User's Manual

16-Axis MACRO CPU User Manual
16-Axis MACRO CPU Software Setup 31
SOFTWARE SETUP
The software configuration of the 16-Axis MACRO CPU is accomplished through the setup of the
Station’s own variables. These MI (MACRO Initialization) variables on the station permit configuration
of the station for a particular application.
Note:
The 16-Axis MACRO CPU’s initialization variables can be referred to as either
MI-Variables or I-Variables. This manual uses the MI-Variable terminology to
distinguish them from the PMAC’s own I-Variables.
Typically, the MI-Variable setup for a 16-Axis MACRO CPU is accomplished through a special program,
such as Turbo Setup, which hides the actual PMAC commands. However, these variables may be written
to and read from in other applications using special PMAC commands.
Station Variable Read/Write Commands
The most common PMAC commands used for setup are the basic on-line MI-Variable read and write
commands. The syntax for the read command is:
MS{node #},MI{variable #}
where {node #} can be the number of any active node on the Station (usually that of the lowest active
node) for most of the MI-Variables, or the number of the individual node for one of the node-specific MI-
Variables (MI910 - MI939). {variable #} is the number of the Station MI-Variable (0 - 1023).
Sending this command to PMAC causes PMAC to send a request to the Station using the auxiliary
communications channel on Node 15 (which must be active) for the value of the specified MI-Variable.
The Station then responds with the value, and PMAC reports the value to the host computer.
Example:
MS0,MI992 ; Have PMAC request of Station with active node 0
; the value of MI992
6527 ; MAC responds with the value it received from
6528 ; Station
MS1,MI910 ; Have PMAC request of Station Node 1 the value of MI910
7 ; PMAC responds with the value it received from
8 ; Station
The syntax for the write command is
MS{node #},MI{variable #}={constant}
where {node #} can be the number of any active node on the Station (usually that of the lowest active
node) for most of the MI-Variables, or the number of the individual node for one of the node-specific MI-
Variables (MI910 - MI939). {variable #} is the number of the Station MI-Variable (0 - 1023).
{constant} is the numerical value to be assigned to the variable. Sending this command to PMAC
causes PMAC to send a command to the Station using the auxiliary communications channel on Node 15
(which must be active) to assign the value to the specified MI-Variable.
Example:
MS0,MI992=3263 ; Have PMAC command Station with active node 0 to
; assign a value of 3263 to MI992
MS1,MI910=3 ; Have PMAC command Station Node 1 to assign a
; value of 3to MI910