Motorcortex-DESK

A explanation of how to work with Motorcortex Desk

  12 minute read  

Introduction

Motorcortex-DESK is a web-based application that can be used to visualize signals and parameters of a Motorcortex control system in real-time and it allows parameters to be changed or signals to be overridden. It is a very valuable tool when tuning or debugging a system’s behavior.

Log-in

MotorCortex-Desk can be accessed via 2 locations:


Here is always the latest version of Motorcortex-Desk available. However you will require an internet connection and login.

  1. Open your browser and go to motorcortex.io and click on Login.
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  1. Go to the TOOLS on the left and click on Desk.

  2. The Motorcortex Desk login page will now open in a new tab in your browser.

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  1. Server Address is the IP address of the controller (Host), per default 192.168.2.100. Optionally the request port and subscribe port can be defined. If nothing is filled-in for these ports, the default of 5568/5567 will be used.
  2. / Option to choose a secure or unsecure connection . Default is secure.
  1. Login, if user authentication is enabled you have to fill in the login name of your user account.
  2. Password, if user authentication is enabled you have to fill in the matching password to your login name.
  3. Pressing Connect establishes a connection with Desk-tool.

Access the DESK tool straight from the controller (no internet access required).

  1. Open your browser and go to [Controller IP address]:8000, per default 192.168.2.100:8000
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  1. Server Address is the IP address of the controller (Host), per default 192.168.2.100. Optionally the request port and subscribe port can be defined. If nothing is filled-in for these ports, the default of 5568/5567 will be used.
  2. / Option to choose a secure or unsecure connection . Default is secure.
  1. Login, if user authentication is enabled you have to fill in the login name of your user account.
  2. Password, if user authentication is enabled you have to fill in the matching password to your login name.
  3. Pressing Connect establishes a connection with Desk-tool.

Screen lay-out

After logging in the Motorcortex Control Desk will show. The Desk screen consists out of 4 main parts:

  1. The parameter three holds all of the signals in the system and you can manually search for each signal and select these to show in the trace overview.
  2. In the search bar you can search for signals inside the Parameter Tree.
  3. The Trace Overview is a container of all parameters selected in the Parameter Tree.
  4. The Plot Window is a visualization of the selected signals in the Trace Overview.
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Icons meanings

In Motorcortex-Desk the following icons are used:


Folder contains data objects and can be nested to create a parameter tree.


Input in this parameter type a value can be written. A typical use is an sensor.


Output this parameter type is read-only. A typical use is a set point value. The value is calculated within the MOTORCORTEX and shall not be overwritten.


parameter This is parameter type that is used to configure the system. Typical uses are motor parameters and system constants. Parameters are retrieved from the parameter list during start-up. If the user changes a value and wants to use in the future, he has to save the list before rebooting/switching off the controller. A parameter can be read and written.


Persistent these are values that contain process data that is continuously updated and will be retained through application restarts. Typical applications are running hours or counting.


  1. pressing Download will pop-up a screen where you can fill in file name.
  2. press download to download parameters from the table to json-file formate.
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Pressing Upload will open local storage, where you can select .json-file from where you can upload a table to desk tool. For example:

[{"path":"root/Ethercat/Robot/Axis 1/Inputs/Torque actual value","value":183,"setValue":160,"overwrite":false}]

Select Zoom to zoom in to a specific area, the specific area is selected by means of holding the left mouse click and drag over the to be zoomed in area.


Select Drag view to drag the screen, hold left mouse click and move mouse to preferred direction.


Pressing Zoom-fit will scales axes to view all signals.


Selecting Snap-single will snap cursor to closest trace point.


Selecting Snap-multi will snap cursor to time axis and show corresponding cursors on all visible signals.


Pressing Home will center the the screen and shown current signals.


Selecting clock will change the time range from relative time to Unix timestamp.


  1. Pressing Settings will opens the settings window, in here you can adjust the frequency divider. With the frequency divider you can reduce the rate at which the server publishes its data. The server update rate is divided by this value; e.g. if the server has an update rate of 1000 Hz, a frequency divider of 100 will make the publisher send only every 100th sample, resulting in an update rate of the received data of 10 Hz.
  2. Pressing Set will save the changed settings.
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Pressing Start recording will start a data trace of all plotted signals.


Pressing Stop recording will stop the data trace, followed by saving the collected data in a .csv-file.


Pressing Disconnect will disconnects Desk from the controller and brings you back to the login screen.

Parameter Tree

In a MOTORCORTEX application all control objects are organized in a tree structure; the Parameter Tree. The Parameter Tree contains a snapshot of all the inputs, outputs and internal data of the control objects at the current time.

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MOTORCORTEX has a tree structure in which the data objects are published. Each task or objects inside a task can create their own subtree (folder). Objects can be nested. In a general control application there are usually a Logic, Control and also EtherCAT folders that represent the data of different tasks. In the EtherCAT folder you will find the configured EtherCAT slave devices.

