Kollmorgen FC-985CT-BF Industrial Network Interface for ServoSTAR 300

Kollmorgen FC-985CT-BF Industrial Network Interface for ServoSTAR 300 Systems: Bridging the Industrial Data Link in Smart Factory Environments

The Kollmorgen FC-985CT-BF is a high-performance servo drive communication interface module designed for the ServoSTAR 300 series, engineered to serve as a critical node in the industrial data chain connecting field-level devices, motion controllers, and supervisory systems. In modern smart manufacturing environments, the ability to transmit real-time motion data, process feedback signals, and execute remote diagnostics across a unified network architecture is no longer optional — it is the foundation of operational excellence. The FC-985CT-BF delivers precisely this capability, enabling seamless integration between servo axes, PLC controllers, SCADA platforms, and HMI systems through robust EtherCAT and CANopen communication protocols.

From the moment a motion command is issued at the SCADA or HMI level, the FC-985CT-BF ensures that the signal travels with minimal latency through the network backbone, reaching the ServoSTAR 300 drive and translating into precise torque, velocity, or position control at the motor shaft. This closed-loop data flow — from command generation to encoder feedback and back to the supervisory layer — is what defines the intelligence of a connected production line.

Network Communication Table

Connected Automation Data Flow

In a typical smart factory deployment, the FC-985CT-BF sits at the intersection of multiple automation layers. At the field level, Kollmorgen AKM series servo motors generate encoder pulses and thermal feedback that are captured and processed by the ServoSTAR 300 drive. The FC-985CT-BF’s EtherCAT interface then transmits this real-time position and velocity data upstream to a Beckhoff CX series EtherCAT master or a Siemens S7-1500 PLC equipped with a CM PTP communication module, where motion profiles are coordinated across multiple axes.

For multi-axis synchronization applications — such as gantry systems, winding machines, or robotic assembly cells — the FC-985CT-BF enables the ServoSTAR 300 to participate in distributed clock synchronization, ensuring sub-microsecond timing alignment with other EtherCAT slaves on the same ring topology. This is particularly valuable when coordinating with Kollmorgen AKD series drives or third-party EtherCAT-compatible inverters on the same motion bus.

On the CANopen side, the FC-985CT-BF supports the CiA 402 drive profile, allowing integration with Omron NJ/NX series machine controllers or Schneider Electric Modicon M340 PLCs via CANopen master modules. Process data objects (PDOs) carry cyclic setpoint and actual-value data, while service data objects (SDOs) handle parameter configuration and diagnostics — all without interrupting the real-time control loop.

At the supervisory level, SCADA systems such as Wonderware InTouch or Ignition by Inductive Automation connect to the PLC layer via OPC-UA or Modbus TCP gateways, pulling drive status, fault codes, and energy consumption data from the ServoSTAR 300 through the FC-985CT-BF interface. HMI panels — including Weintek cMT series or Siemens TP700 Comfort — display live axis position, speed trends, and alarm histories, giving operators full visibility into machine behavior without physical access to the control cabinet.

Remote I/O expansion modules, such as Beckhoff EK1100 EtherCAT couplers with EL series I/O terminals, can be daisy-chained on the same EtherCAT segment as the FC-985CT-BF, extending digital and analog I/O capacity to sensors, proximity switches, and pneumatic valve islands distributed across the production floor. Edge gateways — for example, Moxa UC-8100 series industrial computers — can tap into this data stream to perform local analytics, anomaly detection, and cloud forwarding for IIoT dashboards, completing the data chain from motor shaft to enterprise MES.

Solving Data Isolation in Industrial Sites

One of the most persistent challenges in industrial automation is the coexistence of legacy equipment running proprietary protocols alongside modern EtherCAT or CANopen networks. The FC-985CT-BF addresses this directly by providing a standardized, open-protocol interface that allows the ServoSTAR 300 to communicate natively with a wide range of controllers and gateways — eliminating the need for custom protocol converters or middleware that introduce latency and single points of failure.

Data silos — where servo drive diagnostics, energy data, and fault histories are trapped inside the drive and inaccessible to the plant’s SCADA or MES — are broken down by the FC-985CT-BF’s transparent data mapping. Every parameter accessible via the drive’s internal register map can be exposed as a CANopen object or EtherCAT process data variable, making it available to any connected supervisory system in real time.

For remote monitoring applications, the FC-985CT-BF enables plant engineers to read drive temperature, DC bus voltage, output current, and fault status from a central control room or even a mobile device connected through a secure VPN to the plant network. This eliminates the need for on-site inspection of individual drives during routine checks, reducing maintenance labor and enabling predictive maintenance strategies based on trend analysis of drive health parameters.

Production line transparency is further enhanced by the FC-985CT-BF’s support for cyclic data exchange at deterministic intervals. Unlike asynchronous communication methods that can introduce jitter and data loss, EtherCAT’s distributed clock mechanism ensures that every data sample is time-stamped and delivered in sequence, providing SCADA historians with accurate, gap-free records of machine performance. This data integrity is essential for quality traceability in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, food processing, and electronics manufacturing.

System expansion is straightforward: additional ServoSTAR 300 drives equipped with FC-985CT-BF modules can be added to an existing EtherCAT ring or CANopen segment without reconfiguring the master controller’s communication stack. The plug-and-play nature of the EtherCAT protocol means that new axes are automatically detected and enumerated by the master, reducing commissioning time from hours to minutes.

Industrial Connectivity FAQ

Q1: What is the communication latency of the FC-985CT-BF in an EtherCAT network?
EtherCAT achieves cycle times as low as 100 microseconds with distributed clock synchronization accuracy better than 1 microsecond. The FC-985CT-BF supports these cycle times natively, making it suitable for high-speed motion control applications where deterministic data delivery is critical. Actual latency in a deployed system depends on the number of nodes on the segment and the master controller’s cycle configuration.

Q2: Is the FC-985CT-BF compatible with both EtherCAT and CANopen simultaneously?
The FC-985CT-BF is a dedicated communication option card for the ServoSTAR 300 platform. Depending on the specific firmware and hardware configuration, it supports either EtherCAT or CANopen as the primary fieldbus interface. For multi-protocol environments, protocol gateways such as HMS Anybus communicators can bridge between the drive’s active fieldbus and other plant networks including PROFIBUS, PROFINET, or Modbus TCP.

Q3: How is network stability ensured in high-vibration or electrically noisy industrial environments?
The FC-985CT-BF is designed to meet industrial EMC standards, with shielded connector interfaces and robust signal isolation to minimize the impact of electrical noise from variable frequency drives, welding equipment, and high-current switching devices. EtherCAT’s physical layer uses standard Ethernet cabling with 100BASE-TX, and proper cable routing, grounding, and shielding practices further ensure network stability in demanding environments.

Q4: What does the 12-month warranty cover, and how is pre-shipment testing conducted?
Every FC-985CT-BF unit supplied by ZYPLC undergoes functional verification testing prior to shipment, including communication protocol handshake testing, parameter read/write validation, and power-on self-test confirmation. The 12-month warranty covers manufacturing defects and functional failures under normal operating conditions. Our technical team provides post-sale support for integration questions, firmware compatibility checks, and replacement coordination to minimize production downtime.

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