KAS IDE Introduction Part 3: Function Block Library and Control Panel

This Article contains four videos that continue the KAS IDE Introduction series. The first two videos introduce the Function Block Library and the Control Panel, and the last two go step by step how to complete the third exercise that is attached as a Word document.

The first video below introduces the KAS IDE Function Block Library. It explains how function blocks are organized and demonstrates how you can drag and drop functions into any IEC 61131 programming language such as ladder diagram or structured text to program your PLC and motion control code.

This next video introduces the built in Control Panel in the KAS IDE software. This allows the user to quickly create an internal HMI to monitor and set values of program variables. This cannot be later transfered to a separate HMI, but is a valuable tool during program development and later troubleshooting to control a project. The video introduces the built in control panel found in our template programs, and shows how the user can add additional blank control panels. It shows how the object library is organized, how you can drag and drop objects into a control panel, how to map variables to objects, and how to edit object parameters.

The below video demonstrates how to do the first section of Exercise 3 by adding an MC_Phasing function block instance to the 2 axis PLCopen Ladder template. This allows the slave axis to make adjustments to move forward or backward while it stays geared to axis 1 in order to make corrections. The 90 deg that we enter for the PhaseShift input results in 180 degrees of extra movement on Axis2 because it is geared at a 2:1 ratio to Axis1. The MC_Phasing function block makes the slave axis think that the master moves this extra amount, so the resulting motion is determined by what the slave would do based on the active Gearing or Camming function if the Master Axis moved this distance.

The final video demonstrates how to complete the attached Exercise 3 by adding objects to the control panel to set the desired phase adjustment and have a button to execute the MC_Phasing function block. We will test that everything works on the simulator in the end.