Abstract:
System and method for utilizing a drawing specification for motion control. A plurality of elements in a drawing specification may be automatically identified. The elements may include one or more lines, polygons, arcs, splines, alphanumeric characters, and/or ellipses. Additionally, the drawing specification may be a drawing or digital drafting file, e.g., an AutoCAD file, among others. An order of the plurality of elements may be automatically determined according to a sorting algorithm. The sorting algorithm may include a geometric and/or radial sorting algorithm. The radial sorting algorithm may specify the order of the elements according to nesting, e.g., nesting order and depth, and/or distance from the center of the drawing specification. Code may be automatically generated for implementing motion control based on the identified elements and the determined order. The generated code may include inserted operations such as raise, lower, and move operations, among others.
Abstract:
System and method for utilizing drawing specifications for use in motion control. Elements in a drawing specification may be automatically identified. The drawing specification may include one or more drawings, digital files, AutoCAD drafting files, and/or drawing specifications. Code may be automatically generated based on the one or more elements in accordance with a schema, and may include instructions in a data representation language, e.g., a markup language such as HTML, XML, etc. The automatically generated code may include move operations, e.g., arc, contour, line, raise, lower, halt, begin, etc., with associated parameters, e.g., move constraints, digital outputs, position compares, etc. The schema may include one or more blocks, each associated with a portion of the drawing specification, one or more elements, each associated with a block, one or more move operations, each associated with an element, and one or more parameters, each associated with a move operation.
Abstract:
System and method for automatically updating a memory map coupled to or included in a programmable controller (PrC). A PrC may automatically detect at least one programmable hardware element (PHE) coupled to the PrC. The PHE may provide a customizable interface, i.e., input and output (I/O) interface, between one or more devices and the PrC. The devices may include one or more measurement, data acquisition, signal generation, automation, motion control, and/or analysis device(s), among others. The PHE may perform one or more functions on the data transmitted between the device(s) and the PrC. One or more of the PHEs and/or device(s) may be local or remote to the PrC. The PrC may automatically update the memory map based on a hardware I/O interface of the at least one programmable hardware element, where the memory map facilitates communications between programs executing on the PrC and the programmable hardware element.
Abstract:
System and method for modifying properties of tasks on a programmable logic controller. Input specifying modification of a property of a task included in a programmable logic controller (PLC) may be received. The property of the task may be modified based on the input, and the task may halt or continue to execute in accordance with the modified property. The modification may enable, disable, modify the rate of, modify the priority of, and/or modify properties of programs included in the task, among others. Modifying the programs may include changing the program execution order. When enabling or disabling the task, the input may be received from another task executing on the PLC. For at least some property modifications, the input may be received from one or more of a program included in the task, another executing task, a host computer system, and a user of the host computer system, among others.
Abstract:
A motion control system and method for configuring a motion controller drive. The system may comprise a motion controller coupled through a digital communication link to the motion controller drive. The motion controller drive includes a reconfigurable portion that is configurable with, for example, different communication protocols for communication with different motion controllers.
Abstract:
A user may utilize a prototyping environment to create a sequence of motion control, machine vision, and/or data acquisition (DAQ) operations, e.g., without needing to write or construct code in any programming language. For example, the environment may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling the user to develop/prototype the sequence at a high level, by selecting from and configuring a sequence of operations using the GUI. The prototyping environment application may then be operable to automatically, i.e., programmatically, generate graphical program code implementing the sequence. For example, the environment may generate a standalone graphical program operable to perform the sequence of operations.