Interrogation

Question 1

ID

Answer 1

Identity Configuration (Identify)
The ID command is used to query the controller for the hardware configuration and factory programming

Question 2

LA

Answer 2

List Arrays
1. The LA command returns a list of all arrays in memory.
2. The size of each array will be included next to each array name in square brackets.
* The listing will be in alphabetical order

Question 3

LL

Answer 3

List Labels
1. The LL command returns a listing of all of the program labels in memory.
2. The LL command label listing will be in alphabetical order.
3. The LL command returns all of the program labels in memory and their associated line numbers.

Question 4

LS

Answer 4

List
1. The LS command returns a listing of the programs in memory
2. n0 < n1 must always be true
3. If n0 or n1 is omitted, default vaules are used.
4. n0 and n1 can

Question 5

LV

Answer 5

List Variable
1. The LV command returns a listing of all of the program variables in memory.
2. Listing is done in alphabetical order
3. Use the -UL operand for total number of variables available for your controller.
* Issuing this command will pause the output of the Data Recorder until the command is completed.

Question 6

MG

Answer 6

Message
1. The MG command is used to send strings, operands, variables, and array values to a specified destination.
2. Multiple strings, variables, and ASCII characters may be used; each must be separated by a comma.
3. Solicited Messages
* From a host terminal, application code, or device, sending the MG command will return with the requested information.
* This is known as a solicited command, because the host sends the command and expects a response.
4. Unsolicited Messages
* From embedded DMC code, the MG command will send an unsolicited, asynchronous message from the controller to the host. This can be used to alert an operator, send instructions, or return a variable value.
* This is known as an unsolicited command becuase the host is not explicitly requesting it.
* The CW command controls the ASCII format of all unsolicited messages.
* Unsolicited messages can fo to any of the Ethernet handles or serial ports
* The CF command sets the default communication port for routing unsolicited messaged.

Formatting
* Formatters can be placed after each argument to modify how it is printed
* {Fm.n} Display variable in decimal format with m digits to left of decimal and n to the right.
* {Zm.n} Same as above but supresses leading zeros
* {$m.n} Display variable as a string in hexadecimal format with m digits to the left of decimal and n to the right.
* {Sn} Display variable as a string of length n, where n is 1 through 6. If n is greater than the length of the string strored in the variable, null chars (0000) will be inserted at the end of the string.
* {N} Suppress carriage return at the end of the message.

Question 7

QH

Answer 7

Query Hall State
1. The QH command transmits the state of the Hall sensor inputs.
2. The value is decimal and represented by a 3 bit value
3. QH should return a value from 1 through 6 as valid Hall combinations. A value of 0 or 7 is invalid when using Hall sensors and will generate a Hall error with OE set.
The valid sequence for Hall inputs is a greycode output (only one bit changes at a time * 1,3,2,6,4,5 or 5,4,6,2,3,1

Question 8

QR

Answer 8

I/O Data Record
1. The QR command causes the controller to return a record of information regarding controller status.
2. This status information includes 4 bytes of header information and specific blocks of information as specified by the command arguments.

Question 9

QS

Answer 9

Error Magnitude
1. The QS command reports the magnitude of error, in drive step counts, for axes in Stepper Position Maintenance mode.
2. A step count is directly proportional to the micro-stepping resolution of the stepper drive.
3. The result of QS is modularized so that result is never greater than 1/2 the revolution of the stepper motor. (Largest possible QS result = 0.5YAYB)
4. If present in ebedded code, command execution will jump to #POSERR when QS is equal to 3 full motor steps (-YAm*3)
5. -QSm contains the error magnitude in drive step counts for the specified axis

Question 10

QU

Answer 10

Upload Array
1. The QU command transfer array data from the contoller to a host computer.
2. The QU requires that the array name be specified along with the first element of the array and last element of the array.
3. Array name must be a valid, dimensioned array name followed by empty [] brackets
4. The uploaded array will be followed by a <.control.>Z as an end text marker.
5. Issuing this command will pause the output of the Data Record until the command is completed.

Question 11

QZ

Answer 11

Return Data Record Information
1. The QZ command is an interrogation command that returns information regarding the data record.
2. The controllers response to this command will be the return of 4 integers separated by commas.
3. The four fields returned by QZ represent the following:
* First field returns the number of axes.
* Second field returns the number of bytes to be transferred for general status.
* Third field returns the number of bytes to be transferrd for coordinated move status.
* Fourth field returns the number of bytes to be transferred for axis specific information.

