Kinetix 300 + ML1100 over Ethernet

I have been tasked to upgrade a servo/AC motor system using a Kinetix 300 drive and a Powerflex 525 drive. I am going to control both of them using a Micrologix 1100 with Ethernet. The old system was a Ultra 3000 and Powerflex 40P controlled by a ML 1000. Simple system. Motor would feed forward until it hit a hard limit. Motor would rapid back until it hit a hard limit. Not too tough. Not even really a servo application anymore but it was 25 years ago when the machine was first designed so we kept it that way.

I have basic programming experience. I have gotten by for years without getting too complex. I have programmed several ML 1000's over the years but again not too complex.

I know that there is an AB simple motion control solution using a ML14oo and a Kinetix 300 floating around out there with a program all written, etc. I have downloaded this and realize that my programming skills are EXTREMELY basic.

My question is this. Is there another site or place to look to get some basic instruction on how to send and receive the MSG instructions over Ethernet? I was hoping to open up the ladder that they supplied and use the same format to write my own but I don't know if that is going to work. I am not looking for a magic wand...maybe just a dictionary.

Chuck

I'm not a huge fan of using the Micrologix series for motion control. In situations where timing can be critical (like for data collection), the explicit messaging can really kill you.

Your situation doesn't sound like a huge deal. Like you said, not even something that really calls for a servo unless the velocity is something you need to control with precision.

The examples A-B gives you (at least the ones I've looked at) are more for position control. What it seems you want to do is use the drive in velocity mode. Run it slow forward, and then fast backward after you hit a switch.

Basically the drive works with a Micrologix in messaging statements, which you know. There are two "main" messaging instructions, a read and write. These are in the sample code. These transmit the boolean and word commands in your logic to the drive. It is important to note that the servo only uses Double Integer and Floating point addresses. So any assemblies that are read and written will either have to be F or L addresses. Also, the main assemblies are exclusively L files but have floating point data in them, which will need to be copied to F addresses using the CPW instruction.

Basically, velocity control is extremely simple. I would set F addresses that can be set in the program or on a screen somewhere in case they need to be changed. The units are in User Units per Second. The user units depends on the scaling you set up in MotionView. By default I think a scale of 1 is Revolutions. So if you send it a 1 velocity it will rotate 1 turn of the encoder per second. I THINK.

Anyway, the velocity command you want will have to be copied to word 5 of your output assembly L file. I think in the sample code this is address L210:5. Positive numbers will be forward, negative numbers will be reverse. After you set the speed, enable the drive (Address L210:0/7 I believe), and that's it. If your messaging is set up correctly, it should work. When you set up the servo (through a webpage/JAVA program, just type the IP address into a browser), just make sure you are in velocity mode. This is in the 'General' section. Very top drop-down. Don't let the "Ethernet/IP Control" option fool you. Don't use it.

That's all I got off the top of my head. I'm very new to this as well, but the sample code will get things moving and you can work it from there.