This section contains detailed setup instructions, including background information, for selected controller setup procedures. These sections should be thought of as reference material for the simplified Setup Check Lists that were provided earlier.
| Feature | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Describes the operation of supported absolute encoders. This includes a description of the general hardware interface, software configuration parameters, and support procedures and alarm conditions. | |
| Describes how to setup an axis such that it can turn continuously in either direction. | |
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Control Loop Tuning |
Contains a number of aids for tuning the motion control system including the current and PID servo loops. |
| Servo Code Simplified Block Diagrams. Presents block diagrams that illustrate the operation of the Servo Code. The diagrams include the Parameter Database ID numbers for the parameters that control the operation of the servo code and display the results. | |
| Current Loop Tuning. Describes the procedure for tuning the current loop for a given type of motor. | |
| Dynamic Feedforward Compensation. Describes how to setup the dynamic model of the robot and how this can significantly reduce tracking errors and cycle time (only available for selected kinematic modules). | |
| Servo Feedforward Tuning. Describes the feedforward compensation available and how these terms can be tuned to reduce tracking errors and cycle time for any robot. | |
| Contains a detail description of each of the kinematic (geometric) models that are supported. These modules permit the robot to be controlled in Cartesian coordinates even if there is complex coupling between the robot axes. | |
| Describes the parameters necessary to setup the homing sequence for each motor. The homing sequence establishes a motor's "zero position" after the controller is restarted. Also contains drawings illustrating all of the available home methods. | |
| Describes how to create correction tables that automatically compensate for repeatable, static errors in positioning a motor. | |
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Describes the conversion factors from millimeters and degrees to encoder counts including the use of coupling matrices to account for mechanical coupling between motors. |
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| Describes how to interface to motor temperature sensors and how to setup a controller to automatically monitor these temperatures to prevent motors from overheating. | |
| Describes how to protect the configuration data for a single mechanism to prevent this information from being altered. | |
| Describes the operation of the servo network and how to assign the control of robot motors to the master and slave controllers in the system. | |
| Describes how to wire and configure single phase or voice coil motors to the standard integrated amplifiers. | |
| Describes how to setup two motors that are to operate in unison ("split-axis control mode"). Typically, this is employed to control two X motors that drive the ends of a gantry robot's cross beam. | |
| Describes how to configure the controller to interface to 3rd party amplifiers. 3rd party amplifiers can either be used in addition to the integrated motor drives that are available with the Guidance family of controllers or as a replacement for the integrated drives. |