SPEC Program Quick Reference

SPEC Program Quick Reference

Using SPEC Menus

The menus in the SPEC program are self-configuring; that is, some menu selections may be suppressed if they are inappropriate to the circumstances or for your robot system. For example, if your system has no external encoders, menu selections to edit encoder specifications are not displayed. Do not be surprised if all the menu selections described here are not on the screen when you execute the program; it simply means that those selections are not appropriate to the situation. (See the SPEC Main Menu for details on available menu options.)

Select a robot or device

If your system is configured for multiple robots/devices, use the Change Robot Number menu option to view or edit the specifications for a different robot or device. The current robot/device selection displays in the menu header.

Note: The label on this menu option may vary depending on the current device selection.

By default, the SPEC program automatically selects Robot 1 when the program loads. If you select a device such as an encoder, the menu options that appear on the menu will be updated to reflect the SPEC options for that device.

View and Edit Parameters

To leave a value unchanged, press Enter.

To calculate a value, enter the expression for V+ to evaluate.

For example, if you know that there are 4096 encoder counts in 20 mm of motion, you can specify a scale factor in encoder counts per millimeter by typing 4096/20 instead of 204.8

Get Help

For most of the SPEC parameters, online help is available in the SPEC program.
Selecting a menu option for a parameter, such as the Encoder Configuration or Motor Sign, displays a brief description, the current value, and the min/max value range.
You can learn more about an unfamiliar menu option by selecting the option and reading through the screens that display. During this process, press Enter if you are prompted for a value. This allows you to proceed to the next screen without changing any values. If you require additional information, you can refer to this documentation or to the documents referenced in the Documentation Overview.

Manage SPEC data

To avoid losing your work, make sure you save your changes periodically, both to the system disk and to a disk file. See Managing SPEC data for details. You can also copy specification data to another V+ system or to another mechanism using the menu option, Load specifications data from disk.

Backup SPEC Data

Use the Save changes to disk file to create a copy of the SPEC data. When this option is selected, all specification data stored in memory for the selected robot or external encoder is written to a file. Each robot or external encoder's specifications must be stored in a separate file.

Password-Protection

If the robot that you are trying to edit is protected by a password, you will see "Enter Password to Increase Access Level" as menu option 1. If you enter the appropriate password for that robot, you will be able to access all the parameters described in this user guide.

Without the password, you will be in "Restricted access mode", see above. See Password Protecting SPEC Data for how to define or change a password. When the SPEC program is used on a password-protected robot, it will function in restricted-access mode unless the user enters the correct password for each robot. (Each robot can have its own password.)

Exit the SPEC Program

To exit the SPEC program, press ^Z (that is, hold down the Ctrl key and press "Z").

Warning: If you have made changes to the specification data, those changes must be saved to the system disk or a disk file before exiting the program using the menu options available. If the changes are not saved, they will be lost when the system is powered down.

What do you want to do?

Learn about the Adept SmartMotion Control System

Configure devices for the Adept SmartServo network

Create the control specification

Manage SPEC data

Using SPEC Menus	The menus in the SPEC program are self-configuring; that is, some menu selections may be suppressed if they are inappropriate to the circumstances or for your robot system. For example, if your system has no external encoders, menu selections to edit encoder specifications are not displayed. Do not be surprised if all the menu selections described here are not on the screen when you execute the program; it simply means that those selections are not appropriate to the situation. (See the SPEC Main Menu for details on available menu options.)
Select a robot or device	If your system is configured for multiple robots/devices, use the Change Robot Number menu option to view or edit the specifications for a different robot or device. The current robot/device selection displays in the menu header. Note: The label on this menu option may vary depending on the current device selection. By default, the SPEC program automatically selects Robot 1 when the program loads. If you select a device such as an encoder, the menu options that appear on the menu will be updated to reflect the SPEC options for that device.
View and Edit Parameters	To leave a value unchanged, press Enter. To calculate a value, enter the expression for V+ to evaluate. For example, if you know that there are 4096 encoder counts in 20 mm of motion, you can specify a scale factor in encoder counts per millimeter by typing 4096/20 instead of 204.8
Get Help	For most of the SPEC parameters, online help is available in the SPEC program. Selecting a menu option for a parameter, such as the Encoder Configuration or Motor Sign, displays a brief description, the current value, and the min/max value range. You can learn more about an unfamiliar menu option by selecting the option and reading through the screens that display. During this process, press Enter if you are prompted for a value. This allows you to proceed to the next screen without changing any values. If you require additional information, you can refer to this documentation or to the documents referenced in the Documentation Overview.
Manage SPEC data	To avoid losing your work, make sure you save your changes periodically, both to the system disk and to a disk file. See Managing SPEC data for details. You can also copy specification data to another V+ system or to another mechanism using the menu option, Load specifications data from disk.
Backup SPEC Data	Use the Save changes to disk file to create a copy of the SPEC data. When this option is selected, all specification data stored in memory for the selected robot or external encoder is written to a file. Each robot or external encoder's specifications must be stored in a separate file.
Password-Protection	If the robot that you are trying to edit is protected by a password, you will see "Enter Password to Increase Access Level" as menu option 1. If you enter the appropriate password for that robot, you will be able to access all the parameters described in this user guide. Without the password, you will be in "Restricted access mode", see above. See Password Protecting SPEC Data for how to define or change a password. When the SPEC program is used on a password-protected robot, it will function in restricted-access mode unless the user enters the correct password for each robot. (Each robot can have its own password.)
Exit the SPEC Program	To exit the SPEC program, press ^Z (that is, hold down the Ctrl key and press "Z"). Warning: If you have made changes to the specification data, those changes must be saved to the system disk or a disk file before exiting the program using the menu options available. If the changes are not saved, they will be lost when the system is powered down.