Communications protocol

A simple text-based protocol is used. Commands are sent to the SMD4, checked and executed, and a response returned. Data are buffered on receipt and commands are evaluated and executed on a first in first out basis. Although not a requirement, it is usually easiest to send a command and evaluate the response before sending the next command.

Commands are in the form (Note that angle brackets are shown for clarity only, they are not part of the protocol):

<address prefix><mnemonic>,<argument 1>,<argument 2>,<argument n>…<CR><LF>

And responses are in the form:

<address prefix>,<SFLAGS>,<EFLAGS>,<data 1>,<data 2>,<data n>…<CR><LF>

If the command executed successfully, or:

<address prefix>,<SFLAGS>,<EFLAGS>,<error code><CR><LF>

If the command failed to execute correctly.

Where:

Item	Description
<address prefix>	Optional prefix included when multiple SMD4s exist on the same bus. If not using addressing can be omitted.
<mnemonic>	Short sequence of characters representing a command, case insensitive
<argument n>	Zero or more command arguments
<data n>	Zero or more response data items
<error code>	An error code, see section Error Codes. This includes both a number and text description of the error to aid when using the SMD4 via a terminal program.
<SFLAGS>	Set of flags representing the status of the SMD4, such as the state of the limit inputs or whether the joystick is connected. See section Status Flags
<EFLAGS>	Set of flags representing the error state of the SMD4, such as invalid mnemonic, or motor over-temperature fault.
<CR><LF>	Message terminator; carriage return followed by line-feed (0x0D,0x0A)

Addressing

This section is only applicable where multiple SMD4s are connected together on the same bus, using the serial interface in either RS232 or RS485 mode. The addressing logic described in this section works for all interfaces, but is redundant for USB and the network interface since those inherently implement addressing.

When multiple SMD4s exist on the same bus, a mechanism is required to allow them to be addressed uniquely or as a group. Likewise, only one device must use the bus at a time otherwise bus contention results when more than one device tries to drive the bus at a time.

This is accomplished via the address prefix, which is the at '@' symbol followed by a numeric address:

0 = Broadcast address, all SMD4s execute the command, but no response is sent
1 to 247 = Valid secondary address range. The addressed SMD4 executes the command and returns a response
Any address outside this range is invalid, and the packet is silently ignored

Upon receipt of the first complete packet with an address prefix, the SMD4 enters addressing mode, and behaviour then changes as follows, until restart.

Malformed packets are silently ignored. This includes any packet that does not include the addressing prefix but that is otherwise valid.
Broadcast packets are silently parsed and executed. A response is not sent, and as such it cannot be determined whether the command executed successfully without submitting a further query addressed directly to the target SMD4.
Packets that are otherwise correctly formed but having a target address that does not match that of the SMD4 are silently ignored.

Comma separation

All elements are comma-separated, except for the message terminator which immediately follows the last item. A response is always sent on receipt of a message terminator except where addressing criteria are not met. If an argument was supplied with a command, for example, to set a value, the value set will be returned in the response and serves as an additional confirmation of the command having executed as expected.

Many commands accept a real number argument when the underlying quantity is an integer, or finite set of real numbers. In this case, the supplied value being otherwise acceptable is rounded to the closest integer or real number from the allowed set, and it is this value that is returned in the response.

No data items to return
If there are no data items as part of a response, only the SFLAGS and EFLAGS are returned. If an error occurred, then this will be reflected in the EFLAGS.

Data types

The SMD4 uses the following data types. Arguments sent to and from the SMD4 will be one of these types. Bracketed values are notes or converted values and not part of the data sent to or from the SMD4. Same applies to quotes.

Type	SMD4 accepts	SMD4 responds
INT	Integer value, with or without sign: 100, -3, +7	Sign only included for negative numbers: 200, -3, 7
UINT	Unsigned integer value, no sign: 0, 7, 1000 Hexadecimal format is also accepted: 0x38e3 (14,563) 0x005F (95)	Unsigned integer value, no sign: 100, 200 Status and error flags are returned in upper case 2-byte hexadecimal format, E.g. 0x1234, 0xA4DE
FLOAT	Real number, with or without sign: 100, 34.5, 89.234234 Scientific format may also be used: 100e-3, 2.454E+1, 2e+3	Scientific format, with variable places after the decimal point and a 2-digit exponent: 1.23000E+04, 5.761592342E-06
STRING	ASCII string, consisting of characters 0x20 to 0x7E inclusive: "hello", "1234 abc"
BOOL	Binary, true/false value: 0, 1
DOTTED DECIMAL	IPV4 address or mask, four numbers separated by dots: "192.168.0.1", "255.255.255.255"
MAC	12 hexadecimal characters grouped into pairs separated by a colon: "44:b7:d0:c7:16:75"
OTHER	The data type is described in the command reference section

Flags

Flags are reported by the device in hexadecimal format as explained above. E.g. a value of 0x0002 means bit 1 is set. The value of reserved flags is undefined and no particular value should be assumed.

Error flags (EFLAGS)

These indicate error conditions and are latching (i.e. remain set even after the error condition that caused them no longer persists). Reset the fault using the clear command, or the reset fault input. The motor is disabled if one or more error flags are set.

Bit	Name	Description
0	Temperature sensor short	Selected temperature sensor is short-circuited (Not applicable to Thermocouple)
1	Temperature sensor open	Selected temperature sensor is open circuit
2	Motor over temperature	Selected temperature sensor is reporting temperature > 190 °C and power has been removed from the motor to protect the windings
3	Motor short	Motor phase to phase or phase to ground short has been detected
4	External disable	Motor disabled via external input
5	Emergency stop	Motor disabled via software
6	Configuration error	Motor configuration is corrupted
7	Reserved 7
8	Reserved 8
9	SDRAM	Memory self-test failed
10	Reserved 10
11	Reserved 11
12	Reserved 12
13	Reserved 13
14	Reserved 14
15	Motion control fault	One or more motion control features (EPC, ROML etc.) are in a fault state

Status flags (SFLAGS)

Bit	Name	Description
0	Joystick connected	Joystick is connected (determined via state of the
1	Limit negative	Limit input is active (Note that the polarity is configurable, so active can mean high or low signal level)
2	Limit positive	Limit input is active (Note that the polarity is configurable, so active can mean high or low signal level)
3	External enable	External enable input state
4	Ident	Ident mode is active, green status indicator is flashing to aid in identifying device
5	EPC activity	Endpoint correction activity indicator; on when this feature is busy
6	ROML activity	Range of motion limiter activity indicator; true when this feature is busy
7	Standby	Motor stationary. Check this bit before performing a function that requires the motor to be stopped first, such as changing mode
8	Baking	Bake mode running
9	Target Velocity Reached	Set when the motor is at target velocity
10	GUARD activity	Guard activity indicator; true when this feature is busy
11	Boost Operational	Internal 48 V to 67 V boost supply is operational
12	Boost disable jumper	Boost supply disable jumper is fitted
13	Boost UVLO	Boost supply is disabled because input voltage is too low (< 48 V approx.)
14	Reserved 14
15	Motion control warning	One or more motion control features (EPC, ROML etc.) are in a warning state

Error codes

Error	Description
-1 (Stop motor first)	Several actions, such as changing resolution or operating mode require that the motor is stopped first. Trying to run such a command before the motor has come to a stop and the standby flag in the status register is set will result in this error.
-2 (Argument validation)	An argument supplied to the command is invalid, for example, it is outside the allowable range.
-3 (Unable to get)	The command is write-only, read is not valid. This applies to commands such as stop, where read would have no meaning.
-5 (Action failed)	The command failed to execute due to an internal error, for example, the internal flash in which settings are stored has reached the end of life and data cannot be reliably written to it.
-6 (Not possible in mode)	The command is not applicable to this mode, for example, trying to start bake when not in bake mode.
-7 (Not possible when motor disabled)	The motor is disabled (due to a fault, or external enable) and the command is one that starts motion.
-101 (Argument type)	The argument is of the wrong type, for example a non-integer value was given where an integer value was required.
-102 (Argument count)	The argument count is incorrect, either too few or too many arguments have been supplied.
-103 (Invalid Mnemonic)	Command mnemonic is not valid
-104 (Packet error)	Packet is malformed

Quick reference

Bake

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Type
BAKE:ELAPSED	Elapsed bake time in format h:mm:ss	●		STRING
BAKE:RUN	Start bake		●
BAKE:T	Bake temperature setpoint	●	●	UINT

Boost

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Type
BOOST:EN	Boost enable	●	●	BOOL
BOOST:JUMPER	Check if boost disable PCB jumper is fitted	●		BOOL

