operation in harsh conditions. Moreover, these servo drives can automatically recognize motor parameters via an embedded data chip on compatible B&R motors, eliminating tedious manual parameter entry and significantly reducing commissioning time. In short, the ACOPOS family delivers high performance, quick setup, and durable design – attributes that make it a trusted solution for demanding automation tasks.

ACOPOSmulti System and 8BVE Expansion Modules

The 8BVE ACOPOSmulti drive system is B&R’s modular, multi-axis servo drive platform intended for complex machines with numerous coordinated axes. In an ACOPOSmulti setup, multiple servo drive modules share a common DC bus and 24 V power supply, enabling efficient power distribution across axes. The system’s scalability is enhanced by series expansion modules, which distribute the DC bus voltage and auxiliary 24 V to additional drive mounting plates. For example, the 8BVE0500HC00.000-1 features a 50 A capacity and a nominal DC bus voltage of 750 VDC, allowing it to feed multiple drives on decentralized mounting plates in a machine. With a high current fuse (50 A), a single 8BVE module can supply up to 30 kW of continuous power, providing ample headroom for high-demand multi-axis applications. This means an ACOPOSmulti system can easily support power-hungry servo axes (for example, large packaging or printing machines) by linking expansion modules to extend the DC bus across machine sections. The 8BVE modules also include dual outlets for the 24 V supply and flexible mounting options (cold plate or pass-through), making it straightforward to integrate these units into various cabinet layouts. Overall, ACOPOSmulti with 8BVE expansions offers a decentralized, high-power drive solution for machinery that requires many synchronized

8V1 ACOPOS Servo Drives (Single-Axis Motion Control)

These 8V1 ACOPOS Servo Drives are the workhorses for controlling individual servomotors in automation systems, delivering precise speed, position, and torque regulation on each axis. At its core, the 8V1 ACOPOS drive uses proven servo control technology to maintain tight velocity and torque control loops, ensuring accurate motor response under dynamic loads. Each 8V1 unit has an integrated power output stage capable of sourcing the required current to the motor without external amplifiers or boosters. This simplifies system design and reduces the footprint, as the drive directly powers the servo motor.

Communication and integration are also a strong suit of the 8V1 series. These drives support industry-standard real-time fieldbuses – including B&R’s POWERLINK network and common protocols like EtherCAT – so they can easily interface with PLCs and motion controllers on the factory floor. Engineers can configure the 8V1 for a variety of motor types and applications via software: the drive’s firmware supports programmable operating modes such as position control, velocity control, and torque control, selectable based on the needs of the process. In practice, this means you can program an 8V1 drive like the 8V1010.00-2 to hold a precise position, regulate speed, or apply a specific torque, all under closed-loop control. Precise feedback from motor encoders is fed into the drive to enable these closed-loop motion profiles and maintain accuracy.

Beyond basic control loops, the 8V1 ACOPOS drives come packed with advanced features to enhance motion performance and safety. They include regenerative braking capability, which recovers energy when the motor decelerates (improving efficiency and reducing heat). They support electronic gearing and camming functions, allowing one axis to electronically follow another or follow a virtual cam profile – useful in synchronized multi-axis machines. The drives also provide identification routines (for automatically recognizing connected motors) and have configurable I/O channels for hooking up limit switches or sensors directly to the drive. Additionally, built-in ramp generators, smoothing filters, and software limits help ensure every acceleration, deceleration, or position move is executed smoothly and safely. The 8V1 hardware is engineered for reliability under industrial conditions, with a robust construction that withstands wide ambient temperature ranges, vibration, and continuous operation. All these characteristics make the 8V1 series a versatile single-axis servo drive choice for many automation tasks.

8I7 ACOPOSinverter Series (Compact Multi-Axis Drives)

As modern machines demand more axes of motion within smaller cabinets, the 8I7 series addresses this need by packing maximum power and functionality into a minimal footprint. The 8I7 ACOPOSinverter family includes four frame sizes (designated A, B, C, and D) to accommodate different motor power levels and machine horsepower requirements. Despite their small size, all models integrate essential components like EMC filters and brake choppers within the inverter housing, so external filtering or braking resistors are often not needed for standard compliant operation. This integration reduces wiring complexity and helps keep control panels streamlined. Each 8I7 unit also features a built-in POWERLINK communication interface, enabling real-time networked control and synchronization with B&R controllers and other drives.

In terms of electrical inputs and flexibility, the 8I7 series (including the 8I74S200055.010-1) supports both single-phase and three-phase mains supplies (depending on model) in the range of ~200–240 VAC. This allows the same drive family to be used in various global power environments and machine designs. Installation and configuration are simplified by the drive’s flexible power input options and compact form factor – multiple 8I7 inverters can fit side by side in a control cabinet, and their small footprint means more axes can be incorporated without expanding the cabinet size. In fact, the high integration density of 8I7 drives often lets machine builders reduce overall control cabinet dimensions while still adding functionality. According to B&R, using these compact inverters leads to reduced machine footprints and more compact, multi-functional automation systems overall. The 8I7’s combination of power, performance, and space-saving design makes it well suited to modern, space-constrained automation projects.

