Using Depictor to Visualize Axis Groups

Create a standard project with the CODESYS SoftMotion Win controller and the ST programming language.

Add a Library Manager in the POUs view.

Open the Library Manager and add the libraries SM3_Depictor and DepictorBase.

Insert four virtual axes below the object SoftMotion General Axis Pool and name the axes as Drive1...Drive4.

Parameterize the axes Drive1, Drive2, Drive3, and Drive4 as axis type finite with software limit switches from -180 degrees to 180 degrees.

Configuration editor:

Add a "KinScara" axis group below the application. To do this, click Project → Add Object → Axis Group.

In the configurator, click Select kinematics. Select the TRAFO.Kin_Scara3_Z kinematics.

Define the parameters as follows:

Order the axes as follows:

Note: You can drag the axes directly into the input field.

In the PLC_PRG program, declare instances of the MC_Power function block for all drives. Create an istate variable for the statechart.

VAR
 Power_Drive1, Power_Drive2, Power_Drive3, Power_Drive4 : MC_Power;
 istate: INT;
END_VAR

Define a statechart in the implementation.

CASE istate OF
 0:
 1:
 2:
END_CASE

Activate all drives in state 0.

0:
 Power_Drive1(Axis:=Drive1, Enable:=TRUE, bRegulatorOn:=TRUE, bDriveStart:=TRUE);
 Power_Drive2(Axis:=Drive2, Enable:=TRUE, bRegulatorOn:=TRUE, bDriveStart:=TRUE);
 Power_Drive3(Axis:=Drive3, Enable:=TRUE, bRegulatorOn:=TRUE, bDriveStart:=TRUE);
 Power_Drive4(Axis:=Drive4, Enable:=TRUE, bRegulatorOn:=TRUE, bDriveStart:=TRUE);
 IF Power_Drive1.Status AND Power_Drive2.Status AND Power_Drive3.Status AND Power_Drive4.Status THEN
  istate:=istate+1;
 END_IF

When the axes are activated, enable the axis group (switch from "deactivated" to "standby").

VAR
 GroupEnable:MC_GroupEnable;
END_VAR

1:
 GroupEnable(AxisGroup:=KinScara, Execute:=TRUE);
 IF GroupEnable.Done THEN
  istate:=istate+1;
 END_IF

Declare and initialize a variable to save the set value in machine coordinates. Declare two instances of type SMC_POS_REF to represent the TCP in Cartesian and axis coordinates.

VAR
 Frame: MC_COORD_REF:=(X:=-120, Y:=-25); // This variable stores the cartesian position & orientation of the TCP
 Pos_Cart: SMC_POS_REF; // This variable represents the position of the TCP in cartesian coordinates coordinates
 Pos_Axis: SMC_POS_REF := (a := axispos);// This variable represents the position of the TCP in Axis coordinates
END_VAR
VAR CONSTANT
 axispos: TRAFO.AXISPOS_REF := (a0 := 0, a1 := 100, a2:=60);
END_VAR

2:
 Pos_Cart.c:= Frame; // To represent the TCP in cartesian coordinates;

Declare an instance of MC_MoveDirectAbsolute to move the SCARA robot to the specified coordinates.

VAR
 MoveAbs:MC_MoveDirectAbsolute; // Moves the TCP to the defined coordinates
END_VAR

2:
 MoveAbs(AxisGroup:=KinScara, Execute:=TRUE, Position:=Pos_Axis,CoordSystem:=SMC_COORD_SYSTEM.ACS, BufferMode:=MC_BUFFER_MODE.Aborting,); //move to the defined Axis coordinates
 //MoveAbs(AxisGroup:=KinScara, Execute:=TRUE, Position:=Pos_Cart,CoordSystem:=SMC_COORD_SYSTEM.MCS, BufferMode:=MC_BUFFER_MODE.Aborting,); //move to the defined cartesian coordinates

 IF MoveAbs.Done THEN
         MoveAbs(AxisGroup:=KinScara, Execute:=FALSE); // Waits for the next new coordinates
   istate:=2;
        END_IF

Declare a variable of type SMC_GroupReadSetPosition to read the current value of the robot in Cartesian coordinates and axis coordinates.

VAR
 Car_pos, Axis_pos :SMC_GroupReadSetPosition; //to read the current axis values
END_VAR

2:
 Car_pos(AxisGroup:=KinScara, CoordSystem:=SM3_Robotics.SMC_COORD_SYSTEM.MCS, Enable:=TRUE); // to read the current position in cartesian coordinates
 Axis_pos(AxisGroup:=KinScara, CoordSystem:=SM3_Robotics.SMC_COORD_SYSTEM.ACS, Enable:=TRUE); // to read the current axis values

Add a new "Depic" POU of "Program" type below the application. To do this, click Project → Add Object → POU.

Declare a variable of type SM3_Depictor.SMC_R_Scara3_Z_Data. Declare a variable LrSize of type LREAL and initialize the variable with the value of 100.

VAR
 ScaraTrafo : SM3_Depictor.SMC_R_Scara3_Z_Data;
 LrSize:LREAL:=100;
END_VAR

Insert a call to the function block in the implementation.

ScaraTrafo(AxisGroup:=KinScara, trf:=KinScara.trafo);

Add the "Depic" POU to the MainTask.

Add a "Depictor" object below the application. To do this, click Project → Add Object → Depictor.

Double-click the object.

Select the Pose element in the Depictor tree.

Click Depictor → Add element.

Select the Depictor Ref. option in the properties of the element.

Click the button.

Select the SMC_R_Depictor_Scara3_Z object from the SM3_Depictor library.

Define the interface variables as follows:

Add a "Visualization" object below the application. To do this, click Project → Add Object → Visualization.

Open the visualization in the editor.

Insert a Rectangle visualization element (1).

Change the properties of the element.

Insert the other Box visualization elements.

Change the properties of elements (2) and (3).

Change the properties of elements (4), (5), and (6).

Change the properties of elements (7), (8), (9), and (10).

Label the visualization elements with the Label element.

Build the project and download it to the PLC.

Open the editor of the Depictor object in your project.

Switch to the visualization and modify the axis values or the Cartesian values. Observe the movement of the SCARA robot in Depictor.