Coms

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Type
COMS:NET:DHCP	DHCP enable	●	●	BOOL
COMS:NET:GATEWAY	Gateway address	●	●	DOTTED DECIMAL
COMS:NET:IP	IP address	●	●	DOTTED DECIMAL
COMS:NET:IPCONF	Summary of network configuration in human readable form	●		STRING
COMS:NET:LINK	Ethernet interface link is up	●		BOOL
COMS:NET:MAC	Ethernet interface MAC address	●		MAC
COMS:NET:NETMASK	Ethernet subnet mask	●	●	DOTTED DECIMAL
COMS:SERIAL:BAUD	Serial baud rate	●	●	UINT
COMS:SERIAL:MODE	Serial coms mode, RS232 or 485	●	●	UINT
COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL	RS485 turnaround delay	●	●	UINT
COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR	Slave address	●	●	UINT
COMS:SERIAL:TERM	Enable RS485 line termination	●	●	BOOL

Encoder

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Arguments
ENC:BSN	Encoder board serial number	●		STRING
ENC:DAT	Encoder readout data	●		OTHER
ENC:DPC	Encoder displacement per count	●	●	FLOAT
ENC:FLIP	Reverse encoder direction	●	●	BOOL
ENC:FLIP:AUTOSET	Auto configure flip		●
ENC:FW	Encoder firmware version	●		STRING
ENC:INC:LIMITS:EN	Enable incremental PQ limits	●	●	BOOL
ENC:INC:LIMITS:P:EN	Enable incremental P limit	●	●	BOOL
ENC:INC:LIMITS:Q:EN	Enable incremental Q limit	●	●	BOOL
ENC:INC:LIMITS:STOPMODE	Incremental PQ limits stop mode	●	●	UINT
ENC:INC:LIMITS:SWAP	Incremental swap P and Q	●	●	BOOL
ENC:INC:RSTZ	Incremental reset the Z counter		●
ENC:OFS	Encoder readout offset	●	●	FLOAT
ENC:SEL	Select absolute or incremental encoder	●	●
ENC:USEINCE	Incremental use the E (error) signal	●	●

Limit inputs

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Arguments
LIMIT:EN	Global enable	●	●	BOOL
LIMIT:EN+	Limit positive (Limit 1) enable	●	●	BOOL
LIMIT:EN-	Limit negative (Limit 2) enable	●	●	BOOL
LIMIT:POL	Limit polarity for both Limit positive (Limit 1) and negative (Limit 2), (0 for active high, 1 for active low)		●	BOOL
LIMIT:POL+	Limit n polarity (0 for active high, 1 for active low)	●	●	BOOL
LIMIT:POL-	Limit n polarity (0 for active high, 1 for active low)	●	●	BOOL
LIMIT:STOPMODE	How to stop on limit being triggered	●	●	BOOL

Motion control

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Arguments
MCON:ESTOP	Emergency stop. Stops the motor immediately		●
MCON:MPRESET	Mechanism presets	●	●	UINT
MCON:NUDGE:RUN:NEG	Execute negative nudge	●	●
MCON:NUDGE:RUN:POS	Execute positive nudge	●	●
MCON:NUDGE:VALUE	Nudge distance	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:RUNA	Move motor absolute positioning mode		●	INT
MCON:RUNH	Start home mode procedure		●	STRING
MCON:RUNR	Move motor relative positioning mode		●	INT
MCON:RUNV	Move motor velocity mode		●	STRING
MCON:SF:EPC	Closed loop (Endpoint Correction, EPC) behaviour	●	●	UINT
MCON:SF:EPC:N	Closed loop (Endpoint Correction, EPC) maximum iterations	●	●	UINT
MCON:SF:EPC:T	Closed loop (Endpoint Correction, EPC) tolerance	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:SF:GUARD	Guard behaviour	●	●	UINT
MCON:SF:GUARD:1	Guard value one	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:SF:GUARD:2	Guard value two	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:SF:ROML	Range of motion limiter behaviour	●	●	UINT
MCON:SF:ROML:1	Range of motion limiter value one	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:SF:ROML:2	Range of motion limiter value two	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:SF:ROML:J	Range of motion limiter, enable for step direction mode	●	●	BOOL
MCON:SSTOP	Stop motor in 1 second on full step position independently of the current motion profile		●
MCON:STOP	Bring motor to a stop according to the current profile		●
MCON:U	Mechanism displacement per step	●	●	FLOAT
MCON:ZEROA	Zero the absolute counter		●
MCON:ZEROAR	Zero absolute and relative counters		●
MCON:ZEROR	Zero relative counter		●

Motor

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Arguments
MOTOR:AMAX	Acceleration in Hz/s	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:DMAX	Deceleration in Hz/s	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:EDGE	Which edges of step input to generate a step on	●	●	UINT
MOTOR:F	Freewheel mode	●	●	UINT
MOTOR:IA	Acceleration current in amps	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:IH	Hold current in amps	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:IHD	Delay per current reduction step	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:INTERP	Interpolate step input to 256 micro steps	●	●	BOOL
MOTOR:IR	Run current in amps	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:PACT	Actual position	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:PDDEL	Power down delay in milliseconds	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:PREL	Relative position	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:RES	Resolution	●	●	UINT
MOTOR:SDMODE	Step/direction mode	●	●	UINT
MOTOR:T	Temperature in °C	●		UINT
MOTOR:THIGH	Full step – micro stepping transition	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:TSEL	Temperature sensor selection, T/C or RTD	●	●	UINT
MOTOR:TZW	Time to stop before moving again in seconds	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:VACT	Actual motor velocity	●		FLOAT
MOTOR:VMAX	Target motor velocity	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:VSTART	Start velocity	●	●	FLOAT
MOTOR:VSTOP	Stop velocity	●	●	FLOAT

General

Mnemonic	Description	R	W	Arguments
SYS:BSN	Get main board serial number	●		STRING
SYS:CLR	Clear error flags		●
SYS:EXTEN	External enable used	●	●	BOOL
SYS:FLAGS	Get status and error flags	●
SYS:FLAGSV	Get human readable summary of status and error flags	●		STRING
SYS:FW	Read main board firmware version number	●		STRING
SYS:IDENT	Set the status indicator flashing to help identify the device	●	●	BOOL
SYS:JS:EN	Enable or disable the joystick input	●	●	BOOL
SYS:JS:MODE	Joystick mode	●	●	UINT
SYS:LOAD	Load saved configuration		●
SYS:LOADFD	Load factory default settings		●
SYS:MODE	Mode of operation	●	●	UINT
SYS:NAME	Device name tag	●	●	STRING
SYS:PROG	Enter programming mode		●
SYS:RESET	Restart the SMD4		●
SYS:SER	Product serial number	●		STRING
SYS:STORE	Store settings		●
SYS:UNITS	Get or set the measurement unit	●	●	UINT
SYS:UPTIME	Get the uptime in milliseconds	●		UINT
SYS:UUID	Get a the products UUID (Universally Unique ID)	●		STRING

Command reference

In the examples red text is data transmitted to the SMD4, and blue text is data received from the SMD4. // Green text preceded by a double forward slash is a comment relating to that data. Arguments where present are given as an argument name in angle brackets.

Bake

BAKE:RUN – Start bake

Start bake. Configure the bake temperature setpoint using BakeTemperature.

~~BAKE:RUN~~~~<CR><LF>~~

Command:

BAKE:RUN<CR><LF>

Examples

BAKE:RUN<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Run bake

BAKE:ELAPSED – Elapsed bake time

Gets the elapsed bake time.

Query:

BAKE:ELAPSED<CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

duration

STRING

Elapsed time in format h:mm:ss, where h is hours, m minutes and s seconds.

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
~~Data~~	~~Type~~	~~Description~~

Tx: BAKE:ELAPSED<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,2:34:12<CR><LF>

// Bake has run for 2 hours 34 minutes and 12 seconds

BAKE:T – Bake temperature setpoint

Gets or sets the bake temperature setpoint. To run bake, select bake mode using the MODE, then start bake using the run bake command. Use stop command to end bake.

Command:

BAKE:T,<setpoint><CR><LF>

Query:

BAKE:T <CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

setpoint

UINT

[Default: 150 °C]

Min. 0 °C

Max. 200 °C

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
~~Data~~	~~Type~~	~~Description~~

Examples

BAKE:T,100<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,100<CR><LF>

BAKE:T<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,100<CR><LF>

// Set bake setpoint to 100 °C

// Query

Boost

BOOST:EN – Boost enable

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the boost supply should be enabled. The boost supply steps up the input voltage from 48 V to 67 V to maximise motor dynamic performance. Enable for best performance. Regardless of this setting, the boost supply is disabled when input voltage falls below 48 V, and or the boost disable jumper is fitted.

Command:

BOOST:EN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

BOOST:EN <CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

0: Disable

[1: Enable]

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Examples

BOOST:EN,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

BOOST:EN<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Enable boost

// Query

BOOST:JUMPER – Boost disable PCB jumper

Gets a value indicating whether the boost supply disable jumper is fitted. If the jumper is fitted, the boost supply is disabled and the maximum voltage supplied to the motor will equal the input voltage to the SMD4. This will compromise motor dynamic performance.

Query:

BOOST:JUMPER <CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

0: Jumper is not fitted, boost supply is enabled provided input voltage criteria met

1: Jumper is fitted, boost supply is disabled

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Coms: Network

COMS:NET:DHCP – DHCP

Gets or sets a value indicating whether DHCP is enabled. If enabled, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) will be used to automatically assign network configuration, such as IP address and gateway, to the device.

