Output cam system and method

A programming interface for a control system, comprising:

• an axis motion control instruction, the axis motion control instruction being executable to control movement of a motion control axis;
• an output cam instruction, the output cam instruction being executable to control a state of an output device responsive to a position of the motion control axis;
• and
• wherein the programming interface permits the axis motion control instruction and the output cam instruction to both be used in a common user program;
• wherein the output cam instruction permits a plurality of output cam profiles to be defined for a plurality of cam elements, the plurality of output cam profiles defining latch operations and unlatch operations for the plurality of cam elements, at least one of the cam elements controlling a state of the output device;
• and
• wherein the programming interface is capable of providing a graphical representation of the plurality of output cam profiles, the graphical representation depicting the latch and unlatch operations of the plurality of cam elements as a function of at least one of position and time.

A control system comprising:

• a motion control axis;
• and
• an output device, the output device being coupled to receive position feedback from the motion control axis, the output device comprising a microprocessor and a memory having control logic stored therein, the control logic being configured to control an on/off output state of the output device responsive to the position of the motion control axis;
• wherein the motion control axis comprises a microprocessor-based control unit coupled to a motor;
• wherein the control unit is capable of executing motion control instructions to control the position of the motor;
• wherein the system further comprises a programming interface usable to program both the output device and the control unit;
• wherein the output device executes control logic associated with an output cam instruction to control the on/off output state of the output device responsive to the position of the motion control axis;
• and
• wherein the programming interface permits the axis motion control instruction and the output cam instruction to both be used in a common user program.

A control system comprising:

• a motion control axis;
• and
• an output device, the output device being coupled to receive position feedback from the motion control axis, the output device comprising a microprocessor and a memory having control logic stored therein, the control logic being configured to control an output state of the output device responsive to the position of the motion control axis;
• wherein the motion control axis comprises a microprocessor-based control unit coupled to a motor;
• wherein the control unit is capable of executing motion control instructions to control the position of the motor;
• wherein the system further comprises a programming interface usable to program both the output device and the control unit;
• wherein the output device executes control logic associated with an output cam instruction to control the output state of the output device responsive to the position of the motion control axis;
• and
• wherein the programming interface permits the axis motion control instruction and the output cam instruction to both be used in a common user program;
• wherein the output device is an electromechanical transducer.

A control system comprising:

• a control unit, the control unit having control logic stored therein which is configured to store position information regarding a motion control axis;
• and
• a programming interface, the programming interface being configured to permit a user to program the control unit, the programming interface including an output cam instruction, the output cam instruction being executable to control an on/off state of an output device responsive to a position of the motion control axis, the output cam instruction including a parameter that specifies the motion control axis as being one of first and second types, the first type being one of a servo axis, a virtual axis, a feedback-only axis, and a consumed axis, and the second type being a different one of the servo axis, the virtual axis, the feedback-only axis, and the consumed axis, wherein the servo axis corresponds to a physical axis having movement which is controlled by the control unit and in which the position information is either commanded position information generated by the control unit or feedback position information received from a feedback device, wherein the feedback-only axis corresponds to a physical axis having movement and in which the position information is feedback position information received from a feedback device, the virtual axis corresponds to an axis having no physical movement and that exists only in the control logic of the control unit, and the consumed axis corresponds to a physical axis having movement which is not controlled by the control unit and in which the position information is received by the control unit by way of a network connection to another unit associated with the consumed axis.

A control method comprising:

• monitoring a motion control axis;
• controlling an on/off state of a first output, the first output being controlled as a first function of a position of the motion control axis in accordance with a first output cam profile;
• and
• controlling an on/off state of a second output, the second output being controlled as a second function of the position of the motion control axis in accordance with a second output cam profile;
• and
• wherein the on/off state of the second output is further controlled as a function of the on/off state of the first output, such that the on/off state of the first output is used as an enable input to control the on/off state of the second output.

A control method comprising:

• monitoring a position of a motion control axis;
• executing output cam control logic in a first module of a programmable controller system, the output cam control logic being configured to generate change state control signals that control latching and unlatching of an output cam element that controls an output device responsive to the position of the motion control axis;
• transmitting one of the change state control signals from the first module to a second module of the programmable controller system, the change state control signal being transmitted in the form of a scheduling message that causes a state change for the output device to be scheduled at a time determined by a parameter of the scheduling message;
• scheduling the state change at the second module;
• and
• changing a state of the output device at the time determined by the parameter of the scheduling message.