[Drew]

I got a digital brushless drive and got completely confused with the AC and DC brushless motors. The drive I have is a Parker/MTS Max-Plus FLX 2 axis model MP-FLX230/X08/Y08.
http://www.parkermotion.com/new_ulm/pdf/FLX.pdf
This is a controller/amp unit that will take step/dir or analog commands and motor feedback.
I really need to know the most common answer to these questions in regards to a digital amp and if you know an answer about the amp I have.
Does brushless usually mean that's its DC?
Ok can an amp run ac and dc motors?
If an amp has plus and minus bus voltage terminals is it a dc amp?
If an amp has hall code terminals is it a dc amp?
Is halls feedback necessary for most amps or will just encoders do?
Has the faster processor speed in 'newer' amps been the reason that tachs and halls are not needed?
I really want to learn about servo systems use with digital(step/dir) commands.
Thanks Drew
I'm not crazy but crazy people never think they are the crazy ones.

[Al_The_Man]

I got a digital brushless drive and got completely confused with the AC and DC brushless motors.

AC & DCBL are virtually identical in construction, three stator windings, AC are usually commutated with an AC sinusoidal signal which is the case of the drives shown, so they are AC.
DCBL also has three stator winding like an AC servo but only 2 windings are energised at a time, hence DC brushless, with trapezoidal or square wave power, commutated by hall effect detectors.
Both types are fed from the same type DC power supply.

Is halls feedback necessary for most amps or will just encoders do?
.

Hall effect (or equivalent) are required by DCBL, AC can also use halls for initial detection and switch over to encoder for sinusoidal commutation, AC can also use a resolver instead.

Has the faster processor speed in 'newer' amps been the reason that tachs and halls are not needed?

Tachs were used mainly on the older DC brushed drives that were velocity style, modern drives are used in the Torque or current mode.
BTW step/dir and digital are two separate methods.
Al.

[Drew]

Thanks Al
Just to be clear in my mind I take it that you said the MP-FLX is an AC sinusoidal commutation drive.

BTW step/dir and digital are two separate methods

Would you say that a position loop and digital are basically the same?
When I think of digital to me its some sort of pulse that relates to encoder counts.
But I tend to be clueless sometimes till the answer hits me like a ton of bricks.

I don't currently have an application for the MP-FLX other than my education.
I needed some hands-on time as I find that is how I learn best.
I looked at the brushless.pdf you posted and not saying that I understand all of it but it enlightens me some.
Drew

[Al_The_Man]

The PDF does state sinusoidal output.
Digital usually refers to the command signal, these accept digital value command over the Delta-Tau type bus interface, as well as ±10v analogue and step/dir.
The position loop could be considered one of these control command signals and the encoder feedback to the controller.
Al.