Command:

COMS:NET:DHCP,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:NET:DHCP<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disable [1: Enable]

Examples

COMS:NET:DHCP,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

COMS:NET:DHCP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Enable DHCP

// Query

COMS:NET:GATEWAY – Gateway

Gets or sets the gateway address. When DHCP is enabled, the value read back will be the value assigned by DHCP rather than any value you might have set. Any value set however is retained, and will apply if DHCP is disabled at a later time.

Command:

COMS:NET:GATEWAY,<address><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:NET:GATEWAY<CR><LF>
~~<address>~~ ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~address~~ ~~DOTTED DECIMAL~~ ~~Gateway address~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<address>

Data	Type	Description
address	DOTTED DECIMAL	Gateway address

Examples

COMS:NET:DHCP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

COMS:NET:GATEWAY,192.168.1.1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,10.0.96.1<CR><LF>

COMS:NET:DHCP,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

COMS:NET:GATEWAY<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,192.168.1.1<CR><LF>

// Query DHCP state and find that it's enabled

// Set the gateway; the returned value is that assigned by DHCP // not the value we just set

// Turn DHCP off

// Query gateway again

// Now DHCP is off, our assigned gateway value is used

COMS:NET:IP – IP Address

Gets or sets the IP address. When DHCP is enabled, the value read back will be the value assigned by DHCP rather than any value you might have set. Any value set however is retained, and will apply if DHCP is disabled at a later time.

Command:

COMS:NET:IP,<address><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:NET:IP<CR><LF>
~~<address>~~ ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~address~~ ~~DOTTED DECIMAL~~ ~~IP address~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<address>

Data	Type	Description
address	DOTTED DECIMAL	IP address

Examples

Tx: COMS:NET:IP<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,10.0.97.70<CR><LF>

// Query the IP address

COMS:NET:IPCONF – Get network config summary

Outputs a summary of network configuration in human readable form.

Query:

COMS:NET:IPCONF<CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

summary

STRING

ASCII table summarizing the network configuration, see example.

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Examples

Tx: COMS:NET:IPCONF<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,<CR><LF>

Ethernet interface:<CR><LF>

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . :10.0.97.70<CR><LF>

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . .:255.255.248.0<CR><LF>

Default Gateway . . . . . . . :10.0.96.1<CR><LF>

DHCP State. . . . . . . . . . . . :Enabled<CR><LF>

COMS:NET:LINK – Get link up status

Gets a value indicating whether the ethernet interface link is up. This will read back as false when the LAN connector is unplugged for example.

Query:

COMS:NET:LINK<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

0: Link down

1: Link up

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Examples

Tx: COMS:NET:LINK<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Query

// Link is up

COMS:NET:MAC – Get MAC address

Gets the Ethernet interface MAC address.

Query:

COMS:NET:MAC<CR><LF>

Response:

<mac>

Data

Type

Description

mac

MAC

MAC address, 12 hexadecimal characters grouped into pairs separated by a colon, for example "44:b7:d0:c7:16:75"

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Examples

Tx: COMS:NET:MAC<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,44:b7:d0:c7:16:75<CR><LF>

// Query

COMS:NET:NETMASK – Subnet mask

Gets or sets the subnet mask. When DHCP is enabled, the value read back will be the value assigned by DHCP rather than any value you might have set. Any value set however is retained, and will apply if DHCP is disabled at a later time.

Command:

COMS:NET:NETMASK,<mask><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:NET:NETMASK<CR><LF>
~~<mask>~~ ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~mask~~ ~~DOTTED DECIMAL~~ ~~Mask~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mask>

Data	Type	Description
mask	DOTTED DECIMAL	Mask

COMS:NET:NETMASK<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,255.255.248.0<CR><LF>

// Query

Coms: Serial

COMS:SERIAL:BAUD – Baud rate

Gets or sets the baud rate.

Command:

COMS:SERIAL:BAUD,<baud><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:SERIAL:BAUD<CR><LF>

Response:

<baud>

Data

Type

Description

baud

UINT

Baud rate:

4800
9600
14400
19200
38400
57600
[115200]
230400
460800
921600

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
~~Data~~	~~Type~~	~~Description~~

Examples

COMS:SERIAL:BAUD,9600<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,9600<CR><LF>

COMS:SERIAL:BAUD<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,9600<CR><LF>

// Set 9600 baud

// Query

COMS:SERIAL:MODE – RS232/RS485 mode selection

Gets or sets the serial coms mode, either RS232 or RS485. Unplug from the host device before changing the mode.

Command:

COMS:SERIAL:MODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:SERIAL:MODE<CR><LF>

Response:

<mode>

~~mode~~ ~~UINT~~

~~0: RS232~~

~~[1: RS485]~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	0: RS232 [1: RS485]

Examples

COMS:SERIAL:MODE,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

COMS:SERIAL:MODE<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set RS485 mode

// Query

COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL – Turnaround delay

Gets or sets a value in milliseconds specifying the delay to execute between receipt of a command from the host and the client (SMD4) sending the response. Applicable to RS485 mode only.

The RS485 interface is half duplex (it can send or receive data, but cannot do both at once) and so by default is in the receive state. The interface switches to transmit mode when a command has been received, executed and a response is ready to send. The turnaround delay is used to insert an additional delay following execution of the command but preceding switching to transmit, to allow the host more time to switch into receive mode.

Experiment with increasing this setting if you find that host receives a response with a portion missing from the start of the response, for example missing some or all of the status an error flags.

Command:

COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL,<delay><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL<CR><LF>

Response:

<delay>

Data

Type

Description

delay

UINT

Delay in milliseconds.

Default: 0

Minimum: 0

Maximum: 1000

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
~~Data~~	~~Type~~	~~Description~~

Examples

COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL,10<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

COMS:SERIAL:RS485DEL<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,10<CR><LF>

// Set delay of 10 ms

// Query

COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR – Slave address

Gets or sets the slave address. Only applicable when addressing mode is used, see addressing section.

Command:

COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR,<address><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR<CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

address

UINT

Slave address.

Default: 1

Minimum: 1

Maximum: 247

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~
~~Data~~	~~Type~~	~~Description~~

Examples

Tx: COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR,1<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

Tx: COMS:SERIAL:SLAVEADDR<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Disable termination

// Query

COMS:SERIAL:TERM – Termination

Gets or sets a value indicating whether RS485 line termination should be used. If enabled, a 120 termination resistance is placed between the RS485 A and B pins. See section on termination.

Command:

COMS:SERIAL:TERM,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

COMS:SERIAL:TERM<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

0: Disable

[1: Enable]

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~

Examples

COMS:SERIAL:TERM,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

COMS:SERIAL:TERM<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Disable termination

// Query

Encoder

ENC:BSN – Board serial number

Gets the encoder board serial number. If the encoder module is not present an empty string is returned.

~~ENC:BSN~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<serial>~~ ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~serial~~ ~~STRING~~

~~Encoder board serial number.~~

Query:	ENC:BSN<CR><LF>
Response:	<serial>

Data	Type	Description
serial	STRING	Encoder board serial number.

Examples

ENC:BSN<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1232492<CR><LF>

// Query

ENC:DAT – Encoder readout

Gets the latest data from the encoder. If the encoder module is not present, all values read as zero. Data relating to a particular type of encoder (incremental, or BiSS absolute) are only applicable when that type of encoder connected and otherwise are of undefined value.

Query:

ENC:DAT<CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

flags

UINT

Encoder status flags. 16 bit value presented as an unsigned integer. The bits are:

Bit Description

0: Incremental P limit signal

1: Incremental Q limit signal

2: Incremental E (error) signal

3: BiSS CRC error

4: BiSS warning

5: BiSS error

6: reserved 6

7: reserved 7

8: Installed

9: Online

10: reserved 10

11: reserved 11

12: reserved 12

13: reserved 13

14: reserved 14

15: reserved 15

incremental ab count

INT

Incremental encoder AB (position) count.

incremental z count

UINT

Incremental encoder Z (reference marker) count. The value increments once per transition, which means that the counter will increment by 2 if it passes cleanly over the reference mark in either direction.

absolute count

INT

Absolute encoder count

absolute position

FLOAT

Absolute position determined from the encoder. If the encoder is incremental then then the value is pseudo-absolute as explained <here>.

absolute velocity

FLOAT

Absolute velocity determined from the encoder

relative position

FLOAT

Relative position determined from the encoder.

relative velocity

FLOAT

Relative velocity determined from the encoder.

~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~	~~<flags>~~,~~<incremental ab count>~~,~~<incremental z count>~~,~~<absolute count>~~,~~<absolute position>~~,~~<absolute velocity>~~,~~<relative position>~~,~~<relative velocity>~~

Examples

ENC:DAT<CR><LF>

0x88c6,0x0000,888,7708795,128,0,5.00371093750000E+01,0.00000000000000E+00,5.00371093750000E+01,0.00000000000000E+00<CR><LF>

// Query

ENC:DPC – Displacement per count

Get or set the displacement per count, i.e. the distance represented by one encoder count.

