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Dynomotion wiki (started 10/12/2015)

Welcome to our wiki where you can find and share knowledge on Dynomotion's systems.  To begin adding information to this wiki, simply create an account, verify your email, and start editing (click pencil icon). To make editing pages easier for everyone, we have installed a visual editor by default.  This visual editor allows you to edit a wiki page much like you would a standard word processing document.  For the seasoned wiki editors, standard MediaWiki editing may also be used.

Warning: Use at your own risk.  Information is for example purposes only and may contain errors.  It is up to the User to verify the information is correct and is safe to use. In no case will any contributor or Dynomotion be liable for incorrect information.

Thanks for Contributing!

Official Dynomotion Site

Creating New Wiki Pages

To create a new wiki page (after registering for an account) click 'edit' on this main page, scroll to where you want to insert the link to your page, insert a link, save the page, click on the link you created, then click on "Empty Page" to begin editing.  Here are a few other quick tips.

• You can insert links or images by Right-Clicking with the mouse on the line where you want the link or image to appear.
• For Spell Correction you can use Ctrl-Right-Click. 
• To insert a YouTube Video use an EmbedVideo command such as  {{#ev:youtube|xxxxx}} with xxxxx changed to the Video ID.

For more information:

How to create a new wiki page

How to Edit and insert Media into your wiki pages

Dynomotion Software Topics

Installation Topics

- Full release download page

- Latest Test Release: Released 08/29/2015: KMotion.exe V4.33q, See the release notes for this test version here: V4.33q release notes (pdf)

- How to install KMotion.exe and KMotionCNC

KMotion.exe Executive Software Topics

- Screens

- Writing C Programs. C Programs provide a powerful and flexible capability to perform almost any sequence of operations within KFLOP and are needed for initialization of systems.

KMotionCNC Software Topics

- Screens

Using KMotionCNC

- Homing discussion

Customize KmotionCNC

KMotionCNC is written as a Windows C++ MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes) program developed in Visual Studio.  Source code is provided and may be customized using Visual Studio.  MFC Support is a requirement. 

- General Information

 - Compiling KMotionCNC

The KMotionCNC's Visual Studio Project Solution (\PC VC Programs\KMotionCNC\KMotionCNC.sln) is currently written for Visual Studio 2008 Standard.  This version can be used for the simplest compatibility.  Projects can be upgraded to newer version of VS with minimal effort.  Including Microsoft's Free Visual Studio 2013 Community.  

- KMotionCNC Customization Examples and Applications

Links to examples of projects that explain KMotionCNC customizations

- Troy (tmday7) created some helpful documents listed on the Yahoo Group Files Section Screen Customizing/ here.

Dynomotion Hardware Topics

General Hardware Information

KFLOP Hardware Info

KStep Hardware Info

Kanalog Hardware Info

SnapAmp Hardware Info

Konnect Hardware Info

Problems and Resolutions

General

- Dealing with noise on inputs.  If you experience issues with inputs misreading, the issue may be noise.  This page provides examples on what might be causing noise issues and examples of how to possibly deal with noise.

Applications and Projects

Place links to pages that explain how you accomplished your particular project.  Write clear explanations that provide background on what you did and how you did it.

Dynomotion Software and Driver Installation

First Download and install our PC Software.  This includes a USB Driver directory with the Windows Hardware Driver for KFLOP.  Whenever prompted to find drivers for KFLOP you should navigate to this directory.  If KFLOP has already been connected it is likely to be shown in the Window's Device Manager as an Unknown Device with a Yellow indication. In this case right click and select "Update Driver" and follow the prompts to direct windows to the USB Driver folder.

Note in Windows 7 64-bit, W8, W8.1, W10 Windows must be re-booted with driver signing enforcement disabled in order to install the drivers.

Updating KFLOP Firmware

The error:

DSP Kflop out of date stamp does not match Kflop firmware, use flash/config screen and download new version

indicates that the PC Version of the software that you have installed doesn't match the firmware software that has been flashed internally into KFLOP.  To update the firmware in KFLOP to match the version of software you are using perform the following steps:

1. Run KMotion.exe
2. Open the Config/Flash Screen
3. Depress the "New Version" Button
4. Respond "Yes" to the "Are you sure you wish to proceed?" Prompt
5. Select "Open" to the displayed firmware file
6. wait for the Flash operation to complete
7. Select "OK"to the Flash Operation Complete message
8. Cycle Power on KFLOP (or enter Reboot! on the Console Screen)

You may enter the "Version" command on the KMotion Console Screen to verify that the Version of firmware running in KFLOP now matches the Version of software installed on the PC.  To check the Version of Software running on the PC select Help | About in KMotion or Righ click the Title bar in KMotionCNC and select About KMotionCNC.

