RapidPath Series

RapidPath™ is MachMotion's trademarked EtherCAT motion controller solution.

WARNING!
Improper setup of this motion controller can cause DEATH, INJURY or serious PROPERTY DAMAGE. Do not attempt to use this controller until thoroughly reading and understanding this manual.

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview

RapidPath is an EtherCAT software motion controller solution.

1.2 Tools Required

A small, flat head or #1 Phillips head screwdriver is needed for the I/O ~~terminals~~terminals. ~~which~~It is not included.

1.3 Software Startup

On the desktop of your control, there is a Mach4 shortcut for your machine type. Below is an example of the Mach4 shortcut.

Profile

After double clicking on a profile or opening a profile from Mach4 Loader, RapidPath will attempt to start (or verify that it is already started) the EtherCAT network. This may take up to a minute.

The EtherCAT network will usually only need to be started once after a control has been rebooted. Starting and stopping Mach 4 will not result in the network being stopped and restarted.

Once the EtherCAT network is operational, a window will come up (see below) asking to Press Cycle Start to Enable Mach and Home All Axes. Select [Cancel] since motion is not yet possible.

Enable and Home All axes

On subsequent startups, once motion and limit switches are set, press [Cycle Start] and the control will enable and home all axes. This prompt can be turned off in the MachMotion plugin if desired.

2. Axis Setup

2.1 Enabling Axes

Note: This may already be setup depending on your system.

~~Note, if~~

system, then try again.

Enable all the motors that are to be controlled by setting the respective boxes in the right pane to checks. In the example below, motors 0, 1, and 2 are enabled.

Motor Setup

Press [Apply] to save any changes.
Next, select the Axis Mapping tab as pictured below. Associate the enabled motors to the applicable axis. In the below example, Motor0 is the X master, Motor1 is the Y master, and Motor2 is the Z master.

Axis Mapping

Press [Apply] and [OK] to save and close.

The system is now set up for motion, however,....

WARNING
The machine can be crashed very easily. No limits have been set up and the units have not been configured yet.

2.2 Axis Calibration

For the machine to move the correct distance, the axes need to be calibrated. To get the units perfect, they must be calculated automatically from the machine specifications. However, you can get them extremely close if you manually calibrate especially if you measure at greater distances of travel.

Go to Configure-> Plugins -> Machine Calibration.

Select the type of configuration you would like to perform from the window:

Manual; Calculate the steps per by comparing distance traveled vs. distance commanded. See the next section for instructions.
Automatic; Calibrate motors using specifications of your motor type. Continue for instructions.
Screw Mapping; Calibrate motors using points on the ball screw.

2.2.1 Automatic Calibration

Select the type of configuration you would like to perform

Manual; Calculate the steps per by comparing distance traveled vs. distance commanded. See the next section for instructions.
Automatic; Calibrate motors using specifications of your motor type. Continue for instructions.
Screw Mapping; Calibrate motors using the wizard to map the ball screw.

Select the drive type of the axis being configured.
Select the max motor RPM.
Verify the correct drive ratio.

Drive Type

CTB

Delta

Yaskawa

Default Drive Ratio Value

MachMotion Plugin Calibration Calculator
Choose the machine configuration for the axis from the following three options.
- Ball Screw
  - Enter the ball screw pitch
  - Enter the ball screw pulley # teeth and motor pulley # teeth
    Note: If the system has a pulley ratio and a gear box use this equation to get the total gear ratio: [Gear Box Ratio] x [Pulley Ratio] = [Total Gear Ratio] Ex: [10:1 Gear Box] x [30 Motor Pulley Teeth/15 Ball Screw Pulley Teeth] = [10] x [30/15] = [20 Total Gear Ratio](20 Motor Pulley Teeth, 1 Ball Screw Pulley Teeth)
- Rack and Pinion – Pinion Diameter
  - Enter pinion diameter
  - Enter the gearing ratio between the shaft and the motor
- Rack and Pinion – Rack Pitch
  - Enter number of teeth on pinion
  - Enter the rack pitch
  - Enter the gearing ratio between the shaft and the motor
Select the axis to calibrate.
Press the [Calculate] button.
Choose [Accept] or [Ignore] to save or discard the changes.
Repeat starting at step 2 for each additional axis.
Press [OK] and restart the software to save the calibration settings.