Command:

ENC:DPC,<dpc><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:DPC<CR><LF>

Response:

<dpc>

Data

Type

Description

dpc

FLOAT

Displacement per count.

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

Examples

ENC:DPC<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,50E-09<CR><LF>

// The displacement per count is 50e-9. If this were a linear encoder and the units were meters, then this would mean 50 nm.

ENC:FLIP – Flip

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the encoder readout should be flipped/inverted, such that positive is negative and vice versa. This is done internally by multiplying the encoder count by 1 when flip is disabled, and -1 when flip is enabled, and is applied as the last processing step (i.e. after offsets and other adjustments have been applied).

Command:

ENC:FLIP,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:FLIP<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

[0: Disable]

1: Enable

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

Examples

ENC:FLIP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Flip is disabled

ENC:FLIP:AUTOSET - Autoset flip

Starts a process that automatically determines the correct flip setting. This takes a few seconds and is done by moving the motor a small amount, checking the resulting encoder displacement and then changing the flip setting if required. The motor is moved back to its initial position when the process completed.

~~ENC:FLIP:AUTOSET~~~~<CR><LF>~~

Command:	ENC:FLIP:AUTOSET<CR><LF>
Response:

Examples

ENC:FLIP:AUTOSET<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Autoset flip ran successfully

ENC:FW - Firmware version

Gets the encoder module firmware version.

~~ENC:FW~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<version>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~version~~ ~~STRING~~

~~Encoder firmware version~~

Query:	ENC:FW<CR><LF>
Response:	<version>

Data	Type	Description
version	STRING	Encoder firmware version

Examples

ENC:FW<CR><LF>

0x0886,0x0000,24285.79<CR><LF>

// Firmware version is 24285.79

ENC:INC:LIMITS:EN - Incremental PQ limits enable

Gets or sets a value indicating whether incremental PQ limits should be enabled. PQ limits can be configured as desired with the other related settings, and this option used to enable or disable them.

Command:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:EN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:EN<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

[0: Disable]

1: Enable

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

ENC:INC:LIMITS:P:EN - Incremental P limit enable

Gets or sets a value indicating whether incremental P limit should be enabled.

Command:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:P:EN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:P:EN<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

[0: Disable]

1: Enable

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

ENC:INC:LIMITS:Q:EN - Incremental Q limit enable

Gets or sets a value indicating whether incremental Q limit should be enabled.

Command:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:Q:EN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:Q:EN<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

[0: Disable]

1: Enable

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

ENC:INC:LIMITS:STOPMODE - Incremental PQ limits stop mode

Gets or sets the incremental PQ limits stop mode.

Command:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:STOPMODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:STOPMODE<CR><LF>

Response:

<mode>

Data

Type

Description

mode

UINT

[0: Hard stop; the motor will stop immediately on a limit being triggered]

1: Soft stop; the motor decelerates according to the profile

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

Remarks

When using hard stop, keep in mind that steps may be lost depending on the slewing speed and load on the motor. Treat position counters with caution until the true position has been established. Conversely, when using soft stop, ensure that the motor can decelerate to a stop before the physical end of travel is reached and steps are lost.

ENC:INC:LIMITS:SWAP - Incremental PQ limits swap

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the P and Q limits should be swapped. The standard configuration is for the P limit to be positioned at the end of the scale reached by the encoder count incrementing, and the Q limit the end of the scale reached by the encoder count decrementing. If this does not match your configuration, enable swap.

Command:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:SWAP,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:INC:LIMITS:SWAP<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Data

Type

Description

state

BOOL

[0: Disable]

1: Enable

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

ENC:INC:RSTZ - Incremental reset Z

Reset the incremental counter Z count.

Command:

ENC:INC:RSTZ<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

ENC:OFS - Offset

Gets or sets the encoder position offset. This value is summed with the raw encoder position to arrive at the final readout. Use this to set the encoder zero as desired.

Command:

ENC:OFS,<offset><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:OFS<CR><LF>

~~<offset>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~offset~~ ~~FLOAT~~

~~Offset value.~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<offset>

Data	Type	Description
offset	FLOAT	Offset value.

ENC:SEL - Selection

Gets or sets the encoder selection.

Command:

ENC:SEL,<selection><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:SEL<CR><LF>

Response:

Data

Type

Description

selection

UINT

[0: None]

1: Incremental

2: Absolute

~~Command:~~

~~Query:~~

~~Response:~~

ENC:USEINCE - Use incremental E signal

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the incremental encoder E (error) signal should be used. Not all encoders have this signal so disable this option when that is the case.

Command:

ENC:USEINCE,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

ENC:USEINCE<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

Hardware limits

LIMIT:EN – Limits global enable

Gets or sets global limit enable state. If this setting is false, limits are disabled regardless of the state of any other limits configuration item. This does not affect other limits configuration settings, allowing limits to be configured as desired, then globally enabled or disabled if required.

Command:

LIMIT:EN, <state><CR><LF>

Query:

LIMIT:EN<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	[0: Disabled] 1: Enabled

Examples

LIMIT:EN,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

LIMIT:EN<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Disable limits globally

// Query

LIMIT:EN-, LIMIT:EN+ Negative limit enable, positive limit enable

Gets or sets the negative limit (corresponding to decrementing step counter), or positive limit (corresponding to incrementing step counter) enable.

Command:

LIMIT:ENx,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

LIMIT:ENx<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Where 'x' is '-' for negative or '+' for positive limit. ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~Data
Type	~~Response:~~Description
state	BOOL	[0: Disabled] 1: Enabled

Examples

LIMIT:EN+,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

LIMIT:EN-<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set positive limit enable

// Query negative limit enable state

LIMIT:POL – Global limit polarity

Set the polarity for both limits at once.

Command:

LIMIT:POL,<polarity><CR><LF>

Response:

Where 'x' is '-' for negative or '+' for positive limit. ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~

~~Response:~~Data

Type

Description

polarity

UINT

[0: Active high]

1: Active low

Examples

Tx: LIMIT:POL,1<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set polarity of both limits to active low

LIMIT:POL-, LIMIT:POL+ Negative limit polarity, positive limit polarity

Gets or sets the negative or positive limit polarity.

Command:

LIMIT:POLx,<polarity><CR><LF>

Query:

LIMIT:POLx<CR><LF>

Response:

<state>

Where 'x' is '-' for negative or '+' for positive limit. ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~Data
Type	~~Response:~~Description
polarity	UINT	[0: Active high] 1: Active low

Examples

LIMIT:POL-,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

LIMIT:POL+<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set negative limit polarity to active low

// Query positive limit polarity

LIMIT:STOPMODE – Limit stop mode

Gets or sets the limits stop mode, which determines behaviour on limit being triggered.

Command:

LIMIT:STOPMODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

LIMIT:STOPMODE<CR><LF>

~~<mode>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mode>

Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	[0: Hard stop; the motor will stop immediately on a limit being triggered] 1: Soft stop; the motor decelerates according to the profile

Remarks

Examples

LIMIT:STOPMODE,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

LIMIT:STOPMODE<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set soft stop mode

// Query

Motion control

MCON:ESTOP – Emergency stop

Stop motor immediately disregarding deceleration profile and disable the motor. This should not be relied on as a safety interlock.

Command:

MOTOR:ESTOP<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

Remarks

The motor may stop on a fractional step position, but this is irrelevant as motor power is removed and the motor will snap to a full step position. Steps may be lost.

Examples

MCON:ESTOP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Stop the motor immediately

MCON:MPRESET - Mech preset

Apply a preset mechanism configuration. Drive properties including displacement per step, encoder and limits configuration will be set to suit the chosen mechanism. All AML standard mechanisms are available to chose from. Notice that the response is always 0, for both command and query. New presets will be added via firmware update as new mechanisms are released. Presets are discussed <here>.

