Development Tools

The program allows the user to create motion paths in a CAD package such as AutoCAD and convert them into code executable by a Trio Motion Coordinator. Typically the path information will be drawn on a single layer in the CAD package and exported as a DXF file. The DXF file (layer with motion path only) is read into CAD2Motion to create a program to follow the motion path.

The motion path can be manipulated and edited before being saved as a Trio Programming Language file which can be loaded on to a Trio Motion Coordinator.

Benefits

• Can read Industry standard DXF files and Trio Programming Language files.
• Outputs files as TrioBASIC programs.
• Graphical display of motion path with full pan and zoom facilities.
• Built in program text editor.
• Program list and graphical display linked together to show correlation between program code and moves within the motion path.
• Built in tools to mirror, scale, shift, reverse and rotate motion paths.
• Full undo on all tool and editor operations.

CamGen is so simple to use, you can import a set of points from Excel and build a smooth motion profile in a few minutes.

CamGen exports TABLE statements ready to paste into a Motion Coordinator BASIC program. Or you can have more flexibility by using CamGen to write a BASIC routine, which will build the cam shapes while your machine is running. CamGen even constructs example CAM and CAMBOX statements to put into your program.

Benefits

• Easy specification of motion profiles commonly used in machinery
• Outputs files as Trio Programming Language programs or TABLE points
• Graphical display of motion position/speed/acceleration curves
• Build piecewise curves with straight, polynomial and spline sections
• Generates example CAM/CAMBOX move statements
• Import sets of points from Excel
• Will handle multiple sector CAM shapes

A compact, self-contained package designed to allow simple distribution of projects written using Motion Perfect. Simply add the project to the Autoloader folder, edit a script file to provide control of the loading sequence and send to the customer.

The Autoloader, complete with project files is small enough to distribute efficiently via email and the end user needs only minimal PC knowledge to complete the loading process.

The methods included in this ActiveX allow the user’s PC application to load complete projects or individual programs into the Motion Coordinator. If appropriate then one or more programs can be set to autorun on power up. Functionality also includes check controller type, check firmware version, load TABLE data, display progress bar and many more. The installation includes a Windows Help file with details of each method/function.

Program Examples _{(log in)}

The transfer process is optimized to compress the file and reduce transfer times, or it can be set to stream the file into a FIFO buffer on the controller. This can help reduce overall machine cycle times when file sizes can be large and so making communication time significant.

To send the files to the controller, the TextFileLoader standalone application can be downloaded (see box on the left) and used as a readymade application.

The file loading functionality is also built into PCMotion so customised interfaces can be developed. There is an example Visual Basic 2010 project available which can be used as a template or imported into any user application. Application Note .

Application msi file

Application Visual Basic file (zipped)

A "Pickup and Learn" guide introducing the fundementals of the TextFileLoader is available here.

Example G-Code dispatcher programs can be made available, which can then be used as the basis for a machine development. The examples cover the use of F, G, M, S and T codes controlling up to 3 axes. However, this can be easily extended to respond to other G-Codes as required and to run more than 3 axes. Besides the dispatcher, a G-Code parser is required. This, and the dispatcher, is written in BASIC so is fully adaptable by the machine builder or system programmer. Trio’s engineers can work with the customer’s software developers to help complete the G-Code project to the customer’s requirement. Please contact your Trio Distributor for details.

The Trio Motion Coordinator is not a CNC controller in the true sense. It is not a simple drop-in replacement for a full function CNC provided by companies who offer turn-key solutions in this field. However, the flexibility of the Trio software makes it ideal for designing specialized machines which use G-Code as the motion command source. Our customers have, for example, made multi-axis wood working machines which use G-Code, taking codes from a CAD-CAM system to produce machined products for specialized markets.

Installer patch... (For use with Autoloader if Motion Perfect is NOT installed)

The patch includes USB drivers that can be installed in Windows 95, Windows XP and some PCs using Windows 7. The drivers have not been updated to be fully compatible with later Windows versions and is not fully compatible with all USB hardware on modern PCs. The patch is provided for support of older legacy systems linked to the MC2xx range Motion Coordinators.