User-Defined Variables, FPGA mode, and SoftMotion 2012 + NI 9505

[JKSH]

Hello,

At http://forums.ni.com/t5/Motion-Control-and-Motor-Drives/Softmotion-and-NI-950X-Module-Compatibility/... Nathan said:

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@NathanK wrote:

The glue code that connects Softmotion on RT to the LV FPGA code is called the "axis interface". The version of the axis interface in Softmotion 2011 required creating RT VIs that would expose certain abilities to Softmotion.

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Improvements were made in Softmotion 2012 that removed the requirement to write RT VIs. The communication to the FPGA happens instead over User Defined Variables (UDVs). It also became possible to create a 9501 axis type for module specific configuration as well as a generic UDV axis for the other 950x modules or for completely custom axes. There is not an example specific to the 9505 yet.

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This caught my eye, as I'm currently developing a system using LabVIEW 2012, SoftMotion, and the NI 9505. I'm interested to see if there are alternative methods to  write my application.

Where can I find more information about this "generic UDV axis", and how to implement one? Nathan said "There is not an example specific to the 9505 yet", but there are examples for other modules -- how similar/different are these modules compared to the 9505, and would it involve much effort to port the examples to the 9505?

Thanks!

[Aix-La-Chapelle · Accepted solution]

Hi JKSH,

I have some information relevant this is request that may be of use:

Working with User-Defined Variable Axes (NI SoftMotion Module)

Resource Binding Dialog Box (NI SoftMotion)

Configuring NI SoftMotion Axes (NI SoftMotion Module)

The example that Nathan mentions is the Stepper Drive (9501).lvproj (Hardware Input and Output » Motion Control » NI SoftMotion » Device Specific » NI 950x » NI 9501), I would take a look at that on how UDVs are used.

[Aix-La-Chapelle]

Whoops forgot the links:

Working with User-Defined Variable Axes (NI SoftMotion Module)

Resource Binding Dialog Box (NI SoftMotion)

Configuring NI SoftMotion Axes (NI SoftMotion Module)

[viScience]

It appears that UDV mode for an axis is limited to stepper types only.  The documentation does state the UDV's can work with an drive type but the actual user defined variables list is only for steppers.  Also once an axis has a UDV binding then the configuration wizard only shows a stepper option.