Basics of Programming and Operating ACOPOS Drives

Programming B&R ACOPOS drives is usually accomplished through B&R’s integrated software environment, Automation Studio, which brings together PLC logic, motion configuration, and HMI development in one tool. The basic workflow for commissioning an ACOPOS servo drive involves adding the drive hardware into the project’s hardware configuration, setting up its parameters, and then writing control logic to command motion. Key drive parameters – such as the axis scaling, motor data, and encoder configuration – must be defined so that the logical axis in software corresponds accurately to the physical mechanics of the system. For instance, engineers will specify the mechanical transmission ratio (gear ratios, lead screw pitch, etc.) in the drive’s channel parameters; if these “mechanical translation” settings don’t match the real machine, the axis could move incorrectly or out-of-sync. Likewise, the correct feedback device (e.g. encoder type and resolution) is selected in the drive configuration so that the ACOPOS drive reads the motor’s position properly. One also configures the homing or referencing method – choosing how the axis finds its zero position – appropriate to the machine’s design (for example, homing to a sensor vs. to a hard stop). B&R provides intuitive tools and wizards within Automation Studio to guide these setup steps, reducing the learning curve for first-time users.

After configuration, programming motion control with ACOPOS drives typically utilizes standardized function blocks and logical axis commands. B&R ACOPOS supports the PLCopen motion control function blocks (such as MC_Power, MC_MoveAbsolute, MC_MoveVelocity, etc.), and B&R’s own libraries (like MAPP Motion components) can also be used for higher-level control. In practical terms, this means an engineer can write a PLC program that issues an MC_Power command to enable the servo drive, performs a homing sequence, and then executes moves by commanding target positions or speeds. The ACOPOS drive firmware handles the low-level servo loop, so from the programmer’s perspective you are working with high-level motion instructions. The drives allow motion profiles to be defined in various modes – as noted earlier, you can program the axis for position control moves, velocity ramps, or torque control applications as needed. Thanks to the ACOPOS’s support for closed-loop control, any commanded move is precisely executed: the drive constantly compares the target and actual positions via encoder feedback and adjusts motor torque in real time to minimize error.

Crucially, ACOPOS drives also include safety and diagnostic features that operators should be aware of during operation. Many ACOPOS models have Safe Torque Off (STO) inputs or support B&R’s SafeMOTION functionality (enabling safe reduced speed, safe direction, etc.), which can be integrated into the machine’s safety circuits. Operators can use B&R’s diagnostic tools or the System Diagnostics Manager (SDM) to monitor drive status, check for faults, and update firmware if required. Common tasks like tuning the servo loops can often be done automatically – ACOPOS drives will auto-tune based on motor data in many cases, especially if using B&R motors with embedded parameter chips. The ease of configuration (with auto-recognition of motor parameters) and the rich library of motion function blocks mean that developing a motion control program with ACOPOS is relatively streamlined compared to lower-level drive systems.

Maintenance and Sourcing Conclusions

Like any industrial equipment, ACOPOS drives require proper maintenance and occasional servicing to ensure long-term performance. Engineers should keep the drives’ firmware up to date (using B&R’s tools) and monitor parameters like DC bus voltage, temperatures, and error logs through the controller or diagnostic interface. In the event of a drive fault or failure, it’s important to have a plan for repair or replacement to minimize downtime.

This is where organizations like Wake Industrial come into play. Calling 1-919-443-0207 will get you in touch with a human immediately - no queue, no holding, no menus. You will receive a competitive, comprehensive quote within 15 minutes during business hours.Wake Industrial is a third-party supplier that specializes in industrial automation components – including B&R ACOPOS drive units – offering both sales of refurbished or surplus parts and repair services for damaged drives. While not an authorized B&R distributor, Wake Industrial can be a valuable resource for hard-to-find B&R’s ACOPOS servo drives – spanning the ACOPOSmulti systems with expansion modules, the versatile 8V1 single-axis drives, and the compact 8I7 inverter series. They combine fast response, accurate control, and flexible configuration capabilities that empower engineers to build cutting-edge automated machinery.

If you’d prefer to send a quote via email, simply send an email to sales@wakeindustrial.com listing the manufacturer, the part number, and your contact information. You will receive a response FAST, as soon as 15 minutes during business hours.  In summary, ACOPOS drives offer a blend of technical sophistication and practical reliability that continues to drive innovation across modern manufacturing and automation.