FindReference.flx crashes FW-7344 motion controller

[JFitch]

We are using a 7344 box to control our xy stage. We're getting a bug that has been impossible for us to fix.

The stages are older aerotechs with servo motors but without linear encoders.

We created a simple vi that finds a reference on one axis that reliably crashes
the controller. Using the Measurement automation tool we can see that the controller
is unhappy with it's firmware, that a command is in progress. That there is data in
the return data buffer and that there has been a packet error.

A power cycle and reboot of the computer can sometimes fix it.
A power cycle of the 7344 sometimes helps.
We have tried two 7344's and two firewire boards, but get the same problems.
The error message is coming from Find Reference.flx

Stephen Jackson

[Jochen]

Which version of NI-Motion are you using? If you don't have the latest version which is 6.1.5 please upgrade to this version. You need to install 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 first and then run the upgrade to 6.1.5
You can find the downloads here.
After the upgrade you need to upgrade the firmware also which can be done in MAX.

For the case that the problem persists please post the exact error description and the (modal) error number.

Best regards,

Jochen Klier
National Instruments Germany

[sjackson]

The error has returned this weekend. The error number is
-70034 the source is Check Reference.flx and I am asking it to
find the reverse limit. I have downloaded the 6.15 motion
control and firmware and installed it and done a mass compile
on everything.

When the controller hangs it lights up the status lights in
MAX ready-to-receive, data-in-return-data-buffer, command-in-
progress, and packet-error. It also shows that it has bad
firmware. Reset in the status tab doesn work. The only
thing that gets it out of this state is to cycle power on
the FW-7344 and re-initialize it.

I have seen the same sorts of errors in MAX but have been
unable to get any error information as MAX hangs when this
happens.

I have seen this error on two FW-7344 controllers and have
used two different Firewire cards to try to talk to it.

Stephen Jackson
Palo Alto Research Center

[Jochen]

Stephen,

error -70034 means
"Incorrect data has been returned by the controller. This data does not correspond to the expected data for the command sent to the controller."

I haven't found hints that this error could occurr with a device that's in good order. I would suggest to contact your local NI branch. Maybe it would be a good idea to ask them to loan you another FW-7344 so you could compare the behavior of the two devices.

Jochen

[Rodj]

Error -70034 can occur when a previous read [motion] VI times out. What is the previous read VI?

What happens is a VI requests information, but before the information is ready, the driver times out and returns error -70003 (NIMC_noReturnDataBufferError). If another read VI is called, and the original VI does get around to returning its data, then error -70034 will occur. This is because the driver is now seeing the data from the first read VI, but this doesn't match up to what it expects to find.

This could happen if Windows goes off to perform another task for an extended length of time such as starting up the screen saver.

Rodger S.