2.2.2 Manual Calibration

Manual Calibration

Select Manual Calibration from the Machine Calibration Selector menu.
Select the axis to calibrate.
Select either Jog Distance or Commanded Distance.
Enable the system and either press [Move] or [Record Jog].
- For Jog Distance mode, manually jog the axis a distance that can be accurately measured.
Measure how far the axis moved.
Enter in the distance the axis moved and press [Submit].
Choose [Accept] or [Ignore] to save or discard the changes.
Repeat this procedure until the axis is within the required accuracy.

If you want to adjust your velocity, select Configure on the top menu bar, then Control. Select the Motors tab as shown below.

Motor Setup

In the right pane, select the motor you want to set up. The selected motor’s parameters will be loaded and the velocity or acceleration settings can be adjusted.

Press [Apply] before clicking on another motor or closing out the Control Configuration window.

WARNING
No limits have been set up. DEATH, INJURY or serious PROPERTY DAMAGE can occur if the system is not operated carefully.

2.2.3 Screw Mapping Calibration

Screw Mapping

#1 Motor

o Select the motor to be calibrated
o For gantry systems each motor of an axis can be individually mapped

#2 Positions

o Set the mapping positions
o If you want to modify the number of points or the start/end positions you have to redo the mapping

#3 Move

o Use the [Start] and [End Position] buttons to send motor to end of travel
o Use [Next Position] and [Previous Position] buttons to increment through points
o “Feedrate” will be used to define the speed in units/min during each reposition move

#4 Enter Data

o This field is where you will enter the true position from your measurement device
o It is critical that the measurement device is zeroed at the start location

#5 View Data

o From here you can see the mapped error in motor counts or system units
o You can use the [Go To Selected Position (G53)] button to send the motor to any of the points at any time. This is useful after mapping for verification purposes

Set up Points

Select the axis to be calibrated

Jog axis to most negative side of travel

Note: If machine 0 (home) is on the positive side of travel then jog to far limit switch away from machine 0 (home)

Press [Modify Inputs] to configure mapping locations

Press [Capture Start] to record starting position
This is a good time to zero your measurement device (Laser or glass scale)

Jog axis to most positive side of travel

Note: This will be at the far other side of travel as the position set in the last step

Press [Capture Length] to record end position

Enter the number of points to map along the length of the screw

Note: If you are mapping each inch along a 10” screw you would enter 11 points. (one for 0” position)

Press [Submit Inputs] to save data points

Enter all error corrections

At this point you’re going to move the axis to each of the locations and enter the measured position being reported by your measurement device (laser or glass scale)
You will need to zero your measurement device at the start position before taking any measurements.
It is suggested that you start from the most negative side at the point you pressed [Capture Start] and
zeroed your measurement device. (Note: The error for your first point should be 0.)

1. Press [Start Position]
2. Press [Next Position]
3. Type in the measured value to “Actual Location”
a.
4. Click [Submit Measurement]
a. Verify the “Error (units)” is less than half of the distance between “Position (Units)”
(less than .5” in example)
i.
ii.
5. Repeat back to Step 2 [Next Position] until at last point

2.3 Backlash Calculation

MachMotion controls have has backlash compensation. Use the MDI line to enter G-Code to move the axes. To calculate the machine’s backlash, follow the steps below.

Move an axis in one direction farther than the maximum possible backlash.
Mount a dial indicator and zero it.
Move the axis again in the same direction for a specific distance (it doesn’t matter how far).
Move the axis backwards the same distance.
Note how far the dial indicator was off from zero to see the axis’s backlash value.
Backlash is configured in the Mach4 software located in Configure->Control->Motors Tab.
Select the desired motor tab and enter the value (see explanation below). Select [OK] to save settings.

Backlash – This field sets the backlash amount in inches or millimeters, depending on the setup units.

Backlash

WARNING
For best performance, backlash should be less than .0015 inches.

2.4 Reversing Direction

If a motor moves the wrong direction, it can be reversed in the software.

