Synapticon Somanet oblac drives box User manual

Commissioning and

Tuning with

SOMANET OBLAC

Drives

Documentation v 3.2.0 | Build: 2020-05-25

Table of Contents
1 Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives
1.1 OBLAC Drives Box
1.1.1 Connectors
1.1.2 Installation
1.1.3 Powering the box off and resetting
1.1.4 Open OBLAC Drives
1.1.5 Using OBLAC Drives Box with WiFi
1.1.6 Sharing a connection with your Host-PC
1.1.7 Update OBLAC Drives
1.2 OBLAC Drives Virtual Machine
1.2.1 Prerequisite
1.2.2 Getting started
1.2.3 Connecting to OBLAC Drives
1.2.4 Troubleshooting
1.3 Using OBLAC Drives
1.3.1 Installing the latest version
1.3.1.1 Save to device
1.3.1.2 Update Firmware
1.3.1.3 Launch Setup Wizard
1.3.1.4 Download Device Description XML
1.3.1.5 Load Configuration File
1.3.1.6 Save Configuration File
1.3.1.7 Download log
1.3.1.8 Factory Reset
1.3.2 User Interface Overview
1.3.2.1 Toggle view
1.3.3 Using keyboard shortcuts
1.3.4 Quick Open
1.4 Set up your servo drive
1.5 Motion Control Tuning
1.5.1 Overview of the Tools
1.5.2 Auto-Tuning
1.5.2.1 Concept of Auto-Tuning
1.5.2.2 Goal of Position Auto-tuning
1.5.2.3 Goal of Velocity Auto-tuning
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Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives
© 2020 Synapticon GmbH | Daimlerstraße 26 | D-71101 Schönaich   Documentation v 3.2.0 | Build: 2020-05-25 2/67

1.5.2.4 System Identification
1.5.2.4.1 Prerequisites
1.5.2.4.2 Limitations
1.5.2.4.3 How to use
1.5.2.4.4 F.A.Q.
1.5.2.5 Position Auto-tuning
1.5.2.5.1 Prerequisites
1.5.2.5.2 Limitations
1.5.2.5.3 How to use
1.5.2.5.4 Next steps
1.5.2.5.5 F.A.Q.
1.5.2.6 Velocity Auto-tuning
1.5.2.6.1 Prerequisites
1.5.2.6.2 Limitations
1.5.2.6.3 How to use
1.5.2.6.4 Next steps
1.5.2.6.5 F.A.Q.
1.5.3 Manual Tuning
1.5.3.1 Manual Tuning of the current controller
1.5.3.1.1 Manual tuning guide
1.5.3.2 Manual Tuning of the velocity control loop
1.5.3.3 Manual Tuning of the position control loop: Cascaded controller
1.6 Test your drive at the playground
1.6.1 Prerequisites
1.6.2 Apply a defined torque to your motor
1.6.3 Rotate your motor at defined velocities
1.6.4 Rotate your motor to defined positions
1.7 Update/downgrade OBLAC Drives
1.8 Troubleshooting
1.8.1 Virtualization not activated
1.8.2 Memory Warning
1.8.3 Runtime Issues
1.8.4 Other Issues
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Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives
© 2020 Synapticon GmbH | Daimlerstraße 26 | D-71101 Schönaich   Documentation v 3.2.0 | Build: 2020-05-25 3/67



1 Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET

OBLAC Drives

SOMANET OBLAC Drives guides the user through the setup process, supports configuration and

tuning of the SOMANET servo drive and makes the operation and first steps in turning a motor as easy

as possible.

There are two ways to run SOMANET OBLAC Drives:

OBLAC Drives Box: is a physical machine that comes preinstalled with Linux OS and runs OBLAC

Drives.

OBLAC Drives Virtual Machine: comes preinstalled with OBLAC Drives. It can be run on Windows,

Linux and macOS.

Using OBLAC Drives: Overview of the functionality.

Set up your servo drive: Instructions on how to install firmware and configure your motor, brake and

sensors.

Motion control tuning: Instructions on how to do manual and automatic tuning of the controller

gains.

