Initializing Motion Controllers

Before running a motion control program, you must initialize the motion controller. One way to initialize the controller is to use the special utility that is included with each version of National Instruments motion control software: pcRunner for ValueMotion controllers or FlexCommander for FlexMotion controllers. However, you can also initialize the controller programmatically. The motion control LabVIEW VI libraries include special VIs for initializing the controller that you can run prior to running other programs. To initialize the controller programmatically in development environments other than LabVIEW, you have to write special routines, as outlined below.

Below is a recommended list of FlexMotion functions you should execute--in the order you should call them--for system-level and per-axis initialization. This recommended list covers the minimum areas of initialization for basic motion control. You can add additional functions to this list for enhanced system configuration requirements.

System Configuration

1. Clear Power Up Status (always required)
2. Configure Axis Resources
3. Enable Axes

Motion I/O Configuration

4. Configure Inhibit Outputs
5. Set Limit Input Polarity
6. Set Home Input Polarity
7. Enable Limits
8. Enable Home Inputs

Per-Axis Configuration

9. Configure Step Mode & Polarity (stepper axes only)
10. Load Counts/Steps per Revolution
a. Load counts for servo axes.
b. Load steps for open-loop stepper axes.
c. Load counts and steps for closed-loop stepper axes.
11. Load All PID Parameters (servo axes only)
12. Set Stepper Loop Mode (stepper axes only)

Initialize Trajectory Parameters (Per-Axis)

13. Set Operation Mode
14. Load Following Error (closed-loop axes only)
15. Load Velocity
16. Load Acceleration/Deceleration

Establish a Position Reference (Per-Axis)

17. Find Home (requires configured and enabled limit and home inputs)
18. Find Index (closed-loop axes only)
19. Reset Position

At power-up, all axes are automatically stopped, or they are killed when the axis circuits are disabled (when the motor is off). You must always execute a Clear Power Up Status function before attempting to initialize or control the FlexMotion controller. This power-up state is for safety and cannot be bypassed by saving custom defaults. If you use the Enable Auto Start function to specify an onboard program to start when the controller boots, the power-up state will be cleared automatically so the onboard program can run. A power cycle also resets velocity override back to 100%.

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