SmartMotor Interfacing w/ LabVIEW

[bsteinma]

Hi,

I am working on a project that is using an Animatics SmartMotor 1720 series.  I would like to control my SmartMotor via LabVIEW but don't know how to interface the two.  Also, I would like to be able to send information acquired in LabVIEW to my SmartMotor program to dynamically change how it runs.

More specifically, I have one SmartMotor connected to a calibrated syringe pump that is being used to simulate the heart beating.  This is connected to a benchtop simulation of the cardiovascular circulation where the fluid is pumped through the circuit.  Pressure sensors are incorporated into the circuit that acquire continuous data.  I need use the peak pressure in the circuit to time the movement of another SmartMotor controlling another pump.

If this is posted in the wrong section please let me know.  I understand if this question is more suitable for another board.  I've read in multiple SmartMotor descriptions about the capability of it to be controlled with LabVIEW but have had zero luck finding any useful instructions on the web.

Thank You,

bsteinma 

[NAKeel]

Looking at the product page it appears that you should be able to control the device using serial commands.  We don't have an instrument driver for this device, but the manual for the device should contain commands that you need to communicate with it.  Also, if you want to communicate between the motor software and LabVIEW you will need to find out if there is a .dll file that LabVIEW can access.  This information should also be available in the user manual for the motor/motor software.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

You may find some tips going through these posts:

http://forums.ni.com/ni/search?submitted=true&type=message&sort_by=score&advanced=true&q=animatics&p...=&=

If that link did not come out right, search the forums for Animatics.

-AK2DM

[bsteinma]

I've been researching several resources I've come across and came across the posting at http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=123647&requireLogin=False .  I am guessing you knew about the driver at the link but if not I just wanted to see if that driver might work for my device.  The link to the driver is http://www.summerfiles.com/Eng/LabView/Labview.html .  I also saw a file at http://www.summerfiles.com/Eng/AniSoft/AniSoft.htm that may be what I need .  It looks like that may be the .dll file that I need.  Thanks for your help.

-bsteinma

[bsteinma]

Analog Kid,

I will spend some time going through those posts.  They look like they may be helpful.  I will reply to let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

-bsteinma

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Good, I hope those posts can help. I've used Animatic SmartMotors, but only have programmed them in their native environment, never tried commanding them directly from LabVIEW.

-AK2DM

[bsteinma]

Is there any way that I can input information from LabVIEW into the SmartMotor Interface software without using LabVIEW to program the SmartMotor.  I'd like to take one of the signals that I am acquiring in LabVIEW and somehow have the SmartMotor use it to control how it is running.

The Animatics threads were helpful but I'm a little naive with some of the technicalities.  I am going to do some more research before I try messing around with controlling the SMI software via LabVIEW.  I would still like to do what I mention above but I don't know if I'll still need to establish the same communication.

Thanks,

bsteinma

[NAKeel]

Do you know if the motor software has an activeX interface?  The best way for you to communicate between LabVIEW and the Animatics software is to write to an activeX file(word, excel, etc.) in LabVIEW and read from the activeX file in the Animatics software.

[bsteinma]

---

http://www.summerfiles.com/Eng/LabView/Labview.html:

These LabView Files are Beta Test only.
            The files were written jointly by National Instruments and another outside source.
            One Customer has successfully imported the SMIEngine to LabView as An Active-X tool rendering these files unnecessary. 
            This website and it's affiliates are not responsible for any loss of data 
            or mishaps otherwise determined to have been caused by and of this software.

---

The above is quoted from http://www.summerfiles.com/Eng/LabView/Labview.html.  I believe the information on this site was compiled by an engineer employed with Animatics (based on a conversation with an Animatics rep).  Is this what you were referring to as the activeX interface.  I would like to try what they say "one customer" has done but don't know how to do this.  The files that they are mentioning above are National Instruments LabVIEW drivers for SmartMotors.  I don't know how to use these files.  I'm also not sure if this will work for the motor I currently have.  I've read threads about success with a 2315 SmartMotor but nothing about any of their other series of SmartMotors.  Please let me know if clarification is needed as I tend to be unclear sometimes.

My supervisor knows someone who has communicated with a SmartMotor in the way we'd like but my supervisor is a physician and tends to be busy in the clinic so I'm trying to figure out some things in the meantime until he contacts his colleague. 

Thank You,

bsteinma

[NAKeel]

I was basically just talking about writing to an activeX file in LabVIEW (which you can definitely do if you have the connectivity toolkit).  The files can be written to Excel, Word, and other activeX supported files.  The question is whether Animatics provides the software with an activeX wrapper or not (or if it can communicate with activeX).  It appears that the one customer wrote their own wrapper, which would require you to program it yourself.  I would recommend asking Animatics about that.  It may also be in the manual.

I checked our database and there is not a driver for your motor, so unfortunately you are going to need to know the commands to control your motor.  This information should also be included in the manual for the motor.