Command:

MCON:MPRESET,<preset><CR><LF>

~~MCON:MPRESET~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<0>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
Query:	MCON:MPRESET<CR><LF>
Response:	<0>

Data	Type	Description
preset	UINT	0: None 1: VSM17-X-050 2: VSM17-X-100 3: VSM17-X-150 4: VSM17-X-200 5: VSM17-X-050-HR 6: VSM17-X-100-HR 7: VSM17-X-150-HR 8: VSM17-X-200-HR 9: VSM17-X-050-LS 10: VSM17-X-100-LS 11: VSM17-X-150-LS 12: VSM17-X-200-LS 13: VSM17-X-050-HR-LS 14: VSM17-X-100-HR-LS 15: VSM17-X-150-HR-LS 16: VSM17-X-200-HR-LS 17: VSM17-X-050-EA 18: VSM17-X-100-EA 19: VSM17-X-150-EA 20: VSM17-X-200-EA 21: VSM17-X-050-HR-EA 22: VSM17-X-100-HR-EA 23: VSM17-X-150-HR-EA 24: VSM17-X-200-HR-EA 25: VSM17-X-050-ER 26: VSM17-X-100-ER 27: VSM17-X-150-ER 28: VSM17-X-200-ER 29: VSM17-X-050-HR-ER 30: VSM17-X-100-HR-ER 31: VSM17-X-150-HR-ER 32: VSM17-X-200-HR-ER 33: VSM23-X-100 34: VSM23-X-150 35: VSM23-X-200 36: VSM23-X-250 37: VSM23-X-300 38: VSM23-X-350 39: VSM23-X-400 40: VSM23-X-450 41: VSM23-X-100-HR 42: VSM23-X-150-HR 43: VSM23-X-200-HR 44: VSM23-X-250-HR 45: VSM23-X-300-HR 46: VSM23-X-350-HR 47: VSM23-X-400-HR 48: VSM23-X-450-HR 49: VSM23-X-100-LS 50: VSM23-X-150-LS 51: VSM23-X-200-LS 52: VSM23-X-250-LS 53: VSM23-X-300-LS 54: VSM23-X-350-LS 55: VSM23-X-400-LS 56: VSM23-X-450-LS 57: VSM23-X-100-HR-LS 58: VSM23-X-150-HR-LS 59: VSM23-X-200-HR-LS 60: VSM23-X-250-HR-LS 61: VSM23-X-300-HR-LS 62: VSM23-X-350-HR-LS 63: VSM23-X-400-HR-LS 64: VSM23-X-450-HR-LS 65: VSM23-X-100-EA 66: VSM23-X-150-EA 67: VSM23-X-200-EA 68: VSM23-X-250-EA 69: VSM23-X-300-EA	70: VSM23-X-350-EA 71: VSM23-X-400-EA 72: VSM23-X-450-EA 73: VSM23-X-100-HR-EA 74: VSM23-X-150-HR-EA 75: VSM23-X-200-HR-EA 76: VSM23-X-250-HR-EA 77: VSM23-X-300-HR-EA 78: VSM23-X-350-HR-EA 79: VSM23-X-400-HR-EA 80: VSM23-X-450-HR-EA 81: VSM23-X-100-ER 82: VSM23-X-150-ER 83: VSM23-X-200-ER 84: VSM23-X-250-ER 85: VSM23-X-300-ER 86: VSM23-X-350-ER 87: VSM23-X-400-ER 88: VSM23-X-450-ER 89: VSM23-X-100-HR-ER 90: VSM23-X-150-HR-ER 91: VSM23-X-200-HR-ER 92: VSM23-X-250-HR-ER 93: VSM23-X-300-HR-ER 94: VSM23-X-350-HR-ER 95: VSM23-X-400-HR-ER 96: VSM23-X-450-HR-ER 97: VSM30-X-500 98: VSM30-X-600 99: VSM30-X-700 100: VSM30-X-800 101: VSM30-X-900 102: VSM30-X-1000 103: VSM30-X-500-HR 104: VSM30-X-600-HR 105: VSM30-X-700-HR 106: VSM30-X-800-HR 107: VSM30-X-900-HR 108: VSM30-X-1000-HR 109: VSM30-X-500-EA 110: VSM30-X-600-EA 111: VSM30-X-700-EA 112: VSM30-X-800-EA 113: VSM30-X-900-EA 114: VSM30-X-1000-EA 115: VSM30-X-500-HR-EA 116: VSM30-X-600-HR-EA 117: VSM30-X-700-HR-EA 118: VSM30-X-800-HR-EA 119: VSM30-X-900-HR-EA 120: VSM30-X-1000-HR-EA 121: VSM30-X-500-ER 122: VSM30-X-600-ER 123: VSM30-X-700-ER 124: VSM30-X-800-ER 125: VSM30-X-900-ER 126: VSM30-X-1000-ER 127: VSM30-X-500-HR-ER 128: VSM30-X-600-HR-ER 129: VSM30-X-700-HR-ER 130: VSM30-X-800-HR-ER 131: VSM30-X-900-HR-ER 132: VSM30-X-1000-HR-ER 133: VSM17-Z-050 134: VSM17-Z-070 135: VSM17-Z-050-LS 136: VSM17-Z-070-LS 137: VSM17-Z-050-EA 138: VSM17-Z-070-EA 139: VSM17-Z-050-ER	140: VSM17-Z-070-ER 141: VSM17-R-72K 142: VSM17-R-72K-LS 143: VSM17-R-72K-EA 144: VSM17-R-72K-ER 145: VSM17-R-3K6 146: VSM17-R-3K6-LS 147: VSM17-R-3K6-EA 148: VSM17-R-3K6-ER 149: VSM24-R 150: VSM24-R-LS 151: VSM24-R-EA 152: VSM24-R-ER 153: VSM17-G-070 154: VSM17-G-070-LS 155: VSM17-G-114 156: VSM17-G-114-LS 157: VSM17-G-114-EA 158: VSM17-G-114-ER

Examples

MCON:MPRESET,3<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Set preset for "VSM17-X-150"

// Note response is 0, not 3

MCON:NUDGE:RUN:NEG – Nudge negative

Trigger a relative move of a distance specified by <MCON:NUDGE:VALUE> in the negative direction. A nudge is a preset relative move, and is the same as using the move relative command, except that in this case the distance is preset beforehand.

Command:

MCON:NUDGE:RUN:NEG<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

MCON:NUDGE:RUN:POS – Nudge positive

Trigger a relative move of a distance specified by <MCON:NUDGE:VALUE> in the positive direction. A nudge is a preset relative move, and is the same as using the move relative command, except that in this case the distance is preset beforehand.

Command:

MCON:NUDGE:RUN:NEG<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

MCON:NUDGE:VALUE - Nudge distance

A nudge is a preset relative move, and is the same as using the move relative command, except that in this case the distance is preset beforehand. Use this command to specify the preset distance to move, then MCON:NUDGE:RUN:NEG or MCON:NUDGE:RUN:POS to trigger the move.

Command:

MCON:NUDGE:VALUE,<displacement><CR><LF>

Query:

LIMIT:STOPMODE<CR><LF>

~~<displacement>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<displacement>

Data	Type	Description
displacement	FLOAT	Distance to move when nudge is triggered. The value is signed, and the actual relative move executed is displacement * 1 for positive nudge and displacement * -1 for negative nudge.

MCON:RUNA – Run, absolute position

Move the motor to a specified absolute position.

Command:

MCON:RUNA,<position><CR><LF>

~~<position>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
Response:	<position>

Data	Type	Description
position	FLOAT	Absolute position to move to. See <section> for notes on limiting values.

Examples

SYS:UNIT,0

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

MCON:RUNA,10<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.00000E+1<CR><LF>

SYS:UNIT,102

0x0000,0x0000,102<CR><LF>

MCON:RUNA,23.5<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Set units to steps

// Move to position 10 steps

// Set units to mm

// Move to position 23.5 mm (assumes that we've set

// displacement per step appropriately first)

MCON:RUNH - Run, home

Initiate a homing sequence to the specified limit.

Command:

MCON:RUNH,<direction><CR><LF>

~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
Response:

Data	Type	Description
direction	STRING	'+' : Home towards positive limit, step count increases '-': Home towards negative, step count decreases

Examples

MCON:RUNH,+<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

MCON:RUNH,-<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Home motor in positive direction

// Home motor in negative dire

MCON:RUNR - Run, relative position

Move the motor a specified number of steps, relative to the current position.

Command:

MCON:RUNR,<displacement><CR><LF>

~~<displacement>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
Response:	<displacement>

Data	Type	Description
displacement	FLOAT	Relative distance to move by. See <section> for notes on limiting values.

Examples

MCON:RUNR,2000<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

MCON:RUNR,-2000<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Move motor in positive direction by 2000 steps

// Move motor in negative direction by 2000 steps

MOTOR:RUNV – Run, velocity

Start continuous rotation in specified direction.

Command:

MCON:RUNV,<direction><CR><LF>

~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
Response:

Data	Type	Description
direction	STRING	'+' : Spin in positive direction, step count increases '-': Spin in negative direction, step count decreases

Examples

MCON:RUNV,+<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

MCON:RUNV,-<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Spin motor in positive direction

// Spin motor in negative direction

MCON:SF:EPC - Closed loop (EPC) behaviour

Get or set the EPC behaviour.

Command:

MCON:SF:EPC,<behaviour><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:EPC<CR><LF>

~~<behaviour>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<behaviour>

Data	Type	Description
behaviour	UINT	[0: None] 1: Warn 2: Error

MCON:SF:EPC:EG - Closed loop (EPC) error guard

Get or set the error guard feature. When enabled, if EPC detects that corrections appear to be resulting in positive feedback (i.e. the error is growing with each successive correction rather than reducing) then the current round of EPC is stopped.

Command:

MCON:SF:EPC:EG,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:EPC:EG<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

MCON:SF:EPC:N - Closed loop (EPC) number of iterations

Get or set the EPC number of iterations. Zero has the special meaning of infinity.

Command:

MCON:SF:EPC:N,<iterations><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:EPC:N<CR><LF>

~~<iterations>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<iterations>

Data	Type	Description
iterations	UINT	0: Infinite/unlimited Maximum: 2^32

MCON:SF:EPC:T - Closed loop (EPC) tolerance

Get or set the EPC tolerance.

