I need help controlling a Masterflex pump.

[cooltools]

I have a computer controlled Masterflex pump that offers two options to control -- serial input or analog input. I was curious to learn which can be implemented in the quickest fashion and perhaps if there were existing vi's. I'm looking to control the pumps operation using feedback from a pressure transducer.

if you can help -- many thanks!!!!

[Remzi]

Hi,

Could you give me more information such as:
- What are specification of the input and output signals?
- Which hardware are you planning to use? FieldPoint? or DAQ?
- Is this device support Modbus protocol?

Best Regards,
Remzi A.

[cooltools]

Hi Remzi:

I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

To your questions
1. analog output from my comp. 0-5 VDC. serial output = series of character strings that tell the pump to operate in particular ways.
2. I have a DAQ card - 16 channel in, 2 out, forget specific model number -- it's 16 bit, expensive, new.
3. I'll check on the modbus protocol -- don't know.

I have had some success communicating with the device using serial comm. I used a Masterflex vi.... but I can't say it worked that well. I figured someone out there in the vi universe would have experience with masterflex pumps.

take care

tom

[Remzi]

Hi Tom,

As far as I can see you have two options:
- You can use serial VIs in LabVIEW,and send specific serial commands to control the pump.
- or If you want to use the pressure transducer as a feedback device, you can consider using DAQ card, and apply a closed-loop strategy in LabVIEW. But you need to make sure that you can control the pump by an analog output such as 0..10 V proportional DC signal.

In my opinion, the first approach would give you a quicker and easier solution.

Take care
Remzi A.

[RyanWu]

Cooltools,

      Have you worked out this Masterflex pump issue. If so, could you please send me a sample code. I used the RS-232C serial cable to control the pump and desktop and it went very well. However, I am migrating my system to a laptop which does not have a RS-232C port. I have to use the USB to RS-232 adaptor to connect the laptop to the RS-232 of the pump. Could you send me a simple VI, including initialized the serial port, and send/receive a command/acknowledge ment to/from the pump?

      For those of you who don't have the pump and are willing to help. I use USB (laptop) to serial (pump) connection between my laptop and pump. I installed a driver which called 'USB Serial Converter'. Then I am able to see the pump at COM5. My question is how to write and read from this serial port. According to the manual of the pump (it worked in my desktop as well), 'The serial data format is full duplex (simultaneously transmit and receive), 1 start bit, 7 data bits, one odd parity bit, and one stop bit at 4800 bits per second. All data transmitted will consist of characters from the standard ASCII character set.'

Thanks,

Ryan 

[Dennis_Knutson]

You are posting to a 5 year old thread and asking a question of someone who hasn't visited the board in over 4 years.

I'm a little confused by your statement that 'it went very well'. Whatever you had working before should work exactly the same with a USB-RS232 adapter. If you mean that you used a different program before and now want to use LabVIEW, then the best place to start is with the shipping examples. There is one called Basic Serial Write and Read and one called Advanced Serial Write and Read. Why don't you give one of those a try. They both show how to initialize a com port and read and write data.