Programming methodology

Forum: Motion Control RMCTools
1

I have a question on programming methodology for the RMC150.

Let us say I have to program my RMC to control 2 axes, and I need the RMC to actuate both axes at the same time. I see two different ways to go about this:

a) Write a program where various steps include actions for each axis, so that individual steps command both axes “simultaneously”; or
b) Write two different programs, that I can run simultaneously. Each program controls one axis only. I think to make this work similarly to the first approach, both of these programs would call from the same list of variables, Discrete Inputs, etc.

Is there a preferred method for Delta Controllers? Pros/Cons of one approach vs the other? The first method seems to be what the manuals are geared towards.

Thanks!

2

Both methods are perfectly valid. What want to avoid is mixing the two approaches. Pick a structure and keep things consistent.

If your application requires tight synchronization between the two axes, the first method where you have one program that commands both will probably be cleaner.

If the axes are doing different things and are being triggered as part of a process, you might want to have separate programs for each axis. The global nature of variables, discrete I/O and axis status information make it possible to share data between programs if needed.