Re: mvme3100 epics and control motor

[Mark Rivers via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>]

Hi Baeg,

I agree with Guobao about not using VME if this is a new installation, or if you need to purchase a significant number of MAXv modules.

On our beamlines at sector 13 at the APS we have decided to eliminate VME completely, and this project should be complete in the next few months.  We are replacing 8 VME crates which control more than 400 motor axes using MAXv and OMS-58 controllers.

We are replacing the MAXv and OMS-58 with the Galil DMC-4183.  The Galil controllers communicate via Ethernet and have many more capabilities than the MAXv.   In many cases we will continue to use the external stepper driver electronics, and Galils will just send the pulse/direction signals that the VME controllers previously provided.  The cost of the Galils for this mode is about $250/axis, which is very inexpensive.  In other cases we are using on-board stepper drivers and/or servo drivers on the Galils.  These raise the average cost to about $350/axis, which is less than 25% of the cost of similar units like the Newport XPS and the systems from ACS Motion.  

Mark

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From: Tech-talk <tech-talk-bounces at aps.anl.gov> on behalf of Shen, Guobao via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 7:27 AM
To: Ralph Lange <ralph.lange at gmx.de>; EPICS Tech Talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Cc: 백호령 <holyeongbaeg at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: mvme3100 epics and control motor

 

I would second Ralph’s point.

If this is a new system, I would not choose VxWorks, nor VME.

 

Thanks,

Guobao

 

From: Tech-talk <tech-talk-bounces at aps.anl.gov> on behalf of Ralph Lange via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 3:47 AM
To: EPICS Tech Talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov>
Cc: 백호령 <holyeongbaeg at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: mvme3100 epics and control motor

Hello Baeg,

 

On Wed, 24 Jan 2024 at 02:44, 백호령 via Tech-talk <tech-talk at aps.anl.gov> wrote:

 

Currently, the available cpu is mvme3100, and this cpu is compatible with version 6.9 of vxworks, so we want to select it.

 

Please be aware that - driven by a recent change in the licensing/pricing policies of the VxWorks vendor WindRiver - a couple of large US laboratories, long-term VxWorks users, decided to move away from VxWorks and base their VME systems on the RTEMS operating system.

If you start a new project now and base it on VxWorks, you may find yourself in a situation at a later time where there are not many other EPICS users on VxWorks left.

 

Depending on your project schedule and lifetime, your long-term maintenance strategies, and your estimated need for EPICS-on-VxWorks support from the community, this could become a problem in the future.

 

Cheers,
~Ralph