AB Ultra 3000 in follower mode

I am trying to set up an Allen Bradley Ultra 3000 in follower mode. I want to synchronize a servo driven spindle to a moving slide. My concern is the number of preset gear ratios.

Anybody know if there is a way to add more than the eight available ratios? Or is there a way to make one of the values variable like perhaps an integer (N7) that I could input from a PLC? I will have a ML1000 on the machine and could use a HIM to input a number that could be manipulated into a gear ratio which I would import to the drive.

I am trying to keep this as simple as possible to keep the cost down but at the same time i would like to offer as many different gear ratios as possible.

I believe the number of preset gear ratios is fixed HOWEVER there are ways to change Ultra 3000 parameters on-the-fly. The most obvious is with Devicenet but this of course requires that you have an Ultra 3000 with Devicenet option.

I have had very good luck changing drive parameters over the serial connection (RS232 or 485) using ASCII commands. This functionality works flawlessly if set up correctly. I would strongly recommend that you use a protocol converter between your PLC and the Ultra, rather than trying to program all the ASCII commands in ladder logic. The G3 series HMI from Red Lion has an Ultra 3000 driver and will also talk to Allen-Bradley PLCs. So for $500-1000 you can have exactly the setup you describe--either a gear ratio could be entered directly on the HMI or it could be read from the PLC and transferred to the drive.

Refer also to this thread: http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=22687

I recently worked in a cell with a Ultra3000i drive with devicenet comms.
They used the dnet network to get the status and the feedback from the servo.
And to send the start stop and the position to move with the motion instruction but it was done with the preset position group.
As you can retrieve the servo feedback you might be able to change those parameters.
I downloaded the 2098-RM001C-EN-P manual which complies the ultra drive with dnet.
Hope that help.