Dynomotion Hardware Information

KFLOP Hardware Info

KStep Hardware Info

Kanalog Hardware Info

SnapAmp Hardware Info

Konnect Hardware Info

Software Test Releases

Periodically, Dynomotion corrects issues found in the latest production version of its software and releases a test version. These test versions may have introduced new issues and this is why they are not full releases. As such, test versions should be used with extra caution. Once the issue list settles down and enough people in the field have verified that a test release is stable, Dynomotion will issue a new full production release on the dynomotion.com website.

The latest test releases will be posted here in this section of the wiki.

Released 08/29/2015: KMotion.exe V4.33q, See the release notes for this test version here: V4.33q release notes (pdf)

PC Example Applications

A number of PC Applications using the KMotion Libraries are available in the Software download.  Visual Studio should be used to modify/compile the applications.  Currently the projects are compatible with VS 2008 Standard but later Versions can upgrade the projects and can be used including the free Microsoft Version of VS 2013 Community.  In some cases MFC capability needs to be added as a separate download.

The Install Root directory contains a VS Solution BuildAllLibs.sln to build the KMotion Libraries.

The VS Solution \PC VC Examples\BuildExamples.sln will build most all of the Examples 

MFC C++ Examples - \PC VC Examples

• KMotionCNC - CNC Application for controlling Mill/Router/Lathe etc
• Download Waveform - simple example to download some data to the gather buffer
• SimpleCoffload - simple example to compile/download a C Program to KFLOP
• SimpleConsole - simple example to send Console Script commands to KFLOP
• SimpleCoordMotion - simple example of creating coordinated motion paths in KFLOP
• SimpleGCode - simple example to execute a GCode File

C# Examples - \PC VC Examples

• KFlopWebNC - HTML CNC based App interfacing to KMotion Libraries
• KMotion_dotNet Console - Windows Console App using .NET Library Interface
• MeasureFiducials - Video Alignment Application to measure fiducial alignment marks and map coordinte space
• SimpleFormsCS - Simple Windows C# Forms App includes USB speed test
• TeachMotion - App for use with Lathe Spinners to teach Spinning motion and create GCode

Visual Basic Examples \PC VB Examples

• DynoMotion VB.net - Demonstrates Coordinated motion, GCode Execution, Status, etc...
• Jogger - Simple VB6 App to Jog Axes
• Jogger.NET - simple VB .NET App to Jog Axes

KFLOP C Programs

C Programs provide a powerful and flexible capability to perform almost any sequence of operations within KFLOP.   In most cases after you have tested and tuned all your hardware using the KMotion.exe setup program all the settings and initialization steps required for your system can be placed into an Initialization C Program so that your system can be fully initialized simply by executing the Initialization program.   Using a C Program offers full flexibility to initialize your system however and in whatever order you wish.  In most common cases an existing example can be used with simple modification of values specific to your system.  The KMotion.exe Setup program has some automatic capability to translate the Axes Screen Values that were determined by you during configuration and testing into C Code.

The Initialization C Program will normally perform operations of the following type:

• Enable/define any Option boards present (ie.    KStepPresent=TRUE;      // enable KSTEP input multiplexing)
• The setting of Axes parameters (ie.    ch0->Accel=200000; )
• Enable Axes (ie.EnableAxisDest(0,0); )
• Define the Coordinated Motion Axes (ie.    DefineCoordSystem(0,1,2,-1);  // define axes for XYZ
• Forever Loop to service any continuous requirements such as MPG, External Buttons, EStop, etc

Adding the configuration for a new Axis to your Initialization C Program:

1. Configure the Channel in KMotion.exe and verify that after Pushing "Enable" (which downloads and enables) it all works properly
2. On the Config/Flash Screen Push the "C Code To Clip Board" Button
3. Open your Initialization Program in the C Programs Screen
4. Position the cursor after the previous Axis settings
5. Right Mouse Click "Paste"
6. If desired also enable the axis by inserting EnableAxisDest(xx,0); where xx is the Axis number
7. Save the file
8. Test after a power cycle if the C Program initializes all Axes Properly

C Programming References

See the links listed here.

