Labview integration with IAI Robocylinders

[pallen]

Season's Greetings LabView peoples,

I'm just curious if anyone else has worked with these Robocylinders from IAI.

http://www.robocylinder.com/products/actuators/default.asp

We've just started using them ourselves, and I'm still in the "figuring things out" stage.  

They can be controlled both digitally and serially.  I've already got digital controls working.  But for my particular application I need both digital and serial.

Quickly trying the examples in the manual using the Basic Serial LV example resulted in no response from the controller at all.  I ran a sniffer to see what the proprietary control program was sending back and forth to the controller and it didn't look much like what printed in the manual.  

I've still got a lot of reading to do.  But I was just curious if anyone had already worked with them.

 

[Mario_1001]

Hi

For me it was not easy working wind this but I finaly got to move the slide by serial comunication.

You got to read a lot to undestend the comunication protocol that controls the slide.

I made a VI that could help you a lot.

I hope you share whit me what your working on the digital part.

my e-mail is mvaldivia@crydom.com

[pallen]

Hi Mario,

It was quite some time ago that I completed and delivered this project.   I typically only get about a maximum of four weeks to get something out the door.  

It took quite a few phone calls.  But eventually I was very happy with how my project turned out.  So far in two years of operation I've had zero complaints and zero service calls.  

What specifically are you having trouble with?  Maybe if you post some code I can point you in the right direction. 


Regards,

[daveosemi]

Hi Patrick,

I am also trying to get an IAI Robocylinder to move between 'positions in the position table' using Labview. I can communicate with the IAI Controller over a DeviceNET interface using Labview and a NI Devicenet interface card, but cannot get the robot to move.

Did you use DeviceNET with Labview to get the IAI Robocylinder to move?

Do you know the Class, Instance, and Attribute ID needed to 'write or read' the 16bit bytes to the IAI controllers to get the unit to move...?

Thanks much,
Dave

PS. I am using an RCS controller from IAI. Thanks in Advance.

[TobyHex]

Hey Dave,
I have looked into this issue for you and was able to find a forum that has example code and similar posts that might be able to help.
Good luck and have a great day!
Regards,

Nicholas K

[pallen]

Hi Dave,

It's been a few years since I've worked with the IAI cylinders.  But I did end up with a pretty complicated project working very well in the end.  Never had one service call! 

Unfortunately I can't help you with the DeviceNet stuff.  We used an IAI controller and set it up to take digital inputs as position commands.  I remember there were settings to have it either as a 16 position controller or 64. 

In my case, the operator would put the positions for each "step" he wanted into a table on the front panel.  Although each "test" could only have 8 unique positions.  I would then read the table and use serial communication to write those positional values to the appropriate spot in the IAI controller.  The sub-VI I've included shows how I trigger the inputs to move to different positions. 




Message Edited by pallen on 06-02-2008 04:12 PM

[daveosemi]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks very much for your response and the sample VI. I understand details about the use of the Position Table that you reference in your message. The end user programs these positions into the particular IAI Robocylinder controller. The controller is then supposed to move the robot between positions in that table.

It turns out that the implementation of DeviceNET on an IAI controller is challenging. I have not yet succeeded in getting this to work. I will keep you posted when I crack this one.

All the Best,
Dave

[bullseyejim]

Make sure your baud rates match, in your parameter file in the RoboCylinder controller with your serial port on your PC.  The sum check at the end can be a bit of a pain till you get it.   I would suggest that you contact Peter Langus in Itasca, IL.  He is very good with this stuff.  (800) 944-0333.  I am an IAI distributor for 19 years and Peter has been a good source for my customers.  I have one that used the P-CON controller with Labview with no problems.  The manuals on line are not exactly perfect.  But Peter has more info that he can send to you.  Hope this helps.  Check out their web site also for the latest controllers.  The RoboNet is very nice.

Jim Miller

[Olaf_Stetzer]

Hi all,

I am planning to use an IAI robocylinder in a system which is controlled by CRIO/Labview.

As far as I know, there are no C-series drivers that I can use directly with the robocylinder.

Instead, I want to use the IAI controller ASEL, and C-series modules for digital I/O to communicate

with the ASEL robocylinder controller. I want to setup the ASEL such that the 5 positions I need can

be directly chosen by the DO lines of the C-module.

Is this a feasible way to do it or are there any recommendations on how to do it instead?

Thanks for your help!

[pallen]

I guess the email notifications keep working for years. 

You should have no trouble using cRIO and digital module to move the Robocylinder.  I imagine some of the Robocylinder setup software has changed in all this time.  But the procedure is probably more or less the same. 

Aside from the 5 outputs for positions, I believe you need at least one more for 'start'.  I don't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure I had to toggle both the position output and the 'start' output to get the cylinder moving. 

Good luck with your project.