Adept SmartMotion Glossary

Glossary

Axis

An element of the device module model of a mechanism. For example, the X/Y/Z/Theta module has four axes - the X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and Roll axis. When this model is used with a two-axis XY table, only two of those axes are used as robot joints.

Device module

The software and data that are installed on the system disk to allow V+ to understand the geometry and specifications of a particular class of mechanism. For example, the X/Y/Z/Theta device module contains the software and specifications used to control an XY table with a vertical and roll axis.

Device-module file

A file that contains one or more device modules. For example, a device-module file might contain two X/Y/Z/Theta device modules and one external encoder device module.

Drive or Amplifier
User-supplied hardware that converts a command signal into motor current. "Drive" and "amplifier" are used interchangeably in this manual.

Channel

A channel is a numeric representation of the available devices for configuration on a 1394 node on the network. In the case of the sMI6, each channel corresponds to the direct motor wiring on the MP6 wiring panels.

Joint

A moving element of a robot. Joints can be either rotational or linear. An XY table has two linear joints. The maximum number of joints in your system is determined by the robot device modules that have been loaded.

Mechanism

Refers to a hardware component that will be controlled by the Adept SmartMotion system.

Motor

The actuator associated with a gadget. There must be at least one motor for each joint of a robot, and usually joints and motors are identical. However, some mechanisms contain "motor-to-joint coupling" such that the motion of a given joint may involve the motion of more than one motor.

Node

Refers to a specific device on the Adept SmartServo network. For example, a node can be a robot, a motion board (sMI6), a digital I/O module (sDIO), etc. Each node can contain one or more channels. For example, the sMI6 motion interface has six channels (one for each axis channel) that can be mapped to individual robot axes.

Robot

Refers to the mechanism you are controlling. Robot and mechanism are used interchangeably.

System File

Disk file that contains the software and data that comprise the V+ system. This file is read into memory when the V+ system is booted from a system disk.

CONFIG_C Utility Program

This utility program configures the number and type of robots in your system. Each different robot type, such as Cartesian or SCARA, has a special software file (called a "device-module file") that you must load into your system file in order to use that robot. Adept SmartMotion supports multiple robots on each system, which may be of the same or different types. As an example, suppose you want to control two XY tables with your system. In that case, you would need to use CONFIG_C to transfer two X/Y/Z/Theta device modules to your system file. Once you use CONFIG_C to transfer modules to your system file, you are ready to use the Robot Specification Utility (SPEC) to fully define each robot's characteristics.

SPEC Utility Program

The Robot Specification Utility Program (we will refer to it as the SPEC program) allows you to customize your system file with the required control parameters to move a robot installed by CONFIG_C. It includes routines to interactively test robot I/O such as signals from the amplifiers and encoders, and to teach robot parameters such as servo gains and calibration specifications. The SPEC program also stores these parameters to the system file, so that after the system boots from the modified system disk, your custom robot(s) will be ready to run. See Using SPEC for information on using the SPEC program.

Axis	An element of the device module model of a mechanism. For example, the X/Y/Z/Theta module has four axes - the X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and Roll axis. When this model is used with a two-axis XY table, only two of those axes are used as robot joints.
Device module	The software and data that are installed on the system disk to allow V+ to understand the geometry and specifications of a particular class of mechanism. For example, the X/Y/Z/Theta device module contains the software and specifications used to control an XY table with a vertical and roll axis.
Device-module file	A file that contains one or more device modules. For example, a device-module file might contain two X/Y/Z/Theta device modules and one external encoder device module.
Drive or Amplifier	User-supplied hardware that converts a command signal into motor current. "Drive" and "amplifier" are used interchangeably in this manual.
Channel	A channel is a numeric representation of the available devices for configuration on a 1394 node on the network. In the case of the sMI6, each channel corresponds to the direct motor wiring on the MP6 wiring panels.
Joint	A moving element of a robot. Joints can be either rotational or linear. An XY table has two linear joints. The maximum number of joints in your system is determined by the robot device modules that have been loaded.
Mechanism	Refers to a hardware component that will be controlled by the Adept SmartMotion system.
Motor	The actuator associated with a gadget. There must be at least one motor for each joint of a robot, and usually joints and motors are identical. However, some mechanisms contain "motor-to-joint coupling" such that the motion of a given joint may involve the motion of more than one motor.
Node	Refers to a specific device on the Adept SmartServo network. For example, a node can be a robot, a motion board (sMI6), a digital I/O module (sDIO), etc. Each node can contain one or more channels. For example, the sMI6 motion interface has six channels (one for each axis channel) that can be mapped to individual robot axes.
Robot	Refers to the mechanism you are controlling. Robot and mechanism are used interchangeably.
System File	Disk file that contains the software and data that comprise the V+ system. This file is read into memory when the V+ system is booted from a system disk.
CONFIG_C Utility Program	This utility program configures the number and type of robots in your system. Each different robot type, such as Cartesian or SCARA, has a special software file (called a "device-module file") that you must load into your system file in order to use that robot. Adept SmartMotion supports multiple robots on each system, which may be of the same or different types. As an example, suppose you want to control two XY tables with your system. In that case, you would need to use CONFIG_C to transfer two X/Y/Z/Theta device modules to your system file. Once you use CONFIG_C to transfer modules to your system file, you are ready to use the Robot Specification Utility (SPEC) to fully define each robot's characteristics.
SPEC Utility Program	The Robot Specification Utility Program (we will refer to it as the SPEC program) allows you to customize your system file with the required control parameters to move a robot installed by CONFIG_C. It includes routines to interactively test robot I/O such as signals from the amplifiers and encoders, and to teach robot parameters such as servo gains and calibration specifications. The SPEC program also stores these parameters to the system file, so that after the system boots from the modified system disk, your custom robot(s) will be ready to run. See Using SPEC for information on using the SPEC program.