Question 12

QS

Answer 12

Error Magnitude
1. The QS command reports the magnitude of error, in drive step counts, for axes in Stepper Position Maintenance mode.
2. A step count is directly proportional to the micro-stepping resolution of the stepper drive.
3. The results of QS is modularized so that result is never greater than 1/2 the revolution of the stepper motor.
* Largest possible QS result = 0.5 x YA x YB
4. If present in embedded code, command execution will jump to #POSERR when QS is equal to 3 full motor steps (-YAm x 3)
5. QSm=? will return the current error for axis m

Question 13

RL

Answer 13

Report Latched Position
1. The RL command will return the last position captured by the latch.
2. The latch must first be armed by the AL command and then the appropriate input must be activated.
3. Each axis uses a specific general input for the latch input
4. The armed state of the latch can be configured using the CN command.
5. The Latch Function works with the main or auxillary encoder

Question 14

RP

Answer 14

Reference Position
1. The RP command returns the commanded reference position of the motor(s).
2. RP command is useful when operating step motors since it provides the commanded position in steps when operating in stepper mode.
3. The relationship between RP, TP, and TE: TE equals the difference between the reference position, RP, and the actual position, TP.
* TE = RP - TP
4. -RPm contains the commanded reference position for the specified axis.

Question 15

SC

Answer 15

Stop Code
1. The Stop Code command returns a number indicating why a motor has stopped.
2. When SC is issued, the controller responds with a number for the axis queried.

Question 16

TA

Answer 16

Tell Amplifier Error Status
1. The command returns the amplifier error status.
2. The value is decimal and represents an 8 bit value.
3. Bit 7 is the most significant bit, bit 0 is the least significant bit.

Question 17

TB

Answer 17

Tell Status Byte
1. The TB command returns status infomation from the controller as a decimal number.
2. Each bit of the status byte denotes an active condition when the bit is set (high)

Question 18

TC

Answer 18

Tell Command Error Code
1. The TC command reports programming or command erros detected by the controller.
2. The TC command returns a number between 1 and 255. This number is a code that reflects why a command was not accepted by the controller.
3. This command is useful when the controller halts execution of a program or when the response to a command is a question mark.

Question 19

TD

Answer 19

Tell Dual Encoder Position
1. The TD command returns the current position of the dual (auxiliary) encoder input.
2. When operating stepper motors, the TD command returns the number of counts that have been output by the controller.
3. -TDm reports the dual encoder position for the specified axis

Question 20

TE

Answer 20

Tell Position Error
1. The TE command returns the current error in the control loop.
2. The command returns the position error of the motor(s), which the difference between commanded (RP) and actual (TP) position.
3. Under normal operating conditions with servo control, the position error should be small.
4. Position error is typically largest during acceleration and deceleration.
5. the Tell Error command is not valid for step motors since they operate open-loop
6. -TEm contains the current position error value for the specified axis.

Question 21

TH

Answer 21

Tell Ethernet Handle
1. The TH command returns a list of data pertaining to the Galil’s Ethernet connection.
2. This list begins with the IP address and Ethernet address (physical address), followed by the status of each handle indicating connection type and IP address.
3. if no handles are shown as AVAILABLE, the controller will be unable to create or accept more Ethernet connections with TCP and UDP. Ping will still function when all handles are taken

Related Commands
* DH - DHCP Client Enable
* IA - IP Address
* IH - Open IP Handle
* WH - Which Handle

Question 22

TI

Answer 22

Tell Digital Inputs
1. The TI command returns the state of the inputs in banks of 8 bits, or 1 byte.
2. The value returned by this command is decimal and represents an 8 bit value (decimal value ranges from 0 to 255).
3. Each bit represents one input where the LSB is the lowest input number and the MSB is the highest input bit.
4. For n = 10 and n = 11, the auxiliary encoder channels A and B can be used as additional IO. Only 2 x the number of axes worth of inputs are available.
5. -TIn contains the status byte of the input block specified by ‘n’
6. Note that the operand can be masked to return only specified bit information

Question 23

TP

Answer 23

Tell Encoder Position
1. The TP command returns the current position of the motor.
2. -TPm contains the current position value for the specified axis.
3. Omitting mm returns the position of all axes.

Question 24

TR

Answer 24

Trace Program Execution
1. The TR command causes each instruction in a program to be sent out the communications port prior to execution.
2. The trace command is useful in debugging programs.
3. n1 sets a 1-byte bitmask which determines which threads will run. Bit n set correspons to thread n traced.
4. omitting n1 sets it to the defaul maximum value to enable trace on all threads.

Question 25

TS

Answer 25

Tell Switches
1. the TS command returns information including axis-specific IO status, error conditions, motor condition and state.
2. The value returned by this command is decimal and represents an 8 bit value (decimal value ranges from 0 to 255)
3. Each bit of the TS response represents the following status information when the bit is set (1)

Question 26

TT

Answer 26

Tell Torque

Question 27

TV

Answer 27

Tell Velocity
1. The TV command returns the actual velocity of the axes in units of encoder counts /s.
2. The value returned includes the sign bit for direction.
3. The TV command is computed using a special averaging filter (over approximately 0.25 sec for TM1000). Therefore, TV will return average velocity not instantaneous velocity.
4. -TVm contains the value of the velocity for the specified axis.

Question 28

TZ

Answer 28

Tell I/O Configuration
1. The TZ command is used to request the I/O status of the controller. This is returned to the user as a human-readable text string.
2. The data reported by TZ is also accessible through the TI (inputs) and OP (outputs) command.