Autotuning: Overview of the Autotuning feature

System Identification: This feature allows to generate a precise model of the mechanical

system with one click

Position Autotuning: Automatically generates gain values for the cascaded position

controller

Velocity Autotuning: Automatically generates gain values for the velocity controller

Manual Tuning: Description of steps required for manually tuning the controller gains

Manual Tuning of torque/current control loop: In the torque control loop the current is

controlled, while the torque is directly proportional to the current.

Manual Tuning of the velocity control loop: Instructions for manually tuning the proportional

and integral gains of the velocity control loop if the drive should be operated in velocity

control mode.

Manual Tuning of the position control loop: Instructions for manually tuning the cascaded

PID controller.

Test your drive at the playground: Rotate your motor to a target position, at a target velocity or apply

a target torque.

Update or downgrade OBLAC Drives: Install and run any version of OBLAC Drives that fits your drive.

Troubleshooting: If something goes wrong while using OBLAC Drives you can find troubleshooting

instructions here.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.1 OBLAC Drives Box

Important

In case you are not using OBLAC Drives Box, please refer to our

In case you are not using OBLAC Drives Box, please refer to our OBLAC Drives Installation Guide

OBLAC Drives Installation Guide

OBLAC Drives Box is a physical machine that comes preinstalled with Linux OS and runs OBLAC Drives

and the related services. It supports access over WiFi or local area network.

1.1.1 Connectors

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.1.2 Installation

1. Plug in the power connector; the box will automatically boot.

2. Connect the box to your local area network using the upper LAN port. This will allow you to access

OBLAC Drives over the local area network rather than having to connect to OBLAC Drives Box over

WiFi.

3. Connect the EtherCAT cable to the lower LAN port on the back of the box. Connect this to the

SOMANET servo drive on port IN.

1.1.3 Powering the box off and resetting

If you want to manually turn the box off you can either just disconnect it from the power supply or

insert a small tool into the power switch.

When you need to reset it, please hold the power switch for about 5 seconds.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.1.4 Open OBLAC Drives

Open OBLAC Drives in your browser by navigating to http://oblac-drives-networkname.local

Note

Windows users need to install the

Windows users need to install the Bonjour Software

Bonjour Software to open OBLAC Drives Box at the given URL.

to open OBLAC Drives Box at the given URL.

If this is not possible you can still access OBLAC Drives via WiFi by entering the IP address given on

the sticker.

1.1.5 Using OBLAC Drives Box with WiFi

A sticker on the side of the box contains the WiFi SSID (access point name) and password. Connect to

the WiFi access point using your laptop or computer.

1.1.6 Sharing a connection with your Host-PC

Usually you would connect the Box to the internet with a LAN connection and connect your Host-PC to

the Box via WiFi as the Box acts as an access point. However, if you don’t have a LAN connection, you

can also share your Host-PC’s WiFi with the Box using a LAN cable:

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Windows

Enter Settings/Network Connections

Select two network adapters “WiFi” and “Ethernet” by selecting each while holding Ctrl

Right click and select “Bridge Connection”

When you are finished working with OBLAC Drives Box you can simply delete the bridged

connection

Linux

open the Connection editor with the terminal:

nm-connection-editor

Double-click on your Ethernet connection to edit it

Enter the IPv4-Settings

Select the method “Shared to other computers”

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.1.7 Update OBLAC Drives

You can install newer or older versions of OBLAC Drives using our OBLAC Drives Update Service

It is possible to use OBLAC Drives Box offline and to install and run the previous versions of OBLAC

Drives. Newer versions of OBLAC Drives that get installed will be cached on the box, but they will have

to be downloaded from the Internet.

That’s it! You may now proceed to commission your SOMANET servo drive:

Set up your drive system How to set the parameters for your motor and sensors correctly.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.2 OBLAC Drives Virtual Machine

Important

This section is only required if you are

This section is only required if you are not

not using

using OBLAC Drives Box

OBLAC Drives Box

1.2.1 Prerequisite

OBLAC Drives Virtual Machine should be run on a virtualization software such as VMware Player

version 14 or above for Windows and Linux or VMware Fusion 10 for macOS.

