PCMM Dual-Core - New KAS Controller Model!

The PCMM (Programmable Controller Multi-Axis Master) Dual-Core is a PCMM 1.2GHz with two CPU cores. It shares the same electronic hardware, connectors, and signals as the PCMM single core model. It has the same features, functionality, memory, and flash storage as the PCMM single core model.

KAS software v3.00 (and higher) supports the PCMM Dual-Core model. If you are using v2.12 (or lower), you will need to upgrade to version 3.00 (or higher) to use the PCMM. It is possible for a KAS project to work with a PCMM or PDMM, without any POU changes. In the KAS project, the Controller properties contains a single selection for "PDMM or PCMM", because logically they are the same hardware.

Performance

The PCMM is available in three performance variants (800MHz, 1.2GHz, and 1.2GHz dual-core. Due to the higher processor and memory speed, the 1.2GHz single-core model has 2x the performance as the 800MHz model. The dual-core 1.2GHz provides an additional 50% to 90% performance improvement to the single-core 1.2GHz model. The dual-core model will automatically balance the processing load across the two cores. It is not necessary to assign processes or create dual-core specific application code.

Typically, the PLC program is the single largest process load for the CPU. Comparing application performance between a single-core vs. dual-core, the amount of CPU usage for the PLC program determines the performance difference

For example, suppose a project on a single-core PCMM has 75% CPU usage for the PLC programs and 25% for everything else (100% total). Running the same project on a dual-core, the PLC program will be allocated to one core (75% usage and 25% margin) and everything else to the other core (25% usage and 75% margin). The total CPU usage is 50% less (plus some overhead for managing two cores), but the PLC went from 0% margin to 25% margin. If the single-core project was 50% PLC program (100% total), then the dual-core would be 50%/50%, or roughly a 2x performance increase (minus overhead for managing two cores) over the single core.

Support Files

Installation manuals for the PDMM and PCMM are available. They contain information about the part number scheme, hardware installation, specifications, connectors, pin numbers, signals, SD card slot, rotary switch, and push buttons. The PDMM and PCMM connector designators and signals are the same (except there are no drive specific connectors for the PCMM). The SD card slot, rotary switch, and push buttons are the same.

The 800MHz single-core, 1.2GHz single-core, and 1.2GHz dual-core models each have a model specific KAS Runtime Firmware file. The naming convention for the Runtime Firmware matches the part number scheme. Also, the web-server firmware upgrade tab will suggest the appropriate file to match the specific PDMM or PCMM model. For more information see the KAS Help included with the software installation or on KDN [see: Firmware Tab (PDMM and PCMM Only)]

The KAS Runtime firmware files for the PCMM and PDMM models are available on KDN in the Downloads section and product download pages, or at Kollmorgen.com. 
PDMM Runtime Firmware
PCMM Runtime Firmware