LabVIEW VI for control TMCM 610 via USB?

[passimatze]

Hallo,

i need a LabVIEW VI to control the TMCM-610 via USB. Have anybody such a VI?

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

Unfortunately we do not have such a VI, but some recommendations how it could be solved with the existing RS232 VIs:

1) Make sure that the TMCM-610 has at least firmware version 6.35. Perform a firmware update if necessary.

2) Use the latest version of the USB driver. With this driver, the TMCM-610 can also be seen as a COM port (check this in the Windows Device Manager and remenber which COM port it is).

3) With firmware 6.35 or higher, the USB protocol of the TMCM-610 can also be switched to the "normal" nine byte RS232 protocol of TMCL. Do this by sending an SGP 68, 0, 1 command in direct mode to the module. In the current versions of the TMCL-IDE you will have to do this by entering it in the "Manual Instruction Input" section of the direct mode dialogue: enter 9 in the "Instruction" field, 68 in the "type" field, 0 in the "motor" field and 1 in the "value" field. Then click the "Execute" button in the manul instruction input section. This setting will be automatically stored in the EEPROM of the module.

4) Cycle power.

5) You will now no longer be able to communicate with the module using the USB connection mode in the TMCL-IDE. Instead, use "RS232/RS485" and the COM port under which the module can be seen. RS232 baud rate does not matter.

When this works you can control it via the RS232 LabView VIs the same way as the other modules.

[passimatze]

Hallo,

thanks for the answer. I installed the firmware version 1.35 and i download the usb-driver from the trinamic tmcm 610 site. but the driver installed under usb. So i can't see the tmcm-60 under a com port.

Matthias

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

Please get the latest version of the USB driver from our website. It should also expose a COM port. If not you can take the VCP driver from FTDI (for the FT245BM chip) and set its Product ID to 0xEF10 in the INF file. Then you have a virtual COM port driver for the TMCM-610 module.

[passimatze]

Hallo,

i took the usb driver from the tmcm 610 page. Maybe it´s not the latest driver .Can you link me to the latest driver? If that not works, can you link me to the VCP driver. I do not find this. And then where can i change the Product ID?

Best regards

Matthias

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

I have now put the latest drivers from FTDI onto our website (for TMCM-610 and TMCM-612 modules). At least on my computer it works - the module shows up under USB and under COM ports.
But be careful when updating the driver: if you have installed the old driver from your local harddisc or network drive, delete the old driver (and the directory where you had copied it) first. Otherwise Windows will still find the old driver and install that one instead of the new one (it took me one hour to find out about that).
If the COM port should still not be visible then open the driver details in the USB section of the Windows Device Manager. You will find an "Advanced" tab with the option "Load VCP". This option must be swiched on to get the COM port (anybody who does not want the COM port can switch of this option).

So you do not have to get and configure the drivers from the FTDI website.

[passimatze]

Thanks,
it works. My problem was the wrong driver.
Best regard
Matthias

[juergen]

Hello,
my question concerns the same issue described above.
I'm able to use the TMCM 612 via USB connection mode in the TMCL-IDE only.
So in the discussion above it is described how to switch from RS232 mode to USB mode by entering 9 in the "Instruction" field, 68 in the "type" field, 0 in the "motor" field and 1 in the "value" field in the 'Manual Instruction Input'.
But how it is possible to switch the other way around, from USB mode to RS232 mode resp. reversing the command above?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Cheers, jürgen

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

The above command can be reversed by setting parameter 68 to 0 again. So please enter the same command number, type number and bank number, but as the value please enter 0 instead of 1.

[juergen]

Hello,
thanks for the reply.
I tried to execute your suggestion. Unfortunately it doesn't work.
I guess the command didn't switch the device from USB to RS232. After entering mentioned command it is still possible to run the TMCM 612 in USB mode.
In case of trying to switch the communication to RS232 an error message occurs: NO REPLY FROM THE MODULE.

So is it possible that certain parameters deviate of those mentioned above by using the TMCM 612? Are these parameters only valid for TMCM 610 devices?

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

There is no difference between the TMCM-610 and TMCM-612 modules concerning the communication parameters. The global parameter 68 mentioned in the above postings is supported from firmware revision 6.35 on (and it was originally made for a TMCM-612 customer).
After this parameter has once been changed to 1 you will need to select the connection via the virtual COM port (select "RS232/RS485" in the communication settings of the TMCL-IDE and then chose the appropriate COM port) in order to be able to change it back to the original mode (so that the setting "USB (TMCM-610/612) can be used). Or use the real RS232 interface to change it back.
After changing this parameter you will need to power-cycle the module or press the reset button on the module.

Another option would be to reset the module to factory default settings (either by using the "Reset to factory default" button in the TMCL-IDE or by shorting pin 1 and 3 of the ISP connector).

So maybe you do not have the latest firmware revision on your module? Please verify that it is at least 6.35. Otherwise please perform a firmware update.

[juergen]

The firmware version of the used device is TMCM 612 V6.30. So I downloaded the latest version V.6.35.
Can there occur any problems regarding "user definable functions"? Is it possible to erase these functions of the EEPROM while updating the firmware?
And beyond that is a proper run ensured of the entire system with all implemented functions used before?

Cheers

[Olav Kahlbaum (TRINAMIC)]

There are no major differences. If you have any TMCL program in the memory it will not be erased. Also all other settings will be kept. So it is always safe to perform an upgrade (and it is also always possible to downgrade a module to an older version if needed).
Since version 6.33, the UF3, UF4 and UF7 commands have been added to support the extra RAM on the TMCM-612 (please see the TMCM-612 manual for details).

[juergen]

Perfect it works with the new firmware TMCM 612 V6.35.
Now it's possible to switch from USB to RS232 mode - unfortunately only one of the two used cards.
One TMCM 612 device still only runs via USB. The device manger recognizes both cards in both operation modes (USB and RS232). But while trying to execute the update of the firmware, one card can't be found.
There pops up a message: COULD NOT DETECT THE DEVICE TYPE...
Although it is an identic card. I can't find the root cause for this...

[juergen]

A further question would be, how to get/read out the actual postion/step of a actuator during operation?
In the manual I couldn't find an appropriate command...