Motion Project Example: Cartesian Robot

The following example show how to set a cartesian robot properties using softMC Configurator and how to make circular movement using it.

Download Example Files

Description	Download
Download the ZIP example file, extract all the project files, open the project with ControlStudio, and run the example. Refer to the file descriptions and instructions in the following sections.

System Setup

This example uses the following system:

• softMC 7
• Three CDHD drives connected to three linear motors
• Cartesian robot (XYZ)
• Computer with ControlStudio and softMC Configurator.
• Example files - Programs, setups, properties and more (See below for descriptions)
• Wiring as shown in image below:
  

The motor parameters are calculated according to the manufacture formulas as appear in the Excel file.

	NOTE
	When using drives other than CDHD, you must insert the motor pitch value, provided by the motor manufacture, to the softMC Configurator, to obtain a suitable Position Factor.

softMC Configurator

To upload the example setups to sofMC Configurator, open the example .mcfg file from the softMC Configurator.

After creating all project files with softMC Configurator or uploading an existing project, you can run your robot from ControlStudio or from softMC Configurator.

This example generates a circular movement using an MC-Basic program, from the ControlStudio terminal.

For more information on how to set up Cartesian robot parameters using softMC Configurator, refer to 3-Axis Group Setup in EtherCAT Network.

Running The Program

To upload the example setups to ControlStudio, open the example .apj file from the ControlStudio.
Once all required files are uploaded to your controller, use the ControlStudio terminal to enter the following instructions and run the example:

-->reset all
-->load AUTOEXEC.PRG   'wait until the program terminates
-->load CIRCLE.PRG
-->Stas CIRCLE.PRG     'when the program ends, you can find motion record file (CIRCLE.REC) in the controller

File Descriptions

User Files
File Name	Description	Upload to Controller
Properties table	Excel matrix that contain the information that you need to setup your robot. Notice which information you need to import from your system.	−
CONFIG.PRG	MC-Basic program that define the basic data so that ControlStudio and sofMC Configurator will work.	+
HOMING.PRG	Execute homing procedure for each axis.	+
AUTOEXEC.PRG	Execute startPRG.PRG program and HOMING.PRG program.	+
CIRCLE.PRG	Basic circular movement program	+

softMC Configurator files - DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGE
File Name	Description	Upload to Controller
AX_SETUP.PRG	Axes parameters setup program	+
CANSETUP.PRG	CANopen communication parameter setup program	+
EC_CDHD.LIB	EtherCat communication function and subroutine with CDHD library file	+
EC_USER.LIB	EtherCat communication function and subroutine library file	+
ETHERCAT.LIB	EtherCat communication function and subroutine library file	+
ECCONFIG.PRG	EtherCat configuration program	+
EC_SETUP.PRG	EtherCat communication setup program	+
RobLib.LIB	Robot function and subroutine library file	+
ROBOT.PRG	Robot parameter setup program	+
STARTPRG.PRG	Program that runs all other softMC Configurator programs	+
cartXYZ.apj	Project file - allowed to load an existing project from ControStudio.	−
cartXYZ.mcfg	Project file - allowed to load an existing project from softMC Configurator.	−
cartXYZ.dat	General project files	−
cartXYZ.asn		−
cartXYZ.pse		−