Note

OBLAC Drives is an application that runs in a Web Browser. We recommend the latest version of

Google Chrome.

1.2.2 Getting started

1. Download the OBLAC Drives Virtual Machine image

DOWNLOAD OBLAC DRIVES

If you have trouble downloading from Amazon webservice, please try our Baidu server:

DOWNLOAD OBLAC DRIVES FROM BAIDU

Windows

2. Install and open VMware Workstation Player

Note

ANY version of VMWare Workstation Player starting from 14.0 can be used for OBLAC Drives.

3. Open a virtual machine

4. Select the downloaded OBLAC Drives image (OVA file) and import it to VMware Player

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Note

If you get a warning that the import failed, just click “Retry” and it will run.

You may also check “Do not show this message again”

5.

Go to Virtual Machine Settings and check if two network adapters are available - one set to

NAT and one set to Bridged (Automatic)

Ensure that the “Replicate physical network connection state” option is checked

Press OK to save changes

6. Power up

and

connect the servo drive

7. Power on the virtual machine

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

macOS

2. Install and open VMware Fusion

Note

ANY version of VMWare Fusion starting from 10.0 can be used for OBLAC Drives.

3. Open the OBLAC Drives image (OVA file) in VMware Fusion

Note

If you get a warning that the import failed, just click “Retry” and it will run.

You may also check “Do not show this message again”

4. Edit the Virtual Machine Settings and set the following (if not already set)

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Set the number of processor cores to 2

Check the “Enable hypervisor application” option

There should be two network adapters set:

“Share with my Mac”

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Ethernet adapter

5. Power up

and

connect the slaves

6. Play the virtual machine

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Linux

2. Install and open VMware Workstation Player

Note

ANY version of VMWare Workstation Player starting from 14.0 can be used for OBLAC Drives.

3. Open a virtual machine

4. Select the downloaded OBLAC Drives image (OVA file) and import it to VMware Player

Note

If you get a warning that the import failed, just click “Retry” and it will run.

You may also check “Do not show this message again”

5.

Go to Virtual Machine Settings and check if two network adapters are available - one set to

NAT and one set to Bridged (Automatic)

Ensure that the “Replicate physical network connection state” option is checked

Press OK to save changes

6. Network settings

Execute

sudo /usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-netcfg

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Select the bridged network adapter and bridge it to the system network adapter to which the

slaves are connected to

The network adapter has to be an Ethernet connection, so it likely starts with “eth”

Save changes

7. Power up and

connect the slaves

8. Play the virtual machine

9. In case your systems hints that a swap partition is needed:

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

instead of creating such a partition you can also use this workaround:

Close the VMware Player

Run

sudo gedit /etc/vmware/config

Add

prefvmx.minVmMemPct = "100"

at the end of the file and save

Restart the VMware Player

1.2.3 Connecting to OBLAC Drives

Once your virtual machine is powered up, you will find the IP address of OBLAC Drives at the top of the

screen.

Enter this IP address in your browser and wait for OBLAC Drives to show the connected drives.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

Please check in you browser that the Drive is connected:

Now you are ready to use the features of OBLAC Drives!

NEXT STEP: Proceed to Commissioning Guide.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

1.2.4 Troubleshooting

1. Always give OBLAC Drives up to a minute to detect the available drives after they have been

powered on or connected

2. If the drives aren’t found, or anything else seems to be wrong, please try refreshing the web page

first and then power cycling the drive(s)

3. If you are running Windows, please ensure that the power-saving functionality for LAN is turned OFF

4. In some cases after the start-up of OBLAC Drives the URL isn’t shown and the website can’t get

accessed. In that case, please try switching the order of the network adapters in the VMware setting

for that virtual machine:

1. Bridged (Automatic)

2. NAT

There are more issues listed in our Troubleshooting Guide.

Commissioning and Tuning with SOMANET OBLAC Drives

SYNAPTICON SOMANET OBLAC Drives Box User manual

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