Delta ASD-A2-2023-L — ASDA-A2 Series 2.0 kW AC Servo Motor & Drive Kit, 3000 rpm / 6.37 N·m, 100mm Frame

Speed Where It Counts

Not every 2 kW servo axis needs maximum torque at low speed. Some applications demand something different — high cycle rates, fast acceleration, tight settling times, and a motor compact enough to fit where a 130mm frame simply won't go. The Delta ASD-A2-2023-L kit is built around that requirement. It pairs the ECMA-C11020RS low-inertia, 100mm frame servo motor — rated at 3,000 rpm and 6.37 N·m — with the full-featured ASD-A2-2023-L drive and matched cables, delivering a system optimized for high-speed, dynamic applications rather than heavy continuous torque.

The 100mm frame body is a meaningful size advantage on machines where mounting geometry is tight — rotary axes on small CNC machining centers, robot joints on compact SCARA systems, and feed axes on high-speed packaging equipment where the motor has to fit between structural members that a larger frame would foul. At 6.2 kg without brake, the ECMA-C11020RS is also light enough that its mass doesn't significantly contribute to the inertia of articulated arm structures.

What's in the Kit

• 1 × ECMA-C11020RS — 2.0 kW low-inertia AC servo motor, 100mm frame, 3,000 rpm
• 1 × ASD-A2-2023-L — matched 2.0 kW ASDA-A2 servo drive, 220V 3-phase input
• 1 × Encoder cable — 3m, motor to drive CN2 port
• 1 × Power cable — 3m, motor to drive U/V/W output terminals

The motor, drive, and cables are pre-matched and shipped as a verified system. The CN1 control connector is user-supplied and wired to the host PLC or motion controller during installation.

Motor Technical Specifications — ECMA-C11020RS

Drive Technical Specifications — ASD-A2-2023-L

Low Inertia, High Speed: The ECMA-C Series Advantage

The ECMA-C11020RS belongs to Delta's low-inertia motor family, and that classification has direct implications for how the axis performs under dynamic conditions.

Rotor inertia of 4.45 × 10⁻⁴ kg·m² is substantially lower than medium-inertia motors of equivalent power. This matters most during acceleration and deceleration — a lighter rotor accelerates faster for a given applied torque, and decelerates faster when braking. The power rate of 90.6 kW/s quantifies this dynamic capability: it is the rate at which the motor can build kinetic energy in the rotor, and higher values indicate better responsiveness to rapid speed changes. Combined with the ASDA-A2 drive's 1 kHz velocity response frequency and settling time below 1 ms, the result is a system that reaches commanded position quickly and stops cleanly without prolonged oscillation.

The maximum speed of 5,000 rpm — well above the 3,000 rpm rated speed — provides headroom for overshoot absorption during rapid acceleration and allows the axis to operate above base speed in applications where constant-power operation at reduced torque is acceptable. For a machine running at 3,000 rpm continuous with brief excursions to 4,500 rpm during velocity overshoot, this headroom is the difference between clean profile tracking and an overspeed fault.

The 3,000 rpm rated speed also means this motor produces its full 6.37 N·m at a higher linear velocity than equivalent-power motors running at 2,000 rpm. On a machine using a 5mm pitch ballscrew, 3,000 rpm translates to 250 mm/s of linear travel — fast enough for most cutting feed and positioning applications without requiring gear reduction.

20-Bit Encoder: 1,280,000 Counts Per Revolution as Standard

Every ECMA-C series motor ships with a 20-bit incremental encoder — 1,280,000 pulses per motor revolution — not as a premium option but as the standard configuration across the entire ASDA-A2 motor family.

The implications of this resolution play out differently at different ends of the speed range. At high speed, the encoder's high pulse density means the drive's velocity feedback loop receives a very fine-grained speed signal, producing smooth motor rotation without torque ripple. At low speed — where any coarser encoder would produce velocity quantization noise that causes the motor to cog and hunt — the 20-bit encoder provides enough resolution for stable, smooth rotation even at crawl speeds.

For positioning applications on machines with 5mm pitch ballscrews, 1,280,000 encoder counts per revolution divided by 5mm pitch yields a theoretical command resolution of 3.9 nanometers. In practice, mechanical compliance limits the achievable accuracy long before the encoder becomes the constraint — which is exactly the right design priority. The feedback system is never the limiting factor.

ASDA-A2 Drive: A Platform, Not Just a Drive

The ASD-A2-2023-L is the standard-variant drive in the ASDA-A2 platform. Understanding what that platform includes explains why many machine builders choose the A2 series even for applications that don't initially require its full feature set.

Position Register (PR) mode stores up to 64 motion profiles internally in the drive — target positions, travel speeds, acceleration ramps, dwell times, and transition triggers. A complete multi-position indexing sequence can run from the drive's internal program in response to simple digital input triggers, without the host PLC needing to output position commands. For machines that execute a fixed set of moves, PR mode offloads the motion sequencing entirely to the drive. The ASDA-Soft configuration software allows these profiles to be programmed graphically, and motion profiles can be changed instantaneously during operation.

