Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

Jim Thomas <[email protected]> · Tue, 31 May 2005 10:43:19 -1000 (HST)

>>>>> "Andreas" == Andreas Isenegger <[email protected]> writes:

 Andreas> Did anyone implement support for any type of these controllers?

Yes.

>>>>> "Russell" == Redman, Russell <[email protected]> writes:

 Russell> I quite like the Galil motor controllers because they are
 Russell> extremely versatile and quite reliable.

Agreed, with some learning curve on their quirks.

 Russell> We also had to deal with a few other oddities.  For example, the
 Russell> serial ports are on a networked terminal server.  The terminal
 Russell> server buffers packets and there is no way to set the buffering
 Russell> time to zero.  This adds a major communications delay that
 Russell> prevents us from managing each axis independently.

We use Annex terminal servers 'cause they get all that stuff right.  Must
be why they are not made any more :(  Is there some reason you are not
using the Ethernet(tm) version of the Galils?  Other than their refusal to
echo commands when Ethernet is used, that works very well.

 Russell> Also, there are mechanical linages that require all three axes on
 Russell> one of our Galils to home simultaneously.

Do you mean that the homing rates have to match the linkage configuration?
Ouch :)

We are running a very modified version of William Rambold's NRC/Gemini
motionControl record for the database side.  I've written a Galil specific
driver that runs on VxWorks with EPICS and on Unix (HPUX and Linux tested)
without EPICS.  The combination appears to be more flexible than Russell's,
but it may not be any more presentable :)  At this point we are running two
Galils with the Linux version over Ethernet (about 1 year), one with the
VxWorks version over serial (direct - not Annex, 3 years), and are
debugging another VxWorks version currently over Ethernet (mostly because
I'm still fighting the Green Springs serial drivers).  We do not use any
programs in the Galils, but the driver supports downloading and executing
them.

Jim
[I can make this available, but it will take a bit of time to make it
cooperate outside of our environment.]

Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System