The Galil Design Kit (GDK) is Galil's newest software environment that provides easy communication with Galil hardware. GDK is based on the same feature set as Galil's previous generation software but will be a more robust, more user friendly solution for any application. This release of GDK and will include the following four tools:

-Setup: used to read, edit, save, and restore all controller memory.

-Viewer: enables real-time viewing of the controller's I/O status, motor position, and more.

-Terminal: used to send commands to the controller and receive responses from the controller.

-Editor: used to write, save, and execute application programs.

 

This GDK lite version is free of charge and is available as a download from Galil's website. This version is a technical preview and is in active development . All customer feedback is welcome. The full version of GDK (which will include the scope and tuner tools) will be released in the third quarter.

 

GDK's communications library, gclib, now uses a communications server by default. This software layer works as a multiplexor to the hardware and allows multiple connections to share the same physical resource. Data streams that were once only available to one application are now distributed to all subscribing clients. The upshot of this architecture is that an application can leverage all communications features of a Galil controller, while an attached debugger, e.g. GDK, can also have full-featured access. Previously written gclib code can use the server by omitting the "-d" switch in GOpen(). Install the latest version of gclib and GDK to try the new server.

 

Setup Tool

The Setup Tool allows the user to view, edit, backup, and load controller memory such as parameters, variables, arrays, and the program buffer. This tool will provide the capability to upload to a file. This file can then be loaded onto another controller, or the same controller if a master rest was issued. Overall, this tool provides fast and easy setup for Galil products increasing throughput and decreasing setup time. See Figure 1 for an example of the Setup Tool interface.

 

Figure 1: An example of the information window for the Setup Tool.

 

Viewer Tool

The Viewer Tool allows customized real-time viewing of the controller's I/O status, motor position, and much more. The user can customize what is viewed in order to provide for a simple solution for troubleshooting any application. See Figure 2 for an example of the Viewer Tool interface.

 

Figure 2: An example of the A Axis information window in the Viewer Tool.

 

 

Terminal Tool

The Terminal Tool provides easy communication to and from Galil controllers. It can be used to query the controller's parameters or even execute a program. This tool has the capability to search command history, repeat or auto repeat commands, and is color coded. These features makes for an intuitive user experience.

 

Editor Tool

The Editor Tool allows the user to write, save, download/upload, and execute application code. With this tool, multiple programs can be opened, edited, and saved all in the same seamless user interface.

 

Ordering Information

The free technical preview release of GDK is available to download HERE. If you would like to speak to an Applications Engineer about GDK or for other questions please call (916) 626-0101 or (800) 377-6329 (US Only) or email support@galil.com.