Keywords
Citation
(2000), "Motion control programmer's toolkit enables rapid automation and machine development", Assembly Automation, Vol. 20 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2000.03320dad.009
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
Motion control programmer's toolkit enables rapid automation and machine development
Motion control programmer's toolkit enables rapid automation and machine development
Keywords Baldor, Programming automation
Baldor's new programmer's toolkit for the Mint motion control language brings together a suite of powerful tools which can cut months off machinery and automation development cycles. Provided free with B aldor's OEM or standalone motion controllers, the software includes a program editor, debug tools for motion control functions and related I/O, automated configuration and tuning utilities, plus support for Windows-hosted projects based on the Internet-aware ActiveX protocol (see Plate 10).
Version 7.1 of the Mint Programmer's Toolkit for PCs comes on a CD-ROM with an HTML front-end, allowing users to view the contents, install the software on their PC, and to read and print product manuals, as if they were browsing the web. The software suite supports Mint v4, a structured high-level motion control language which offers a library of keywords that provide real-world motion system functions in the form of high level commands.
Plate 10Baldor's new programmer's toolkit for the Mint motion control language brings together a suite of powerful tools which can cut months off machinery and automation development cycles
There are five major tools in the package. The first is Mint Workbench, which is a collection of utilities for developing Mint programs to run on motion controllers' built-in interpreter. Users can edit Mint code with colour syntax highlighting, download programs to the target system, debug using real-time multi-axis watch-windows and other utilities, and tune the resulting motion control system. Mint Workbench transparently recognises the motion controller(s) it is connected to, using the appropriate tools and interfaces – such as serial links for standalone controllers, or the PCI bus and dual-port RAM for a plug-in PC card. This package additionally includes the ability to upload programs, and recreate a complete project file, providing a powerful tool for maintaining and upgrading motion systems in the field.
Developers also have the option of developing motion control programs which can run on the controller as embedded real-time code, or on a host PC – transferring movement and I/O commands to the motion subsystem. Two tools are provided for this: an Embedded Developer's Library which provides Mint in the form of compatible "C" routines, and a PC Developer's Library, which allows controllers to operate under control of a Windows-based host application written in "C", Visual BASIC or other popular real-time languages. Previously, this Windows support was provided in the form of DLLs. Mint Programmer's Toolkit v7.1 now makes this available using the object-oriented ActiveX protocol, providing machinery designers with powerful support for building distributed, Internet-networked automation.
Two other tools complete the package. A Mint Configurator utility provides a powerful tool for configuring Mint motion controllers. Friendly graphical techniques such as drag-and-drop are used to automatically set the status of the controller's I/O, eliminating the need to manually write a complex text file.
Existing users of Mint also have a new Code Analyser utility, which allows users to upgrade older Mint programs to the latest level. The latest Mint v4 release is believed to set new standards for productivity thanks to an extended range of keywords including many targeted at industrial networking – raising the library size to more than 300 – and a common API for all of Baldor's wide range of motion control hardware. This latter feature provides a universal interface which will appeal particularly to OEMs, who are now able to switch with ease between different motion controllers to optimise the cost and performance of different products.
Mint Programmer's Toolkit software can be ordered from www.baldor.co.uk/response.html
For further information please contact: Eddie Palmer, or Catherine Adams, Baldor UK Ltd, Mint Motion Centre, 6 Bristol Distribution Park, Hawkley Drive, Bristol BS32 OBF, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1454 850 000; Fax: +44 (0) 1454 859 001; E-mail: eddie.palmer@baldor.co.uk or catherine.adams@baldor.co.uk