What information is required by Support?

Topic:

What information helps maxon (and finally you) to provide a most efficient support focused on your application, system, and components in use? 

Situation:

maxon is strongly interested to provide support not just for the maxon product itself but also taking you concrete application and system environment into account. If you just mention that there is an error state present or something not behaving like expected, there might be an endless number of possible root causes. This often can result in a long list of different hints which finally might not be relevant for your application or system. There might also be the need for a lot of further inquiries vice-versa until we finally hit the point and get the required understanding of your system by our support engineers.

Solution:

Please try to provide us as much information as possible even by your initial request. Typically we need the following information and data to get a better understanding of possible root causes and relevant facts and hints.

1. Mandatory: Problem description

   • What is going wrong or does not work like expected?
   • How have you tested or recognized this?
   • Are there some error messages present?
     If so, please provide the error number of screenshots.
      

2. Mandatory: Part number of the motor combination

   Part number of the motor combination in use means incl. gearbox and encoder!
   If there is no maxon motor or encoder in use, please provide us the data sheets or a web link.
    

3. Mandatory: Product name or part number of the controller
   

   This is not required if you provide the controller's configuration file.
    

4. Mandatory: Configuration file of the controller

   This is the main important source of information and can easily be exported to a file from maxon controllers by the usage of maxon's "Studio" Software.
   Please always attach the configuration file of your controller!
   The configuration file holds a lot of information. If we do not get this file, we have to ask a lot of information step by step otherwise. There is also no(!) need to make screenshots of configuration settings if you provide the configuration file. We will know about the part number of the controller and the firmware version in use by this file. Providing this file saves a lot of extra documentation by you and makes support more efficient and goal-oriented.
   
   
• All EPOS4, EPOS2, EPOS and IDX, MCD product types:
  EPOS Studio -> "Parameter Export/Import" wizard -> "Export Parameters to File"
  => *.dcf configuration file
  Find more information by the guide document
  "EPOS / IDX: Export of parameter configuration in a *.dcf file"
  
  
• All ESCON product types:
  ESCON Studio -> Menu item "File" -> "Upload Parameters" 
  => *.edc configuration file
  Find more information by the guide document
  "ESCON: Export / Upload of the configuration"
  
  
• MAXPOS:
  Find more information by the guide document
  "MAXPOS: Export / Upload of the configuration"
  => *.mxpj configuration file
  
• All MACS controller types:
  Find more information by the guide document
  "MACS: Export of the diagnostic report?"
  => *.txt diagnostics report 
   

5. Helpful: Supply voltage
   

   Please let us know the supply voltage in use for the controller.
    

6. Helpful: Type of application

   Let us learn a little bit about your type of application and the drive's tasks and requirements, e.g. by providing a web link of your product's website.
    

7. Case-by-case: Master & Commanding
   

   If the maxon controller (e.g. EPOS2, EPOS4, or MAXPOS) is commanded by bus (e.g. USB, RS232, CAN, EtherCAT), please let us know what master system (e.g. PC, PLC, Microcontroller, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, ???) and software you have in use.
     

8. Case-by-case: Power supply

   A data sheet or web link of the power supply in use might be required to clarify some details in case of failed tuning, bad control behaviour, or problems during acceleration or deceleration.
    

9. Case-by-case: Wiring diagrams and/or photos

   A wiring diagram and even photos of the wiring will help to clarify some details in case of a malfunction or error states related to the motor, hall sensors, or encoder.
     

10. Case-by-case: Data recording files
    

    If you struggle with some problems concerning tuning or motion profiles, try to provide data recording files by the data recording tool of the controller's Studio software if possible. Do not just provide screenshots but the data files by right-clicking into the graphics and exporting the data file.
     

11. Case-by-case: Anything else
    

    Please provide any additional information which you think will help us to get the same understanding of your system and cause of your issue like you have sitting in front of your application, the components and knowing about the interaction and wiring of each.

Englisch and German PDF copy of the content above: