synApps: ppmac
| Module Owner: | Oleg Makarov, Argonne National Laboratory |
| License: | This software is distributed under EPICS Open License |
This page is a home of ppmac. The most recent version of it can be found at www.gmca.aps.anl.gov/PPMAC/.
ppmac provides EPICS driver for Power PMAC programmable 128-axis motion controller by Delta Tau / Omron which is a modular networking system with the ARM CPU operating under Debian Linux. The driver is designed to run in the EPICS virtual IOC residing directly in the controller as one can compile and execute EPICS under Linux. Note that there is an alternative EPICS driver for Power PMAC by DIAMOND Light Source where the IOC resides outside the PMAC controller communicates to it over ssh.
Some features of Power PMAC, all supported by the ppmac driver, are:
- capability to perform synchronous coordinated motions of several drives thus allowing for fast on-the-fly scans of motor groups,
- modular design with fiber link greatly simplifying cabling,
- capability to drive virtually any type of motors -- DC brush & DC brushless servo, stepper, piezo, and etc.
- support for both incremental and absolute encoders
- provisions to write custom motion programs, define custom servo cycles and generally tweak any motion parameter.
- programmable I/O for synchronizing motions with external devices including area detectors.
Power PMAC modules
Figure 1: Power PMAC system
Figure 2: Power PMAC 1040 ARM CPU
Figure 3: Power PMAC optical interface to MACRO ring
Figure 4: Power PMAC MACRO-16 CPU
Figure 5: Power PMAC ACC24e2s 4-axis stepper motor interface
Figure 6: Power PMAC ACC24e2a 4-axis analog motor interface
Figure 7: Power PMAC ACC24e2a-24e2 4-axis analog-digital motor interface
Figure 8: Power PMAC ACC24e3 4-axis universal motor interface (generation-3)
Figure 9: Power PMAC ACC51e 4-channel 4096x encoder interpolator
Figure 10: Power PMAC ACC84e 4-channel absolute encoder interface
Figure 11: Power PMAC ACC65e 24/24-channel digital I/O interface
Figure 12: Power PMAC ACC59e 8/8-channel analog I/O
Power PMAC MEDM/caQtDM screens
Figure 13: Power PMAC coordinate system status and controls
Figure 14: Power PMAC individual motor status and controls
Where to find it
You can download the software from the links in the table below:
| Module Version | Release Date | Filename | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1-0 | 09/2023 | ppmac-R1-0.tgz | Initial beta-release |
Required Modules
| Module Version | Requires module | Release needed | Required for |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1-0 | EPICS base | 7.07 and up, asyn 4.44 and up | Base support |
Installation and Building
- Configure the PowerPMAC operating system (Debian Linux) using the instructions in the document "Tweaking PowerPMAC Debian OS".
- Transfer the EPICS base source to the PowerPMAC flash drive into directory /opt/epics, unpack it, set the EPICS base installation directory to /usr/local/epics/base and compile it the standard way.
- Transfer the EPICS asyn source to the PowerPMAC flash drive into directory /opt/epics, unpack it, set the installation directory to /usr/local/epics/asyn and compile it.
- Transfer the ppmac distribution file ppmac-RX-Y.tgz (here RX-Y is the release number) to the PowerPMAC flash drive into directory /opt/epics, unpack it and compile.
- Edit the configure/RELEASE file and set the paths to your installation of EPICS base.
- Run gnumake in the top level directory and check for any compilation errors.
- Prepare PowerPMAC using the OMRON/DeltaTau PowerPMAC IDE software, define coordinate systems and motion programs. Then load and save all the settings in the PMAC. This can be done by connecting PMAC ethernet connector to that of a Windows computer where the PowerPMAC IDE software.
- Prepare PowerPMAC-related EPICS databases. Some examples of PowerPMAC databases can be found in the distribution.
- Prepare IOC startup files to load all the necessary EPICS databases interacting with PowerPMAC -- see examples in the iocBoot/iocppmac/st.cmd file.
- Please email to Oleg Makarov so that a record can be kept of what sites are using this software.
In Use
This software was derived from the EPICS support for Turbo PMAC2 UltraLite VME motion controllers originally developed by Oleg Makarov at Argonne National Lab and successfully used for a number of years by several Sectors at the Advanced Photon Source and partially at DIAMOND Light Source.The ppmac EPICS module is in use at the GM/CA beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source (APS).
Please submit any comments and bug reports to Oleg Makarov
More info (Power PMAC manuals by OMRON)
- Power PMAC User's Manual
- Power PMAC Software Reference Manual
- Power PMAC IDE User Manual
- Power PMAC 1040 CPU Hardware Reference Manual
- Alternative EPICS driver for Power PMAC by DIAMOND Light Source where the IOC resides outside of the controller and communicates to it over ssh.