Hardware:

Downstairs:

• The alfa_motor program runs on the aeroncpu. Ittalks to the motor amplifier on /dev/ttyS0 (the other rs232 line is for alfa dewar monitoring).
  
• The rs232 line goes to the fiber transciever in the fiber optic rack  next to the pnting crate (about the middle of the rack) and then up to the alfa motor box in the turret room.

Upstairs:

• The alfa motor controller is in a huffman box next to alfa on the rotary floor.
• A remote/local switch allows local only or remote access to the controller. For things to work downstairs it must be in remote.
• Power dips/emg stop, autorest:
• a power dip or pushing the emgoff button down then pulling it back up requires a reset of the system.
• There is an autoreset switch on top of the huffman box. If it is in autoreset then any power dip or emgOff button push/pull will be automatically reset. This saves us from having to go up to the dome every time we have a power dip. If this is not in autoreset then you have to push the reset light/button till it goes off.
• The red light/button on top of the huffman box comes on when a reset is needed. To perform the reset, make sure the emgoff button is pulled up and then push the red light and make sure it goes off.
• Normal configuration for operation:
• emgStop button is pulled up.
• autoreset switch is in auto
• remote local switch is in remote.
• Cycling the power on the motor controller.
• open the huffman box.
• switch down the red breaker next to the motor controller. The led on the motor controller should go off.
• pull the breaker back up to turn the system on. The led should be lit.
  
  

Software

Communications program: alfa_motor.c

• runs on aeroncpu.
• code locations:
  
• source : /home/cima/Wapp/Software/Dual/Sources/Utilities/alfa_motor. c
• binary: /home/cima/Wapp/Software/Dual/Progs/Wapp/alfa_motor
• On aeroncpu /home/cima comes from wappserv:/data/home/cima. On other cpus it comes from fileserver:/home/cima.
• Logfile: /share/cima/Logs/ALFA_start/alfa_motor.log
• Starting program on aeroncpu
• /etc/rc3.d/S99local has:
• su -c /home/cima/Wapp/Bin/Progs/Start/start_alfa_motor wapp  .
  
• This checks and kills alfa_motor if it is already running..
• ( ./alfa_motor & ) > /dev/null  .. So all the printf output goes to  /dev/null ??
  
• You can now restart the program with the alfamotorwin gui..
  
• to start it manually on aeroncpu:  /home/cima/Wapp/Software/Dual/Progs/Wapp/alfa_motor -loopback -blast -debug
  
• be sure and kill any copy that is currently running.
  
• -debug will output messges/errors to stdout.. To send to a file:
• ./alfa_motor -debug  >  /tmp/motor.log  &
  
• -loopback used for debugging.  Writes a byte, reads a byte, and compares that they are equal. If not equal output a message error. Wait 1 millisec between each byte. Use byte values 1..255. Loops forever
•    while ( 1 ) {
        printf("starting 1-255 loopback test\n");
        for ( i = 1; i < 256 ; i++ ) {
          byte = i;
          if ( write(mot->motor_fd, &byte, 1) != 1 )
            printf("write error\n");
          byte = 0;
          if ( read(mot->motor_fd, &byte, 1) != 1 )
            printf("read error\n");
          if ( byte != i )
            printf("failed to loopback %d\n", i);
          usleep(1000);
       
  
• -blast .. debugging. write byte values 1..255 as fast as you can forever..
  

• Notes on sockLib communications with alfa_motor (via mikael)..

gui to control the alfa motor: alfamotorwin

• a tk gui lets you control the alfa motor. /home/cima/bin/alfamotorwin.
• The tcl/tk code is in /home/cima/Software/Normal/Progs/Display/alfa_motor_control.tcl
• You can read the position and command it to position.
• With full control button enabled you can:
• enable/disable the motor
• check the status. See the status bits below for what the status bits mean.
  
• restart the comm program alfa_motor.c on aero

Problems/Debugging:

Check that the alfa_motor program is running on aeroncpu:

• The alfa_motor program can abort on aeroncpu without leaving any messages...
• To check if it is running:
• ssh -l wapp aeroncpu ps -ef | grep alfa_motor  (you need the wapp passwd).. you should see an entry like:
  
• wapp      1648     1  0 10:14 pts/0    00:00:00 ./alfa_motor
• To restart the program:
• slogin aeroncpu -l wapp
• /home/cima/Wapp/Bin/Progs/Start/start_alfa_motor
• From within cima the restart alfa programs button will restart alfa_motor

Check the alfa motor controller status:

• start the program (/home/cima/alfamotorwin)
• click on full control
• Click on check status. two rows  of hex digits will be printed:
• line 1: 0000 (from stat command)| 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 (from status command)
• line 2: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 (from status2 command)
• The status info is in the Setup and Reference Guide ServorStar Controller (.pdf)  Starting on page 97.
  
• STAT
• b0- disable status
  
• 1= drive is disabled.
• 0 = drive is enabled
  
• b1- fault status
• 1= fault exists
• 0 = no fault exists
• b2 = safety status
• 1 - safety feature triggered:
  
• CWLIM=1,CCWLIM=1, LIMDIS=1, THERMODE=1 OR 2,FOLD=1, (PLIM>0) and (PFB>PMAX),or ((PLIM>0) and (PFB < PMIN))
• 0 - drive is safe
• b3 = special mode status
• 1 - step, burnin, or zero is active
• 0 - normal
• b4 = Hold mode status
• 1 - drive is in hold mode, in Position, or stopped
• 0 - drive is not in hold mode
  
• see the manual (page 97) for the rest of the  bits
• STATUS
• word 1: disable status word. (set if STAT B0=1) Tells why disabled
  
• b0: remote disable
• b1  software disable
• b2: dip switch disable
• b3: fault disable
• b4: velocity loop design failure
• b5: encoder not initialized
  
• word 2: Fault status word. (set if STAT b1 is set) This describes which fault occurred.
• b0: drive over temp
• b1: over voltage condition:
• b2: over current condition
• b3: feedback loss
• b4: under voltage condition
• b5: motor over temp
• b6 analog supply fault
• b7: over speed condition
• see manual for the rest of the faults
• word 3: safety word status
  
• see manual for bits
• word 4: specel mode status word
• see manual for bits
• word 5: hold mode status word
• see manual for bits
  
• STATUS2 : (see manual)
  
• word 1: feedback loss status word
• word 2: analog supply fault status word
• word 3: position deviation and over travel fault status word
• word 4: limit switches status word

Check the LED on the motor controller front panel:

• u     under voltage .. motor bus voltage is too low:
• The red disable button on the top of the huffman box has not been pulled up, or the automatic disable switch is off and you need to push the red light to reset the emg off.

Some common failures:

• motor won't move. stat read 3, statusW1 reads 0010. a u is displayed on the motor controller led.
  
• The emgoff switch on the top of the huffman box is pushed in. pull it out and then push the reset light button  till it goes off.
  

Manuals: