The Galil Design Kit (GDK) is Galil’s premier software environment that provides easy communication with Galil’s motion controllers and PLCs. The tools in this package continue to be enhanced and expanded. Here's what's new

Enhanced Step-By-Step (SBS) Tool

     SBS guides users through the setup and configuration of Galil motion controllers. In addition to the existing functions SBS already offers including communication setup, automated brushless motor configuration, and comprehensive creation of backup copies of controller memory, the following features have been added:

• Brushed motor setup

• Stepper motor setup

• Limit and home switch setup

• Tuner tool tutorial

• Absolute encoder setup (SSI & BiSS)

• DMC-500x0 support

Figure 1: GDK Step-By-Step

Macros

     GDK now provides a macro feature to allow users to automate tasks. During the development and production of Galil applications, it is common to have multiple commands that are used frequently together. These commands can now easily be assigned to a button or keyboard shortcut in GDK. Examples of such automated tasks follow.

• Loading a special firmware.

• Loading a production program, setting the program password, and locking the program memory.

• Configuring motor commutation when developing.

• Configuring and bringing up EtherCAT networks.

• Printing formatted debugging information with the MG command.

• Profiling moves for experimentation and development.

Figure 2: Macros in the GDK Editor

Plotter

     In addition to the Scope Tool, which allows data from any axis to be plotted against time, Galil now offers a plotter tool. The plotter tool allows the user to configure a plot of the desired data from two different axes against each other using custom coordinate systems. Multiple datasets can be plotted together for easy comparison. This tool is especially useful when developing and troubleshooting any application that requires coordinated motion in a plane. With the Plotter tool, the 2D planned trajectory and actual trajectory can be plotted simultaneously in real time.

Figure 3: GDK Plotter

Debugger Tool has been added to the Editor

     The debugger adds a User interface to pre existing Galil debugging commands as well as adding program and thread monitoring tools. This new tool allows the user to view program execution line by line, set breakpoints via the GUI, and step through the DMC application code line-by-line. Parameters, operands and user specified variables and arrays can also be monitored. Following your dmc program execution and application flow is now simpler and more intuitive with the new GDK debugging tool.

Figure 4: Debugger tool in the GDK Editor