1. Navigate to the menu bar and click Configure->Control and select the Motors

The following window will come up:

Reverse Motor

2. Check the Reverse? box if the motor direction needs to be reversed.

3. After making all the changes, press [OK].

The motor will now move the opposite direction than it did before.

2.5 Slaving a Motor

To configure a motor as a slave, follow the steps outlined below.

Click Configure->Control on the main menu bar and select the Axis Mapping
Select the motor from the dropdown menu for the axis that the motor will be slaved to. Each enabled axis must have one master and up to 5 slave motors. For example, the configuration below is used to slave Motor3 to Motor0 on the X axis.

insertimage Figure 18 Motor3 slaved to Motor0

Press [OK] to save changes.

3. Spindle Setup (is this still applicable for the 2000 series kneemill?)

3.1 Wiring a Spindle

3.1.1 VFD from MachMotion

The process for setting up a VFD from MachMotion is extremely simple.

3.1.2 VFD Other Than from MachMotion

Any VFD can be wired into the Spindle Control RJ45 jack by cutting the end off of a CAT5 cable and wiring the loose ends to the VFD according the following pin out.

Function

Analog 0-10VDC

CW Relay

Drive Enable

GND

N/C

CCW Relay

RJ45 Pins

Colors

(T-568B)

White & Orange

Orange

White & Green

Blue

White & Blue

Green

White & Brown

Brown

3.1.3 No VFD

Figure 21 No VFD Spindle Wiring

3.2 Spindle Configuration

3.2.1 Spindle Range Setup

For the control to know how to scale the analog voltage output, the maximum RPM for the spindle motor must be defined. If the machine has different ranges, the software can have multiple maximum speeds. The software uses a different range for each different speed configuration.

For example, one range could be set as 75 to 300 RPM for a low speed. A medium speed range could go from 300 to 1200 RPM and high speed range could run from 1200 to 2400 RPM. The control will output 10V when the MaxRPM is called for any speed range.

To define the range(s), go to Configure->Control. Select the Spindle tab as shown below.

Pulley Speed Setup

Enter in the maximum and minimum speeds for each range. The accel and decel time should also be defined for each range (seconds to max rpm). Press [OK] to save changes.

Note: Only set up multiple ranges if the machine has different gears/pulleys.

Note: If the spindle is turning the wrong direction check the reversed box in the applicable range.

The ranges can be changed from the control by using M40-M45. The macros can be used to just change ranges or they can be used to automatically change gears on the machine. To shift the machine range 0, run M40. M41 is range 1, M42 is range 2, and so on.

3.3 Turning on the Spindle

To control the spindle use the following M-Codes with an S word for spindle RPM in the MDI line (Ex. M3 S2000).

M-Code	Function
M3	Clockwise
M4	Counterclockwise
M5	Stop

Table 5 Spindle M-Codes

If the spindle is not running correctly at this point some settings may need to change inside the VFD. In this situation, reference the VFD manufacturer manual.

Note: See the Mitsubishi VFD Installation Guide for setup information if it was purchased from MachMotion.

4. Limits and Homing Setup

Note: For the highest level of safety, wire the limit switches Normally Closed.

Note: Each motor has three signals, the max travel (motor ++), the min travel (motor --), and the home (motor home). All three must be enabled and set to the correct device and input name for everything to work correctly using the wiring description above.

Note: Under the active low column the active state can be changed by clicking on the [X] or check mark. If the limit switches are normally open the red X should be used. However, this is not recommended as it is not as safe.

4.1 Homing Setup

WARNING

4.2 Soft Limits Setup

With machine homed correctly and soft limits set, the machine will not hit a physical limit switch. If at any time a command is made for the machine to move outside of the soft limits (while they are enabled), an error will appear in the status line and motion will stop. To set up the soft limits, follow the procedure outlined below.

Home the machine.
Select to view Machine Coordinates on the Locked screen view so that the DRO’s are red.
Jog the machine to the maximum distance from the homing switches.

Note: Make sure to stay inside the physical limit switches. If the machine is jogged outside of the limit switches, it completely defeats the purpose of soft limits.

Record the machine coordinates at the end of the travel.
Open the menu bar and click Configure->Control and select the Homing/SoftLimits tab as shown below.
Enable soft limits on each desired axis and enter in the recorded values.

