Control Step Motor in LabVIEW via Step Motor Driver

[Spike22283]

Yes I have no problem controlling the motor with the SCL Utility.  I have used the utility to put the driver in SCL Mode (PM2).

Im not sure what you mean by append a carriage return-line feed.  Did you use a VISA node to send the characters to the serial port?  Could you possibly send me a screen shot of the Block Diagram?

I have spent most of my time trying to send commands using an example VI called Labview<-> Serial.vi  For the most part, the motor has not responded to any of the commands I sent it.  However yesterday I got the motor to move once, and have not been able to repeat that.  I was tinkering with the termination character stuff in the VISA Configure Serial Port.vi 'Sub-VI'.  I read something in the help file that said the termination character should be 0xD if commands must be terminated with a carriage return.  I have no idea why the motor is not responding in the same way again.

Tristan

[Brian_Beal]

Tristan-

Use the default settings for the com port.  You should be able to get going from this screenshot.

Brian

[Spike22283]

Thanks a lot Brian, I am working on putting this together.  Since I am not familiar with a lot of the nodes in LabVIEW could you send me a screen shot of the front panel as well?

Tristan

[Irene B]

Hi Tristan,

I've been following the conversation, and it looks like Brian has provided the help you need.  I went ahead and converted Brian's Applied Send Command.vi into LabVIEW 7.0, so you should be able to view it now.  Let me know if I can still help in any way.

Hope this helps,

Irene Chow
National Instruments
Applications Engineer

Message Edited by Irene C on 04-10-2006 08:34 AM

[Spike22283]

Irene,

Thank you so much for taking the time to convert that VI to version 7.0.  I had tried to update to 8.0 with the evaluation download and it only caused me more problems.  The VI you sent controls my step motor very well. 

Thank you Brian and Irene,

Tristan

[JMU_ISAT]

I too am experiencing issues with control an Applied Motion Stepper motor and drive combo.  I am a moderately experienced LabVIEW user and have decent knowledge of stepper motors/drives and how serial commands work though I am struggling to control my stepper motor with LabVIEW.  What did you mean when you said you must have your drive set to SCL mode and how is this accomplished?

[JMU_ISAT]

I believe I understand how to set the drive to SCL mode using the ST Configurator software provided by Applied Motion.  However, I am attempting to use the .vi that has been created and when I attempt to send a command, I am recieving an error in the 'VISA Write in Applied Send Command.vi' - code 1073807202.  I am not sure why I'm getting this error.  I have connected an oscilloscope to the proper pin on the RS-232 and have verified that nothing is being written to the serial or COM1 port by the vi. -- help please.

[Brian_Beal]

I believe that code means that NI-VISA is not installed, or not installed properly.

[RossWehner]

Hello,

I have also been following this post.

The Applied Send Command.vi has been very helpful for me, so thank you for publishing it. However, I have an Applied Motion Products STM23S-3RE motor connected via a USB-RS485 hub. The motor has an internal encoder, and I am having trouble talking to it. Shouldn't the feedback just be showing up on the read buffer indicator from the VISA read node?

Thanks for your help,

Ross Wehner

rwehner11190@yahoo.com

[Brian_Beal]

Are you sending it an address?