The names of the folders are configurable and the application developer can change these, but it is good practice to stick to some convention.

Inside the folders the data of the associated object is contained. MOTORCORTEX currently supports the following data types: boolean, integer, double or binary (e.g. a c-struct). Also arrays of the same datatype are supported. Array elements start at index 0 (zero).

A parameter can be found by typing in its name in the Search bar. It is also possible to search for a part of the name by using a *.

  • Using an * in front will show everything ending with the search term.
  • A * behind the search term will show everything beginning with the search term.
  • *Search term* will show everything with “Search term” in it.

Useful search terms are:

Search term Description
*actual* Actual sensor values or derivatives of that (e.g. speeds and accelerations).
*target* Setpoints to the actuators.
*position* Positions.
*velocity* Velocities.
*raw* Raw sensor values. Raw sensor values can also be found in the field bus map (most times EtherCAT). Conversion of raw sensor values is normally done in the folder “Control”.
*WindowDetector*, *high*, *low*, *tooHigh*, *tooLow* Errors, alarms, faults.

Tracing Signals

Adding traces

  1. Adding traces from parameter tree: A parameter from the Parameter Tree can be added to a trace by double clicking on it. After that the signal will become bold in the Parameter Tree and will appear in the Trace Overview on the bottom left.

  2. Loading traces from a file: It is also possible to load a pre configured .json file with parameters into the Trace Overview. This can be done by clicking in the Trace Overview on the upload button and afterwards selecting the desired .json file.
    NOTE: the current trace signals will be replaced by the signals from the .json file.

  3. Saving traces to a file: To save all signals from the Trace Overview, press the save button in the Trace Overview. After this a window will be shown where the name of the file can be defined. If nothing is filled in, the name will be “parameters.json”. As soon the download button is pressed, your web browser will automatically download the file.

  4. Removing a trace: This is easily done by clicking on the behind the signal in the Trace Overview.

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Plotting signals

The signal will be plotted if the checkbox in front of the signal name in the trace overview is checked. The signal will appear in the Plot Window. At the bottom of the Plot Window is an overview of all plotted signals. The colored line in front of the signal matches with the signal line color in the plot.

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Changing axis

In order to keep overview, it is possible to split the signals over 4 different Y-axes, each with their own ranges. This is especially handy when plotting Boolean and Integer values simultaneously. The current axis is displayed directly behind the signal name and is per default “Y1”. It can be changed by clicking on it and selected. The axis are in the far right of the Plot Window, with the individual axis name at below them.

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X-Y plot

In some case it can be convenient to not have the time on the X-axis, but a certain signal, e.g. for resistance plots. In order to use a signal as X-axis, select the axis value (e.g. Y1) and select X1.
NOTE: only 1 signal can be used as X axis.

Scaling signals

It is possible to scale signals by pressing on the cog button behind the signal in the Trace Overview. Motorcortex-Desk contains many standard conversions, but it is also possible to define a custom formula.

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Measuring

Make and save data traces

Before a data trace is started, all desired signals should be selected (and thus being plotted in the Plot Window). To start the tracing, click on the Record button. To stop the tracing, click on the Stop button. After the trace will be straight away be downloaded to your computer. The format is a .csv-file, which can be opened in a text editor, but also in Microsoft Excel, Python or Matlab.

Changing values

Modifying a parameter value

A parameter can be changed in two locations:

  1. In the parameter tree by clicking on the value. This will open an input field where you can type the new value. The value will be taken over as soon as enter is pressed.
  2. By clicking on the input field behind the signal and its actual value and type the new value. The value will be taken over as soon as enter is pressed.
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Saving and loading parameter sets

It is possible to save and load parameter list. In this way a functional configuration can be backed-up and reloaded easily.

  1. Saving the parameter set To save the (changed) parameter files to the Motion Controller, click in the top right of the Parameter Window on the save button. If no name is specified, the file will directly overwrite control.xml located on the motion controller in the folder /etc/motorcortex/config/control.
    The controller will by default load control.xml at start-up. If the parameters are changed, but list is NOT saved, the unchanged control.xml will be loaded the next time the software is restarted.
  1. Loading a parameter set To upload a parameter parameter file from your computer, click on the upload button in the top right of the Parameter Window. Any new values will be straight away applied. Make sure that your system is in a safe state before uploading and keep a copy of the original parameter file.
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Overriding inputs and outputs

Sometimes it is needed to temporary overwrite an input or output (e.g. to test an output). This can be done by ticking the checkbox behind the signal, both in the Tracing Overview as in the Parameter tree. The signal will than become orange and will not change unless the user removes the overwrite or will fill in a different value.

An example is below: the enable of jointReferenceGenerator controls the enable of all 6 signalGenerators. If the enable of signalGenerator01 has to be disabled, while the rest have to stay enabled, an overwrite has to be applied to signalGenerator01/enable

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