Electronic Cam (E-CAM) synchronizes the drive's motor to an external master encoder using a user-defined cam table with up to 720 data points. The drive continuously reads the master encoder position and moves the motor to the corresponding follower position per the cam table — achieving synchronized motion that follows non-linear relationships between master and follower without a high-speed motion controller in the external PLC. Flying shear, rotary cutoff, and synchronized conveyor-to-arm transfer are the canonical E-CAM applications, but any motion that requires one axis to follow another in a defined but non-linear ratio benefits from this capability.

Auto notch filter targets mechanical resonances — the structural vibration frequencies that cause axis instability when servo loop gain is increased. The drive identifies the resonant frequency by analyzing the motor's response during normal operation and automatically places a notch filter at that frequency in the torque command path, suppressing the resonance without manual oscilloscope work. Two independent vibration suppression filters address low-frequency oscillation at the machine's working end — the kind of residual vibration that causes settling delay after a rapid move.

Capture and Compare functions provide high-speed pulse I/O for applications requiring event-triggered position capture or output triggering at a defined position. These are essential for equipment that must mark, cut, drill, or dispense at position-referenced locations on a moving workpiece — label applicators, flying drill heads, and position-synchronized output devices.

Gantry control coordinates two mechanically coupled axes — a common configuration on wide-format CNC routers, bridge-type machining centers, and large-format plotters where a single beam is driven by two motors, one at each end. The gantry function compensates for position divergence between the two axes in real time, preventing the beam from skewing under asymmetric load.

Communications: Four Paths to the Drive

The ASD-A2-2023-L handles integration at different network levels through its four communication interfaces.

RS-232 is the direct PC connection for commissioning and parameter work using Delta's ASDA-Soft software. The software provides a complete parameter editor, real-time oscilloscope monitoring of position, speed, and torque waveforms, JOG run capability, and a teach-in function for capturing positions from manual motor movement.

RS-485 enables multi-drop networking — multiple ASD-A2 drives sharing a single RS-485 bus wired to a host PLC or HMI. Each drive has an assigned station address. For multi-axis panels with four or more servo axes, RS-485 bus wiring reduces the cable count significantly compared to individual serial runs.

CANopen implements the CiA 402 motion profile standard, making the drive a standard-compliant CANopen slave compatible with any CiA 402 master. Profile position, velocity, and torque operating modes are all accessible through standardized CANopen objects. Machine builders whose PLC platforms support CANopen motion — Beckhoff, Kollmorgen, B&R, and others — can integrate the ASD-A2 into their existing control architecture without custom communication programming.

USB provides direct PC connection without an RS-232/485 adapter, using the same ASDA-Soft software. For initial setup at a workbench, USB is the most convenient connection to establish.

Sealed and Protected: IP65 at the Motor

The ECMA-C11020RS carries an IP65 rating — completely dust-tight (IP6X) and protected against direct water jets from any direction (IPX5). The oil seal fitted at the shaft exit extends this protection to the critical gap between the rotating shaft and the motor body, blocking coolant mist, cutting oil aerosol, and particulate from migrating into the bearing cavity.

For a 100mm motor installed inside a machine tool or packaging system, IP65 is the baseline protection needed to achieve reasonable service life. Without sealed bearings and an oil seal, coolant contamination in a CNC environment is a matter of when, not whether. The ECMA-C11020RS addresses this with the oil seal included as standard on the RS suffix — it is not a custom order option.

The 22mm keyway shaft with tapped screw holes provides positive coupling engagement under both directions of torque and prevents axial shaft migration. On reversing axes that change direction many times per minute, a retention screw bearing against the shaft end face is a reliable method of keeping the coupling in place without relying on interference alone.

Where This Kit Is Typically Used

The 3,000 rpm rated speed and 100mm compact frame make the ASD-A2-2023-L kit a natural fit for:

CNC machining centers and engraving machines — feed axes on small vertical machining centers, router table drives, and laser cutting systems where the motor must fit within the machine's structural envelope while delivering consistent dynamic response across the full travel range.

High-speed packaging machinery — carton indexers, form-fill-seal line drives, and product transport mechanisms where cycle rate is the primary performance metric and the motor needs to complete its positioning move cleanly within a tight time window.

Robotics and handling systems — SCARA robot joint drives, Cartesian gantry axes, and pick-and-place arm drives where the 100mm frame size allows the motor to be integrated within the robot structure rather than mounted externally.

Semiconductor and electronics assembly — die bonders, chip mounting systems, and PCB placement equipment that need fast, precise, repeatable positioning of lightweight tooling.

Printing and converting — register control axes, web-feed drives, and slitter-rewinder positioning axes where the combination of speed and the E-CAM synchronization capability reduces reliance on complex external motion control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the specific motor model that pairs with the ASD-A2-2023-L in this 3000 rpm / 6.37 N·m kit, and is it a different motor from the 2000 rpm / 9.55 N·m variant?

