C-More HMI and the RMC75E .. and LinMot

Hi
I’m new to the RMC75E, So I’m neck deep in RMC Tools, and the training videos … which are awesome. It’s obviously a wonderful machine, and can do what I need to make waves in a small Micro Ocean youtube.com/watch?v=Ul6aDgK … e=youtu.be

The LinMot linear motors are generally controlled by LinMot’s “smart” driver/controllers, which are quite sophisticated and similar to a Motion Controller. However, they use stored curves, which can be modified by motion command words from the PLC. I want to go a step better, and create the curves on the fly. Unless I’m mistaken, the RMC75E can do this… LinMot also makes “dumb” driver/controllers which are intended to be managed by a Motion Controller such as the RMC75E, which can use the quadrature feedback from the linear motor. The big question is about an HMI that I would like to use to make this partnership work.

The Micro Ocean will make Regular sine waves, Random seas (modeling the real ocean), Rogue waves (generated by making a series of waves that travel at different speeds, and all come together), and Tsunamis.

Presumably, The RMC75E can do it all, without storing curves, on the fly, using math.

What I would like to do… is use an HMI…perhaps C-More EA9-T12CL … to set all the desired parameters of these curves: Sine waves (amplitude & speed/period), Random seas (amplitude), Rogue wave (Speed/period changes) & Tsunamis (amplitude and period)

Naturally the status, alarm, start and stop buttons would be there (all HMI’s are good with that sort of thing) … it’s the “adjustability” of parameters that concern me…

I know I can always use a PC to program and command the RMC to make these curves… But, I would like to “adjust” the curves using an HMI … Has anyone done this sort of thing with EA7 or EA9 series C-More HMI’s … without using a PLC?

Thanks, Regards, Michael

It is possible to modify the points in a curve from an HMI, but there is a caveat, which I will get to in a bit here.

To modify curves, you first must implement writing of curves to the RMC. The RMCTools help described this in detail. The major steps are:

1. Figure out the curve data format. This is available in the help.
2. Write the curve data to the variable table.
3. Send the Curve Add (82) command to the RMC to tell it to make a curve out of the data in the variable table.

To modify curve points, you should have the curve data reside in the variable table. You can have the HMI read and write these points. Once you change a point, you will need to send the Curve Add (82) command to re-make the curve.

I doubt the C-more HMI is flexible enough to do this. Try the Red Lion G3 HMIs, or other upper-end HMIs.

The major caveat is that the HMI cannot display how the curve will be interpolated between the points. This can be a serious drawback.

-Jacob

Thanks much Jacob.

I may be getting ahead of myself a bit. I should really become very familiar with the RMC75E, and techniques for programming. Initially, I probably will use some help with a Siemens PLC, because I have one… but that’s not the desired finish for this project. It’s real important to appreciate the limits of selected equipment. Nothing worse than starting out on a “way of doing things” with equipment that, in the end, won’t do it.

I presumed the curve (say, a simple sine wave) would be written unto the variable table & Curve Add (82) command would have the RMC make it. When it comes time to modify the curve, I wouldn’t be talking about changing a point or two… I would be changing the equation of the sine wave, such that the amplitude and length (time) would be different. It’s still a simple sine wave. Is your answer still yes … in general … that an HMI could do this… perhaps the Red Lion G3?

Regards, Michael

PS: Another question, long as I have you… Do you see anything wrong with my expectations with using the RMC75E to accomplish the four tasks I mentioned in the first post (Regular waves, Random seas, Rogue waves and Tsunamis?

An HMI could do it, depending on how you do it, of course. You can even write a user program in the RMC that calculates points from an equation and makes a curve out of them.

Wow!..Fast reply…

Ok then, Given time, either I figure out how to do it, or I hire someone that knows how it’s done… ether way… It can be done … Using the RMC75E as the brains … and, hopefully, an HMI as the control,

To be continued… Thanks

Attached is an example user program that makes a curve using a polynomial equation, then runs it.

To use it, import it to your project by right-clicking User Programs and choosing Import. Make sure the variables are all imported to one contiguous section.

-Jacob
DoCurve_Completed.rmcprog (5.95 KB)

I’m on it… Thanks again …

Hi Jacob
That was a fun user program for a newbie… It started and ran fine … only problem I had was when it ended… I get an error, and the axis ends up at .006, and I think it should have ended at the last point (9.0) The curve file is correct, nice smoothing of 9 points … and the curve runs using (start curve (86) … if I first make sure the axis is at zero. (move absolute (20) … but, it doesn’t finish well… I’ll have to look into that … FYI… signed up for the 2-day on-line training in June … (hopefully I can get a RMC75E with Quadrature ?)

The online training uses RMC75E’s with MA2 modules, but as far as what the training covers, it’s not any different then using quadrature modules.

Do you have a plot of the motion? That should help us determine why the axis ended up at a different place than expected.

Hi Jacob

I had set the negative limit at zero… didn’t realize the curve drops below zero about half way through… DUH… (great problem to fix) … All’s well … thanks again.