Command:

MCON:SF:EPC:T,<tolerance><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:EPC:T<CR><LF>

~~<tolerance>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<tolerance>

Data	Type	Description
tolerance	FLOAT	Position tolerance

Examples

SYS:UNIT,100

0x0000,0x0000,102<CR><LF>

MCON:SF:EPC:T,0.5e-6<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Set units to meter

// Set tolerance to 0.5 um

MCON:SF:GUARD - Guard behaviour

Get or set the guard behaviour.

Command:

MCON:SF:GUARD,<behaviour><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:GUARD<CR><LF>

~~<behaviour>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<behaviour>

Data	Type	Description
behaviour	UINT	[0: None] 1: Warn 2: Error

MCON:SF:GUARD:n - Guard value n

Get or set the guard value, where n is 1 or 2.

Command:

MCON:SF:GUARD:n,<position><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:GUARD:n<CR><LF>

~~<position>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<position>

Data	Type	Description
position	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values.

MCON:SF:ROML- Range of motion limiter behaviour

Get or set the range of motion limiter behaviour.

Command:

MCON:SF:ROML,<behaviour><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:ROML<CR><LF>

~~<behaviour>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<behaviour>

Data	Type	Description
behaviour	UINT	[0: None] 1: Warn 2: Error

MCON:SF:ROML:n - Range of motion limiter value n

Get or set the range of motion limiter value, where n is 1 or 2.

Command:

MCON:SF:ROML:n,<position><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:ROML:n<CR><LF>

~~<position>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<position>

Data	Type	Description
position	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values.

MCON:SF:ROML:J - Range of motion limiter enable for joystick and step/direction

Get or set a value indicating whether the function should be applied when using the joystick or step direction mode.

Command:

MCON:SF:ROML:J,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:SF:ROML:J<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

MCON:SSTOP – Stop motor in <=1 s

Decelerates the motor to a stop within 1 second, disregarding the current profile to do so.

Command:

MOTOR:SSTOP<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

Remarks

This command does not consider the deceleration set in the profile. Instead, it calculates the deceleration required to stop in 1 second, according to the actual velocity. The motor will stop in a full step position. Steps may be lost if the load requires greater than this duration to stop.

Examples

MCON:SSTOP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Stop the motor in 1 seconds

MCON:STOP – Stop motor

Stop the motor, decelerating according to the current profile

Command:

MCON:SF:STOP<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

Remarks

During the deceleration phase that stops the motor, any modifications to the acceleration or deceleration interrupt the stopping phase. Re-send the command to restart the motor stopping phase.

Examples

MCON:STOP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000<CR><LF>

// Stop the motor

MCON:U - Displacement per step

Get or set a value representing the displacement per step of the mechanism. That is, the distance the mechanism moves per step. This property must be configured correctly to use units other than steps.

Command:

MCON:U,<displacement><CR><LF>

Query:

MCON:U<CR><LF>

~~<displacement>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<displacement>

Data	Type	Description
displacement	FLOAT	Displacement per step.

MCON:ZEROA – Zero absolute position counter

Zero the absolute position counter.

Command:

MCON:ZEROA<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

MCON:ZEROAR – Zero absolute and relative position counters

Zero the absolute and relative position counters.

Command:

MCON:ZEROAR<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

MCON:ZEROR – Zero relative position counter

Zero the relative position counter.

Command:

MCON:ZEROR<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

Motor

MOTOR:xMAX - Acceleration and deceleration

Gets or sets acceleration or deceleration.

Command:

MOTOR:xMAX,<user value><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:xMAX<CR><LF>

Response:

Where 'x' is 'A' for acceleration and 'D' for deceleration. ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~Data
Type	~~Response:~~Description
user value	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values. For the response, this is the value as entered.
real value	FLOAT	The value, rounded to the closest real value the SMD4 can achieve.

Examples

MOTOR:AMAX,150<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.5000E+02,1.4988E+02<CR><LF>

MOTOR:AMAX<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.5000E+02,1.4988E+02<CR><LF>

// Assuming unit is steps, set acceleration to 150Hz/s

// Note that the target value of 150 has been adjusted to the // closest real value, which deviates from the requested value // by 0.12 Hz/s

MOTOR:EDGE – Edge to step on

Gets or sets which edge(s) a step occurs on when in step direction mode.

Command:

MOTOR:EDGE,<edge><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:EDGE <CR><LF>

~~<edge>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<edge>

Data	Type	Description
edge	UINT	[0: Rising edge only] 1: Both rising and falling edges

Remarks

Use option for both edges to halve the frequency on the step input required to obtain a given step rate.

Examples

MOTOR:EDGE,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

MOTOR:EDGE<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set step on both edges

// Query

MOTOR:F – Freewheel mode

Gets or sets the freewheel mode. For maximum passive braking use phases shorted. Use freewheel to electrically disconnect the motor and allow it to freewheel. Hold current must be set to zero for this option to work.

The chosen mode becomes active after a time period specified by ‘<MOTOR:PDDEL>’ and ‘<MOTOR:IHD>’

Command:

MOTOR:F,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:F <CR><LF>

~~<mode>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mode>

Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	0: Normal 1: Freewheel [2: Phases shorted to GND]

Remarks

Use the freewheel mode to allow the motor shaft to spin freely when the motor current is zero. The phases shorted to GND option supplies no power to the motor, but by shorting the phases together a holding torque is produced, and the motor shaft offers considerable resistance to movement. This is enough in many applications to remove the need for any holding current, with the benefit that no heat is generated because the motor phases are not energised.

Examples

MOTOR:F,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

MOTOR:F<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set to freewheel mode

// motor shaft can be turned easily

// Query

MOTOR:Ix – Acceleration, run and hold currents

Gets or sets the motor current in amps RMS applied during acceleration, run and hold phases of operation.

Command:

MOTOR:Ix,<current><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:Ix <CR><LF>

Response:

Where 'x' is 'A' for acceleration, 'R' for run and 'H' for hold current. ~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~Data
Type	~~Response:~~Description
current	FLOAT	[Default: 1.044] Minimum: 0 Maximum: 1.044

Remarks

Motor current is rounded to the closest multiple of 1.044 A / 31 (approx. 33 mA), so the queried value may differ slightly from that set for this reason.

Acceleration current must be set equal to or greater than run current. Acceleration current is not adjusted to match run current if acceleration current is smaller than run current.

Run current must be set equal to or smaller than acceleration current. Acceleration current is automatically adjusted to be equal to run current, if a change to run current makes it greater than acceleration current.

If your application allows it, set MOTOR:PDDEL, MOTOR:IHD and MOTOR:IH to zero in order to reduce run current to zero as quickly as possible after stopping which minimises motor temperature rise.

Examples

MOTOR:IA,1.044<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0440E+00<CR><LF>

MOTOR:IA<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0440E+00<CR><LF>

// Set acceleration current to 1.044 A

// Query acceleration current

MOTOR:IHD – Delay per current reduction step

Gets or sets the delay in seconds per current reduction step that occurs when run current is reduced to hold current. Non-zero values result in a smooth reduction in current which reduces the chance of a jerk upon power down. The range is 0 to 328 ms, with a resolution of 4 bits or approx. 20 ms. Current setting has a resolution of 5 bits, or 32 steps, and consequently the current reduction process will only have as many steps as exist between the configured run and hold current. See also MOTOR:PDDEL.

If your application allows it, set MOTOR:PDDEL, MOTOR:IHD and MOTOR:IH to zero in order to reduce run current to zero as quickly as possible after stopping which minimises motor temperature rise.

Command:

MOTOR:IHD,<seconds><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:IHD <CR><LF>

~~<seconds>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<seconds>

Data	Type	Description
seconds	FLOAT	[Default: 0] Minimum: 0 Maximum: 328 ms Notice that the duration is in seconds, so to set the value to 100 ms for example, you'd enter '100e-3' or '0.1'

Remarks

MOTOR:INTERP – Step interpolation

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the step input should be interpolated to 256 microsteps. Applicable in step direction mode only.

Command:

MOTOR:INTERP,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:INTERP <CR><LF>

~~<mode>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mode>

Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	[0: Normal; each step input will cause one step at the current resolution] 1: Interpolate; each step input will be interpolated to 256 microsteps.

Remarks

Enabling this feature affords the benefits of high-resolution microstepping, without the drawback of very high step clock rates. Internal logic tracks the rate at which steps are supplied and smooths them out into 256 microsteps; e.g. if resolution is set to full-step and see edge to step on is set to rising, then each rising edge on the step input generates a series of 256 microsteps at the motor.

Examples

MOTOR:INTERP,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

MOTOR:INTERP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Enable interpolation

// Query

MOTOR:PACT – Actual position

Gets or sets the actual position. The usual way to position the motor is to initialise the actual position to some reference value, usually 0, then adjust the target position to move the motor. In this way, by setting MOTOR:RUNA to 0 the motor can be homed to the initial 0 position. If you wish to perform relative movements, while still retaining an absolute reference, see MOTOR:PREL command.