Note: If the value is positive, place it into the Soft Max limit and set the Soft Min limit to zero. Otherwise, with a negative value, set the Soft Max to zero and the Soft Min to the recorded value.

Press [OK] to save changes. Test the soft limits by jogging the axes to maximum amounts in all directions.

Figure 26 Soft Limits

5. Input Setup

6. Output Setup

6.4 Using Outputs

Outputs 0-5 can be controlled with M-Codes. One M-Code will turn an output on, and the next M-Code turns the output off. Use the table below for a reference.

Custom M-Codes	Functions	Default Output
M200	Output 0 on
M201	Output 0 off
M202	Output 1 on
M203	Output 1 off
M204	Output 2 on
M205	Output 2 off
M206	Output 3 on
M207	Output 3 off
M208	Output 4 on
M209	Output 4 off
M210	Output 5 on
M211	Output 5 off

Table 7 M-Codes for Outputs

The outputs can also be accessed inside the MachMotion plugin.

7. Advanced Options

A number of advanced features can be accessed and configured in the MachMotion plugin such as periodic oiler control and custom user messages (Global Messaging). Begin by going to Configure->Plugins to open the MachMotion plugin.

insertimage Figure 39 - MachMotion Plugin Options

The Machine Parameters tab contains custom options for the control, including dialogue options, lube system, tool measurement/offsets, and tool changer options.

7.1 Lube System Setup

The system may require an oiler. Enable the lube system, choose an action trigger, set the lube output, set the time run time of the oiler, and the time between cycles. In the example below the lube output will turn on when the spindle is running for 10 seconds every 15 minutes.

Figure 40 Lube System Setup

It is also possible to define input activated user messages/actions. See the section on the Global Messaging System below.

7.2 Tool Setter Setup

Before you measure tool to setup your tool table, the tool setter options must first be defined. Begin by going to Configure->Plugins to open the MachMotion plugin.

Figure 41 tool Setter options

The Tool Setter Type options are manual or automatic. The Tool Setter/Gage-Block Position Type options are fixed (e.g., a bed mill) and random (e.g., a knee mill). If fixed, the tool setter/gage block position should be determined. In machine coordinates, the Z-axis position of the table should recorded and saved.

To use the automatic tool setter, the remaining tool setter options must be configured. A probe input must also be wired in and setup as the Digitize input signal.

Figure 42 Digitize input signal

7.3 Global Messaging System

Global Messaging is used to setup user alerts or messages as well as to control I/O functionality based on certain conditions. To access the Global Messaging System, go to Configure -> Plugins -> MachMotion and select the Global Messaging System tab. The system allows the machine to watch for specified conditions, and take action when those conditions are met. For information on creating, editing, or deleting a message, visit our knowledge base online at: http://machmotion.com/support/kb#11714098. You can also navigate to it by visiting MachMotion.com and selecting the Knowledge Base link under the Support menu option.

13. Appendices

13.1 Default Factory Settings

These are default settings but are not required for the system to function correctly.

Signal	Mapping Enabled	Device	Input Name	Active Low
Input #0				X
Motor 0 Home	ü			ü
Motor 1 Home	ü			ü
Motor 2 Home	ü			ü
Motor 0 ++	ü			ü
Motor 1 ++	ü			ü
Motor 2 ++	ü			ü
Motor 0 – –	ü			ü
Motor 1 – –	ü			ü
Motor 2 – –	ü			ü
E-Stop	ü			ü

Table 20 – Default Inputs Signals

Signal	Mapping Enabled	Device	Input Name	Active Low
Output #0	ü			X
Output #1	ü			X
Output #2	ü			X
Output #3	ü			X
Output #4	ü			X
Output #5	ü			X
Spindle FWD	ü			X
Spindle REV	ü			X
Coolant On	ü			X
Mist On	ü			X

Table 21 – Default Outputs

13.2 Warranty Information

MachMotion warranty policy is subject to change. Updated information is available at our website:
https://machmotion.com/warranty

The MachMotion Team
http://www.machmotion.com
14518 County Road 7240, Newburg, MO 65550
(573) 368-7399 • Fax (573) 341-2672

	Drive Type
	CTB
	Delta
	Yaskawa