Galil Startup

[K&T EB]

I have a camsoft pc control with Galil DMC-18X2 motion card and 2900 ICM, when I start up my computer the anolog servo signal and the enable signals all go high and my machine runs away. At some time through the boot up the servo signal go's to zero but the amp enable stays high all the time. I have them on a manual switch for the time being. I know I can have camsoft enable the amps but I would rather not waste the output, any suggestions on how to make the motion card wait and enable the amps at the right time?

Thanks
Jeremy

[Karl_T]

On my machines, I don't allow an Estop reset until the control is up and running. This prevents any startup weirdness, but uses an output. To do this just put one of the outs in the Estop circuit and turn it on in startup.fil. Also, turn it off in shutdown.fil

It sounds like you're trying to get by without an IO card. You may try asking Galil. They have a great forum on their website.

Karl

[Al_The_Man]

As mentioned, the best way is to provide an E-stop to prevent the drives being enabled.
Another, is to use the BN to save the controller parameters in eprom, by saving the MO, motors-off command.
Once the system is ready a SH turns them back on, this is the software method.
Al.

[Farmers Machine]

I called cam soft and they had me to put a jumper across the MO terminals on the Galil board to not allow the motors to start until they were enabled. created a new button on the control called "Enable Drives" with the M function to enable MOTOR ON and it stopped the jumping on start up. call Ernie at cam soft and he will explain exactly how to do this.
good luck
The Farmer

[Al_The_Man]

What input would that be? I don't recall ever coming across a Motor Off input?
Either individual or combined.
Unless you mean AMPEN, but these are outputs to the drives?
Al.

[K&T EB]

Al,
The outputs I was referring to where the AMPEN, these are always high when the PC is on. I would like them to stay low until the motion card or camsoft is ready to control the servos.

Farmer,
Where was the M function, was this part of the startup.fil?

All that being said I think I will use the E stop method, this sounds the safest.

Thanks for the help.

[Karl_T]

There's quite a discussion in the Galil manual on the AEN signal and how it can be set up and used. I placed a clip of it below along with a print screen of the drawing. You can set this function up many different ways to meet your needs.

For the Mcode "the Farmer" was referring to, read up on User Defined Buttons. One of Camsoft's most powerful features, you can quickly add most any custom logic needs.

Karl














Amplifier Interface

The DMC-1700/1800 analog command voltage, MOCMD, ranges between +/-10V. This signal, along with GND,

provides the input to the power amplifiers. The power amplifiers must be sized to drive the motors and load. For

best performance, the amplifiers should be configured for a current mode of operation with no additional

compensation. The gain should be set such that a 10 Volt input results in the maximum required current.

The DMC-1700/1800 also provides an amplifier enable signal, AEN. This signal changes under the following

conditions: the watchdog timer activates, the motor-off command, MO, is given, or the OE1command (Enable Off-

On-Error) is given and the position error exceeds the error limit. As shown in Figure 3-4, AEN can be used to

disable the amplifier for these conditions.

The standard configuration of the AEN signal is TTL active high. In other words, the AEN signal will be high when

the controller expects the amplifier to be enabled. The polarity and the amplitude can be changed if you are using

the ICM-1900interface board. To change the polarity from active high (5 volts= enable, zero volts = disable) to

active low (zero volts = enable, 5 volts= disable), replace the 7407 IC with a 7406. Note that many amplifiers

designate the enable input as ‘inhibit’.

To change the voltage level of the AEN signal, note the state of the resistor pack on the ICM-1900. When Pin 1 is

on the 5V mark, the output voltage is 0-5V. To change to 12 volts, pull the resistor pack and rotate it so that Pin 1 is

on the 12 volt side. If you remove the resistor pack, the output signal is an open collector, allowing the user to

connect an external supply with voltages up to 24V.

[Al_The_Man]

Even when using the AMPEN or E-stop to disable the drives, I always burn the MO in eprom (BN) parameter as off by default.
This electronically disconnects the Galil card from trying to control the drives right at POWER UP, even if the AMPEN is set on.
Analogue output is off etc.
You can use the Galil terminal program to talk directly to the card to do the BN command.
It is very easy to set the SH if and when necessary to turn the system back on.
The MO is very usefull if you need to move any axis manually for any reason as the servo's free wheel in this state, or even in the E-stop state, and if the off on error happens to be enabled OE, the system will not error, Galil keeps track of the encoder position at all times and the SH when turning the servo's back on avoids a servo jump to back where it thinks it should be.
Al.

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by K&T EB Al, The outputs I was referring to where the AMPEN, these are always high when the PC is on. I would like them to stay low until the motion card or camsoft is ready to control the servos.

I should have made it clearer, the AEN (AMPEN) is turned off by the MO (also by W.D. timer, off on error OE).
So the default MO should do what you want.
Al.

[K&T EB]

Al, Karl,
Thanks for all the great input, based on your info and a conversion with Galil I think I have a solution.

There is an MO jumper on the Galil card that will force the card to wakeup with the motors off and the card will wait for an SH command before it starts.

Can I add the SH commad to the camsoft start.fil?
What would this language look like?
If I can't put it in the start.fil where can it go?

[Al_The_Man]

I would have though Camsoft would have given you the complete picture.
It has been quite a while since I used Camsoft, but IIRC issue COMMAND SH.
Al.

[Karl_T]

Originally Posted by K&T EB Al, Karl, Thanks for all the great input, based on your info and a conversion with Galil I think I have a solution. There is an MO jumper on the Galil card that will force the card to wakeup with the motors off and the card will wait for an SH command before it starts. Can I add the SH commad to the camsoft start.fil? What would this language look like? If I can't put it in the start.fil where can it go?

You should know the card won't accept the SH command with the drives in Estop if you use the AMPEN signal. So, I issue COMMAND SH when ever doing an Estop reset.

If you're not using AMPEN signal, I think it would work to issue COMMAND SH in startup.fil. Note: I haven't tried this cause I always use the AMPEN signal and startup the machine in Estop

Karl