It is best to use the <MCON:ZERO> commands to zero the absolute or relative positions, then use this command to read the position.

Command:

MOTOR:PACT,<position><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:PACT<CR><LF>

~~<position>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<position>

Data	Type	Description
position	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values.

Remarks

Query is applicable any time, Set requires the motor in standby condition.

Examples

MOTOR:PACT<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1000.00<CR><LF>

MOTOR:PACT,0<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,0.00<CR><LF>

// Query

// Set actual position 0

MOTOR:PDDEL – Power down delay

Gets or sets the delay time in seconds between stand still occurring and the motor current being reduced from the acceleration current to the hold current. The range is 0 to 5.5 seconds, with approximately 8 bit / 20 ms resolution. See also DelayPerCurrentReductionStep.

If your application allows it, set MOTOR:PDDEL, MOTOR:IHD and MOTOR:IH to zero in order to reduce run current to zero as quickly as possible after stopping which minimises motor temperature rise.

Command:

MOTOR:PDDEL,<delay><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:PDDEL<CR><LF>

~~<delay>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<delay>

Data	Type	Description
delay	FLOAT	Delay in seconds. The response value is rounded to the closest value the SMD4 can set, so may not match the set value exactly. [Default: 0] Minimum: 0 Maximum: 5.5]

Examples

MOTOR:PDDEL,100E-3<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E-01<CR><LF>

MOTOR:PDDEL<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E-01<CR><LF>

// Set to 100 ms

// Query

MOTOR:PREL – Relative position

Gets or sets the relative position counter in steps.

Use this function to perform relative movement, while still retaining reference to absolute position via MOTOR:PACT. Set the desired value then use the MOTOR:RUNR command to initiate movement.

Command:

MOTOR:PREL,<displacement><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:PREL<CR><LF>

~~<displacement>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<displacement>

Data	Type	Description
displacement	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values.

Remarks

Set requires the motor be in standby condition.

Examples

MOTOR:PREL<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1000.00<CR><LF>

MOTOR:PREL,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0.00<CR><LF>

// Query

// Set relative position 0

MOTOR:RES - Resolution

Gets or sets the microstep resolution.

Command:

MOTOR:RES,<res><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:RES<CR><LF>

~~<res>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<res>

Data	Type	Description
res	UINT	Microstep resolution as an integer. [Default: 256] Possible values: 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256]

Remarks

Motor must be in standby to set the resolution.

The resolution applies globally, including for the step/direction interface. Each step on the step/direction interface generates a 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 etc. step according to the resolution set here.

Above a configurable step frequency, the drive switches from the microstepping resolution specified here to full step mode in any case. See section <MOTOR:THIGH>

Examples

MOTOR:RES,256<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,256<CR><LF>

MOTOR:RES<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,256<CR><LF>

// Set resolution to 256

// Query

MOTOR:SDMODE - Step/direction mode

Gets of sets the step/direction mode. In normal mode, edges on the step input generate steps according to the edge setting, see edge. In triggered mode, continuous motion is triggered by an edge on the step input; this is akin to how continuous mode works for the joystick, see joystick continuous mode.

Command:

MOTOR:SDMODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:SDMODE<CR><LF>

~~<mode>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mode>

Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	[0: Normal] 1: Triggered]

Examples

MOTOR:SDMODE,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Set mode 0, normal

MOTOR:T – Motor temperature

Get the motor temperature in °C.

~~MOTOR:T~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<temperature>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	MOTOR:T<CR><LF>
Response:	<temperature>

Data	Type	Description
temperature	INT	Motor temperature in degrees centigrade.

Remarks

The reported temperature is intended for monitoring motor temperature only and should not be used for or relied upon for any other purpose.

Examples

MOTOR:T<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,25<CR><LF>

// Get motor temperature

// Response is 25 degrees Celsius

MOTOR:THIGH – Microstep transition

Gets or sets the full step / microstepping transition. When frequency falls below this threshold (approximately), the motor switches from full step to the selected microstep resolution. The product determines the upper threshold automatically and applies hysteresis to avoid possible jitter between the two stepping modes. The upper threshold cannot be adjusted.

Command:

MOTOR:THIGH,<user value><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:THIGH<CR><LF>

Response:

<user value>,<real value>
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~Data	Type	Description
user value	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values. For the response, this is the value as entered.
real value	FLOAT	The value, rounded to the closest real value the SMD4 can achieve.

Remarks

AML Device control software calculates and displays the upper threshold value for reference, although as noted above it cannot be adjusted.

Examples

MOTOR:THIGH,500<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,5.0000E+02,5.0400E+02<CR><LF>

MOTOR:THIGH<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,5.0000E+02,5.0400E+02<CR><LF>

// Set threshold to 500 Hz (assuming units are steps)

// Query

MOTOR:TSEL – Temperature sensor selection

Gets or sets the motor temperature sensor type.

Command:

MOTOR:TSEL,<selection><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:TSEL<CR><LF>

~~<selection>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<selection>

Data	Type	Description
selection	UINT	[0: Thermocouple] 1: RTD

Remarks

To protect the motor from possible damage, the motor is disabled if the temperature sensor is faulty or missing. The response is not immediate, and several seconds may elapse between emergence of a fault and the motor being disabled.

Examples

MOTOR:TSEL,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

MOTOR:TSEL<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0<CR><LF>

// Select thermocouple sensor

// Get selected sensor, returning 0 for thermocouple

MOTOR:TZW – Zero wait time

Gets or sets the waiting time after ramping down to a stop before the next movement or direction inversion can start. Can be used to avoid excess acceleration, e.g. from MOTOR:VSTOP to MOTOR:VSTART.

When using higher values for the start and stop frequency, a subsequent move in the opposite direction would result in a jerk equal to start frequency + stop frequency. The motor may not be able to follow this. Zero wait time can be used to introduce a short delay between the two and eliminate the jerk.

Command:

MOTOR:TZW,<duration><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:THIGH<CR><LF>

~~<duration>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<duration>

Data	Type	Description
duration	FLOAT	Waiting time in seconds: [Default: 0] Minimum: 0 Maximum: 2.7 s

Examples

MOTOR:TZW,0.1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E+02<CR><LF>

MOTOR:TZW<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E+02<CR><LF>

// Set TZW to 100 ms

// Query

MOTOR:VACT – Actual velocity

Gets the actual velocity of the motor from the step counters. This value is derived from the stepper motor control logic; there is no feedback from the motor itself. Hence, the motor could be stalled while which continues to indicate the expected.

~~MOTOR:VACT~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<velocity>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	MOTOR:VACT<CR><LF>
Response:	<velocity>

Data	Type	Description
velocity	FLOAT	Motor velocity.

Examples

Tx: MOTOR:VACT<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1.50E+01<CR><LF>

// Motor velocity is 15 (assuming units are steps, 15 steps per

// second)

MOTOR:VMAX – Target motor speed

Gets or sets the target motor speed to use when positioning. This is the maximum speed the motor will be run at. This will only be reached if there is enough time or distance to do so; if moving for a short time, for example, the motor may only accelerate to some fraction of the target speed before it is time to decelerate to a stop.

Command:

MOTOR:VMAX,<user value><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:VMAX<CR><LF>

Response:

<user value>,<real value>
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~Data	Type	Description
user value	FLOAT	See <section> for notes on limiting values. For the response, this is the value as entered.
real value	FLOAT	The value, rounded to the closest real value the SMD4 can achieve.

Remarks

Motor torque decreases with speed, and each motor will have a different maximum speed that it can achieve while reliably maintaining synchronicity (when synchronicity is lost, the motor fails to complete the steps that it is commanded to, leading to a difference between the true and actual positions), depending on the load it is driving.

Target motor speed must be set equal to or greater than start speed and stop speed. Target motor speed is not adjusted to match start speed and stop speed if target speed is smaller than start speed and stop speed.

Examples

MOTOR:VMAX,12.3<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E+03,1.0000E+03<CR><LF>

MOTOR:VMAX<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000E+03,1.0000E+03<CR><LF>

// Set speed to 12.3 (assuming units are degrees, this means

// 12.3°/second

MOTOR:VSTART – Start speed

Get or set the start speed. Must be set less than or equal to MOTOR:VSTOP. The acceleration ramp starts from this speed.

The start speed is the initial step rate, and helps to allow the motor to overcome inertia and start moving smoothly; if start speed were zero, the duration of the initial few steps might be long enough that the motor would overcome inertia on the first step, then effectively stop for a time, then have to overcome inertia once more for the second step, and so on, until the steps were frequent enough that the motor remains moving.

Command:

MOTOR:VSTART,<user value><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:VSTART<CR><LF>

Response:

<user value>,<real value>
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~Data	Type	Description
user value	FLOAT	Valid range in steps per second (if using other units, convert these values to your unit using the displacement per count value to determine the limits in your unit): [Default: 100] Minimum: 1 Maximum: 700 For the response, this is the value as entered.
real value	FLOAT	The value, rounded to the closest real value the SMD4 can achieve.

