Design Custom Motion Controllers for Stepper, Servo Motors with NI LabVIEW.NI SoftMotion Development Module 2.0 Supports Windows Vista The current version of Windows for the desktop. It was released in late 2006 for businesses and early 2007 for consumers. Vista adds numerous features, including improved security and advanced multimedia capabilities. , New NI CompactRIO Controllers AUSTIN, Texas -- National Instruments National Instruments, or NI (NASDAQ: NATI), is an American company with over 4,000 employees and direct operations in 41 countries founded in 1976 by Dr. James Truchard, Bill Nowlin and Jeff Kodosky. (Nasdaq:NATI NATI National Association of Teen Institutes NATI Newfoundland Association of Technical Industries ) today announced the latest version of the NI SoftMotion Development Module for LabVIEW, the revolutionary software that empowers machine builders and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to create customized motion controllers using software and deploy them for any NI hardware platform. OEMs and machine builders can use a range of pre-built motion functions and control algorithms to quickly create motion controllers based on specific application requirements as well as price and performance needs. The new NI SoftMotion Development Module 2.0 expands this flexible environment to stepper motor A motor that rotates in small, fixed increments and is used to control the movement of the access arm on a disk drive. Contrast with voice coil. (hardware) stepper motor control and adds support for the Windows Vista OS and new National Instruments CompactRIO controllers for high-performance motion control. "The NI SoftMotion Development Module provides a new way for designers to create the best control system for their applications, resulting in a more efficient machine without the overhead of a custom layout," said Robert Canik, director of motion control R&D at National Instruments. The NI SoftMotion Development Module is ideal for applications that require high-speed or custom control such as drilling, semiconductor processes, microelectromechanical system processes (MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) Tiny mechanical devices that are built onto semiconductor chips and are measured in micrometers. In the research labs since the 1980s, MEMS devices began to materialize as commercial products in the mid-1990s. ) and in-line vehicle sequencing by automakers. Machine builders and OEMs can use the NI SoftMotion Development Module to easily create custom motion controllers with advanced control algorithms such as fuzzy logic fuzzy logic, a multivalued (as opposed to binary) logic developed to deal with imprecise or vague data. Classical logic holds that everything can be expressed in binary terms: 0 or 1, black or white, yes or no; in terms of Boolean algebra, everything is in one set or or model-based control for better machine performance. Combined with the NI LabVIEW FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market. technology in NI CompactRIO modules and NI R Series data acquisition devices, they implement PID (1) (Process IDentifier) A temporary number assigned by the operating system to a process or service. (2) (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) The most common control methodology in process control. loop rates of up to 200 kHz. With these faster loop rates, researchers gain more precise control to build finer materials. They can also adapt more quickly to changes, leading to more efficient machines. Researchers can use the NI SoftMotion Development Module to quickly develop and prototype new control design algorithms for motion control. The software includes functions for trajectory generation, spline interpolation, position and velocity PID control and encoder implementation on the LabVIEW Real-Time Module and/or the LabVIEW FPGA Module. Using these functions, researchers can experiment with the range of available algorithms to fine-tune their applications and even create their own. With the NI SoftMotion Development Module, engineers can create custom motion controllers using the platform of their choice, including the CompactRIO embedded platform, plug-in NI M Series and R Series data acquisition devices, or the NI Compact FieldPoint programmable automation controller A programmable automation controller (PAC) is a compact controller that combines the features and capabilities of a PC-based control system with that of a typical programmable logic controller (PLC). , depending on performance requirements. The latest version of the NI SoftMotion Development Module adds support for its spline In computer graphics, a smooth curve that runs through a series of given points. The term is often used to refer to any curve, because long before computers, a spline was a flat, pliable strip of wood or metal that was bent into a desired shape for drawing curves on paper. See Bezier and B-spline. engine function to generate step data output as well as a new stepper step·per n. 1. One that steps, especially in a fast or spirited manner. 2. Informal A dancer. Noun 1. generator function to process step data into step and direction signals for a stepper motor, giving machine builders the ability to choose the motor best suited for their applications. In addition, it includes two new data types for spline data - fixed point and floating point. These data types give machine builders the flexibility to choose more loop rate combinations when using servo motors, which they can use to fine-tune their motion controllers for higher-performance control. About National Instruments National Instruments (www.ni.com) is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 25,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3 percent of revenue and no one industry representing more than 10 percent of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 4,000 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. For the past eight years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company's investor relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. department by calling 512-683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting www.ni.com/nati. Pricing and Contact Information [TABLE OMITTED] CompactRIO, FieldPoint, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and NI SoftMotion are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. |
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