Simplest C Program

It is important to understand that any KFLOP C Program consists of a minimum number of parts as shown below. 

The first part is an #include statement which includes a definition file that defines all the functionality available in KFLOP.  The KMotionDef.h file is included with every installation to define all the functions, variables, structures, and defines available in that Version.  It is located in the DSP_KFLOP subdirectory of the installation.  Open it with the KMotion.exe C Programs Screen to see what's available.

The next part is the "main" function. This is where execution of the program will actually begin. 

The last part is the code that is to be executed and belongs to the main function.  Curly brackets { } define the beginning and end of the function.  This example contains only one print statement to be executed. Note how the code within the curly brackets is indented (using a tab or spaces) to show that it belongs to the main function block.  This indentation is not required but helps readers see the program structure.  Instructions must end with a semicolon ';'.   Double forward slashes allow comments to be added at the end of an instruction.  

include "KMotionDef.h"
main()
{
    printf("Hello World!\n");  // send message to console
}

Basic Disk Read/Write

KFLOP has no file system on its own, but when connected to a PC with a PC App running it can do basic Disk Read or Write Operation.  Read capability was recently added in Version 4.33q.  There isn't any PC Keyboard access (getchar()).  See the KmotionDef.h file for supported functions:

// Note: standard C language printf
int printf(const char *format, ...);             // Print formatted string to console
int sprintf(char *s, const char *format, ...);     // Print formatted string to string

typedef int FILE;
FILE *fopen(const char*, const char*);           // Open a text file for writing on the PC (2nd param = "rt" or "wt")
int fprintf(FILE *f, const char * format, ...);           // Print formatted string to the PC's Disk File
int fclose(FILE *f);                           // Close the disk file on the PC

int Print(char *s);                              // Print a string to the console window
int PrintFloat(char *Format, double v);          // Print a double using printf format, ex "%8.3f\n"
int PrintInt(char *Format, int v);               // Print an integer using printf format, ex "result=%4d\n"
                                
int sscanf(const char *_str, const char *_fmt, ...); //scan string and convert to values

#define MAX_READ_DISK_LENGTH 1024 // max allowed length of disk file line length
extern volatile int read_disk_buffer_status; //status of read disk buffer 1=line available, 2=error, 3=eof
extern char read_disk_buffer[MAX_READ_DISK_LENGTH+1];
char *fgets(char *str, int n, FILE *file); //read string from PC disk file, str=buffer, n=buffer length, f=FILE pointer, returns NULL on error
int fscanf(FILE *f, const char *format, ...); //read sting from PC Disk file, convert values, returns number of items converted
int feof(FILE *f);   // End of file status for disk reading

Simple DiskReadWrite.c example

include "KMotionDef.h"

main()
{
    FILE *f;
    char s[256];
    double a=123.456,b=999.999,c=0.001;
    double x=0,y=0,z=0;
    int result;
    
    // write 3 comma separated values to a disk file
    f=fopen("c:\\Temp\\KFlopData.txt","wt");
    fprintf(s,"%f,%f,%f\n",a,b,c);
    fclose(f);
    
    // read them back in
    f=fopen("c:\\Temp\\KFlopData.txt","rt");
    if (!f)
    {
        printf("Unable to open file\n");
        return;
    }
    
    // read a line and convert 3 doubles
    result=fscanf(f,"%lf,%lf,%lf",&x,&y,&z);
    fclose(f);
    
    printf("# values converted = %d, x=%f, y=%f, z=%f\n",result,x,y,z);
}

Wiring Diagrams

Basic Kanalog DAC and Encoder Connections 3 Axis

Basic Kanalog DAC and Encoder Connections 3 Axis #2

KFLOP+SnapAmp DC Brush Motors with MPG

KFLOP JP5 Open Collector Step/Dir Connections to Power Step PSD5042-2P Drives

Applications and Projects

In this section you can link pages that show your application or project.  Useful pages would be "How-To's" that show others how to do the same project you did.