Motion Control Systems

A system for allowing communication between a software application and at least one motion controller in a set of motion controllers, comprising:

• a set of motion operations consisting of primitive motion operations and non-primitive motion operations, where
• non-primitive motion operations can be performed using a plurality of primitive motion operations, and
• primitive motion operations cannot be performed using a plurality of primitive motion operations;
• a set of motion commands, where at least one motion command is associated with one of the primitive motion operations;
• a set of selectable software modules, where
• each software module is associated with at least one motion controller in the set of motion controllers, and
• at least two selectable software modules expose a common software interface;
• a software system capable of commanding motion controllers to perform motion operations using the common software interfaces exposed by the software modules;
• and
• a driver administrator capable of selecting and loading at least one of the set of selectable software modules;
• wherein
• the software application comprises a plurality of motion commands associated with a desired motion sequence, where the application comprises at least one motion command associated with a primitive motion operation;
• the software system uses the driver administrator to select at least one selected software module;
• the software application uses the driver administrator to load the selected software module;
• and
• the software system commands at least one selected motion controller to perform the desired motion sequence using
• the plurality of motion commands of the software application, and
• the common software interface exposed by the at least one selected software module associated with the at least one selected motion controller.