Predicting how large PLC's will effect GeoBrick operation

[WuBill]

I'm currently working on a hexapod using a GeoBrock with the 80mhz processor. The customer requires showing how much travel is left on each axis after the previous move is completed. I have completed the code to make this happen in VB and I'm trying to decide if I should port the code to the GeoBrick or my HMI. This bit of code is fairly large and I am concerned about it affecting performance of my GeoBrick. Is there any way to look at my current program/kinematics running and determine if adding this large chunk of code will adversely affect the operation of the hexapod? Thanks.

[Sina.Sattari]

Kinematics routines run in Real-Time Interrupt period (RTI), so if you check the CPU resources under PMAC Resources menu in PEWIN32PRO2 software, it should tell you how much of CPU time is taken up by your Kinematics and also motion planing engine. Note that the table includes the current load and peaked value and we are more concerned about the peak value which represents the worst case scenario as far as the CPU load is concerned. By the way, I just wanted to make sure that I understood what you are trying to calculate correctly and if I have, may be suggest an easier solution. If you are trying to show the amount of displacement left on each of the linear actuators for the hexapod, you can use the results calculate in Inverse kinematics for P1 through P6 and calculate the remaining length in the same routine and store it in some other P or Q variables for use in HMI. Or if you are trying to calculate how much movement is remaining on coordinate system axis, again you can use the Q1..Q9 variables in inverse kinematics routine and calculate how much travel is left on each axis and store it for HMI use in some other P or Q variables.

[WuBill]

Sina, Thanks I believe there is enough processor left to do what I need to do. I need to show the amount of travel left on the coordinate system. Do you know an easy way to do this? I currently loop through the inverse kinematic equations while increasing the pose to get the values I need. The way I'm currently doing it works but, I'm always open to new Ideas.