Remarks

Start speed must be set equal to or less than stop speed. If a change to start speed makes it bigger than stop speed, stop speed is automatically adjusted to be equal to start speed.

Start speed must be set equal to or less than target speed. Start speed is not adjusted to match target speed if start speed is greater than target speed.

Examples

MOTOR:VSTART,0<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0.0000+00,0.0000+00<CR><LF>

MOTOR:VSTART<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,0.0000+00,0.0000+00<CR><LF>

// Assuming units are steps...

// Set start frequency to 0 Hz

// Query

MOTOR:VSTOP – Stop speed

Get or set the stop speed. Must be greater than or equal to MOTOR:VSTART. The deceleration ramp ends at this speed. The final step before stop will occur at this speed.

The stop speed is the speed at which the deceleration ramp ends; i.e. the deceleration ramp does not go from the target speed linearly down to 0, but from the target speed linearly down to the stop speed.

Command:

MOTOR:VSTOP,<user value><CR><LF>

Query:

MOTOR:VSTOP<CR><LF>

Response:

<user value>,<real value>
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~Data	Type	Description
user value	FLOAT	Valid range in steps per second (if using other units, convert these values to your unit using the displacement per count value to determine the limits in your unit): [Default: 100] Minimum: 1 Maximum: 700 For the response, this is the value as entered.
real value	FLOAT	The value, rounded to the closest real value the SMD4 can achieve.

Remarks

Start speed must be set equal to or less than stop speed. If a change to start speed makes it bigger than stop speed, stop speed is automatically adjusted to be equal to start speed.

Start speed must be set equal to or less than target speed. Start speed is not adjusted to match target speed if start speed is greater than target speed

Examples

MOTOR:VSTOP,10<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000+01,9.9996+00<CR><LF>

MOTOR:VSTOP<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1.0000+01,9.9996+00<CR><LF>

// Assuming units are steps...

// Set stop frequency to 10 Hz

// Notice the closest real value of 9.9996 Hz set

// Query

System

SYS:BSN – Get motherboard serial number

Gets the serial number of the motherboard.

~~SYS:BSN~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<serial>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:BSN<CR><LF>
Response:	<serial>

Data	Type	Description
serial	STRING	Board serial number

Examples

SYS:BSN<CR><LF>

0x088e,0x0000,1234ABCD<CR><LF>

// Query

SYS:CLR – Clear faults

Clear all error flags.

Command:

SYS:CLR<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

SYS:EXTEN – External enable used

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the external enable signal should be respected. If not using the external enable and it remains disconnected, set to false.

Command:

SYS:EXTEN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:EXTEN<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

Remarks

The external enable input requires a voltage to be applied between SDE COM and EN on the I/O connector which may be inconvenient if you do not wish to use the enable input. In that case, disable the enable input by sending this command with the argument set to false.

SYS:FLAGS – Get status and error flags

Gets status and error flags, per <section>.

SYS:FLAGSV – Get status and error flags summary

Gets a human readable summary of status and error flags. Set flags are marked by an 'x'.

~~SYS:FLAGSV~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<verbose flags>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:FLAGSV<CR><LF>
Response:	<verbose flags>

Data	Type	Description
verbose flags	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

SYS:FLAGSV<CR><LF>

0x0886,0x0000,

-------Status flags------
[ ]JsCon
[X]LimitNeg
[X]LimitPos
[ ]Exten
[ ]Ident
[ ]EpcActive
[ ]RomlActive
[X]Standby
[ ]Baking
[ ]TargetVelocityReached
[ ]GuardActive
[X]BoostOperational
[ ]BoostDisableJumper
[ ]BoostUVLO
[ ]OmWaiting
[ ]MconsfWarning

-------Error flags-------
[ ]TempShort
[ ]TempOpen
[ ]TempOver
[ ]MotorShort
[ ]ExternalInhibit
[ ]EmergencyStop
[ ]ConfigError
[ ]_reserved7
[ ]_reserved8
[ ]SDRAM
[ ]_reserved10
[ ]_reserved11
[ ]_reserved12
[ ]_reserved13
[ ]_reserved14
[ ]MconsfFault

SYS:FW – Get firmware version

Gets firmware version string.

~~SYS:FW~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<version>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:FW<CR><LF>
Response:	<version>

Data	Type	Description
version	STRING	Firmware version.

Examples

Tx: SYS:FW<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x088e,0x0000,24044.12<CR><LF>

// Query

SYS:IDENT - Blink the status indicator to help identify the unit

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the identify function is enabled. When set to true, the green status light on the front of the product flashes. This can be used to help identify one device amongst several.

Command:

SYS:IDENT,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:IDENT<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	[0: Disabled] 1: Enabled

Examples

Tx: SYS:IDENT,1<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

Tx: SYS:IDENT<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x0000,0x0000,1<CR><LF>

// Set ident function on

// Query state of ident function

SYS:JS:EN – Enable joystick input

Gets or sets a value indicating whether the joystick input should be enabled.

Command:

SYS:JS:EN,<state><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:JS:EN<CR><LF>

~~<state>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<state>

Data	Type	Description
state	BOOL	0: Disabled [1: Enabled]

SYS:JS:MODE – Joystick mode

Gets or sets the joystick mode. See <section>.

Command:

SYS:JS:MODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:JS:MODE<CR><LF>

~~<mode>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<mode>

Data	Type	Description
state	UINT	[0: Single step] 1: Continuous 2: Nudge

SYS:LOAD – Load last stored settings

Load the last saves configuration.

Command:

SYS:LOAD<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

SYS:LOADFD – Load factory default settings

Load the factory default configuration. Use the store command if you want to persist the changes.

Command:

SYS:LOADFD,<mode><CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

SYS:MODE - Choose mode of operation

Gets or sets the operating mode. See section Operating Modes for an explanation of each mode. The motor must be stopped before changing mode.

Command:

SYS:MODE,<mode><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:MODE<CR><LF>

Response:

<mode> (name)
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
~~Response:~~Data	Type	Description
mode	UINT	Mode number: 0: Step/direction 1: Normal 3: Bake
name	STRING	A space follows the mode number, then the mode name in round brackets.

SYS:MODE,1<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1 (Remote)<CR><LF>

SYS:MODE<CR><LF>

0x0000,0x0000,1 (Remote)<CR><LF>

// Set mode to remote

// Query state of mode

SYS:NAME – Device name tag

Gets or sets a name tag for the SMD4.

~~SYS:NAME~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<name>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~ ~~name~~ ~~STRING~~

~~Name for this SMD4.~~

Query:	SYS:NAME<CR><LF>
Response:	<name>

Data	Type	Description
name	STRING	Name for this SMD4.

Examples

Tx: SYS:NAME<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x088e,0x0000,MyDevice<CR><LF>

// Query

SYS:PROG – Enter programming mode

Reboot the SMD4 into programming mode. Used by AML device control software to initiate a firmware update. Power cycle to cancel this mode. There is no response to this command.

Command:

SYS:PROG<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

Examples

SYS:PROG<CR><LF>

SYS:RESET– Restart the SMD4

Reboot the SMD4. There is no response to this command.

Command:

SYS:RESET<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

SYS:SER – Get product serial number

Gets the serial number of the product. This matches the serial number label installed on the product.

~~SYS:SER~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<serial>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:SER<CR><LF>
Response:	<serial>

Data	Type	Description
serial	STRING	Serial number of the SMD4.

Examples

Tx: SYS:SER<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x088e,0x0000,00000-000<CR><LF>

// Query

SYS:STORE

Save the current settings. These settings will be loaded on restart.

Command:

SYS:STORE<CR><LF>

~~Command:~~

SYS:UNITS

Get or set the measurement units used.

Command:

SYS:UNITS,<units><CR><LF>

Query:

SYS:UNITS<CR><LF>

~~<units>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

~~Command:~~
~~Query:~~
Response:	<units>

Data	Type	Description
units	UINT	[0: Step] 100: Meter 101: Inch 102: Millimeter 103: Micron 200: Degree 201: Radian 202: Revolution

SYS:UPTIME – Get uptime

Gets the elapsed time since start up in milliseconds.

~~SYS:UPTIME~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<uptime>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:UPTIME<CR><LF>
Response:	<uptime>

Data	Type	Description
uptime	UINT	Uptime in milliseconds.

SYS:UPTIME<CR><LF>

0x088e,0x0000,10000<CR><LF>

// Query

// Uptime is 10 seconds

SYS:UUID – Get UUID

Gets a unique ID number which is included in the data reported when using SSDP. See SSDP. Not the same as the MAC address.

~~SYS:UUID~~~~<CR><LF>~~

~~<uuid>~~
~~Data~~ ~~Type~~ ~~Description~~

Query:	SYS:UUID<CR><LF>
Response:	<uuid>

Data	Type	Description
uuid	STRING	UUID string

Examples

Tx: SYS:UUID<CR><LF>

Rx: 0x088e,0x0000,f4562fb1-d002-11ee-b3e5-44b7d0c71675<CR><LF>

// Query