The motor in this 3,000 rpm kit is the ECMA-C11020RS — a 100mm frame, low-inertia, 2.0 kW motor. It is a fundamentally different motor from the ECMA-E11320RS used in the 2,000 rpm / 9.55 N·m kit. The two motors share the same power rating (2.0 kW) but differ in frame size (100mm vs. 130mm), inertia class (low vs. medium-high), rated speed (3,000 rpm vs. 2,000 rpm), and rated torque (6.37 N·m vs. 9.55 N·m). The relationship between torque and speed is governed by the fundamental power equation: power equals torque multiplied by angular velocity. Both motors produce 2 kW, but the 3,000 rpm motor achieves that power through higher speed and lower torque, while the 2,000 rpm motor uses lower speed and higher torque. Choosing between them depends on the mechanical transmission ratio, load characteristics, and physical installation constraints of the specific machine axis.

Q2: The drive model is ASD-A2-2023-L. What do the different suffix letters on ASD-A2-2023 drives mean, and does the suffix affect which motor can be paired with the drive?

The numeric portion of the drive model — 2023 — specifies the drive's rated power class (200 = 2.0 kW) and voltage class (3 = 3-phase 220V). The letter suffix indicates the communication variant:

• -L — Standard variant with RS-232 / RS-485 / USB (this kit)
• -M — Adds DMCNET high-speed network communication
• -E — EtherCAT communication interface
• -F — Full-function variant with EtherCAT and full-closed loop support via CN5

The suffix does not change the drive's electrical specifications, rated current, or compatible motor list. All ASD-A2-2023 variants pair with the same 2.0 kW 220V ECMA-series motors, including the ECMA-C11020RS. The choice of suffix is driven by which communication protocol the machine's host controller uses. For machines controlled by a PLC with RS-485 or a standard CANopen master, the -L variant is fully capable. If the machine's motion controller communicates via EtherCAT, the -E variant is required.

Q3: What additional components are needed beyond the kit to have the servo axis fully operational?

The kit provides motor, drive, and interconnecting cables. A complete panel installation additionally requires a three-phase 200–230V AC power supply with an appropriately rated circuit breaker (the ASDA-A2 manual specifies a 20A breaker for the 2.0 kW model), a 24V DC control power supply for the drive's control circuit, and a CN1 wiring harness connecting the host PLC's I/O to the drive's digital inputs and outputs. For axes with high-inertia loads or frequent rapid deceleration, a regenerative braking resistor connected to the drive's B1/B2 terminals absorbs the energy returned to the DC bus during motor braking. The drive has an internal regenerative resistor, but applications with high-inertia loads or short deceleration times may exceed its capacity — this should be evaluated against the duty cycle during system design. A noise filter on the input supply is also recommended for EMC compliance in installations where conducted emissions could affect other equipment on the same supply.

Q4: The kit motor has no holding brake. What applications require the brake-equipped variant, and which motor model should be specified instead?

The standard ECMA-C11020RS is the no-brake, oil-seal, keyway variant designated by the RS suffix. A holding brake is required on any axis where gravity could cause the load to move when the servo drive is de-energized — vertical Z-axes on machining centers, elevated gantry arms, and any mechanism that is held in a raised position during normal pauses in operation. The brake holds the motor shaft stationary when 24V DC is removed (power-off brake design), preventing uncontrolled axis drop on e-stop or power loss. The brake-equipped equivalent of the ECMA-C11020RS retains the same frame size, shaft diameter, electrical winding, and encoder specifications, but adds approximately 0.5 kg to the motor weight and increases rotor inertia to 4.95 × 10⁻⁴ kg·m². Crucially, the holding brake is designed only to hold a stationary shaft — it is not a service brake and must not be used to decelerate a rotating motor, as doing so rapidly wears the brake lining and causes premature failure.

Q5: How does the ASD-A2-2023-L's Position Register (PR) mode work, and is it practical for a machine without a high-end motion controller?

PR mode stores up to 64 motion profiles directly in the drive's internal memory. Each profile specifies a target position, travel speed, acceleration time, deceleration time, dwell time, and the trigger condition for the next move. A simple PLC — even one with no dedicated motion control instructions — can trigger a complete positioning sequence by toggling a single digital output wired to the drive's CN1 input. The drive executes the full profile autonomously: accelerates, travels to position, decelerates, settles, and signals completion back to the PLC via a digital output. The ASDA-Soft software allows profiles to be programmed graphically on a PC, then downloaded to the drive and stored permanently. For machines that repeat a defined set of moves — a rotary index table cycling through fixed stations, a material feed axis moving fixed distances, or a multi-step insertion mechanism — PR mode is entirely practical as the primary motion control architecture, with the PLC managing the workflow logic (part present, cycle complete, fault handling) rather than issuing real-time position commands.

The Delta ASD-A2-2023-L kit pairs the ECMA-C11020RS 100mm low-inertia servo motor with the ASDA-A2 2.0 kW drive and 3m matched cables. Rated torque values are continuous permissible values at 0–40°C ambient temperature with appropriate heatsinking per Delta's installation guidelines. Always allow DC bus discharge time (minimum 10 minutes after power-off) before working on drive wiring or connectors.