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Real I/O on a Virtual Controller

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  • ennieororle
    Guest
    19 de May, 2022 at 15:11
    Post count: 172
    #853

    If it’s possible for teaching sake: What’s the cheapest and easiest way to hook a real I/O unit to a computer and use the real I/O on a virtual controller?

    Suggestions?

    roboticanna
    Guest
    19 de May, 2022 at 16:55
    Post count: 172
    #1057

    hmm you could use a small development board, with ethernet. then have it transmit a signal to the robot. Then you could use a alias signal, that you sets equal to the ethernet data.

    ennieororle
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 8:56
    Post count: 172
    #1058

    hanks for the reply.

    Ethernet IO sounds good — does the virtual controller have access to this IO via the computer’s network?

    Let me change the question slightly: Is there any way (does not need to be cheap, but let’s say under $5,000) to connect an IO module for prototyping to the virtual controller?

    roboticanna
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 10:39
    Post count: 172
    #1059

    A cheap board like raspberry pi, should do the trick.
    I have not tried a setup like this, but I know, that you can use ethernet on a virtual controller. Then you will need to use some clever programming, to make it work like an IO signal.
    I might be able to help with the program, but I don’t have a lot of spare time though.

    kaneza
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 14:57
    Post count: 172
    #1061

    One idea could be to write a smart component that communicates with the real io card connected to the pc. I have used Advantech (booth ISA and USB cards) a lot. But you should be able to find others as well

    ennieororle
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 16:51
    Post count: 172
    #1062

    Interesting — how do you configure the USB IO card in the EIO file?

    kaneza
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 19:59
    Post count: 172
    #1063

    Usally a IO card like this comes with an API so that you can communicate with it using for ex. C# so you can write a smart component that handles the communication with the io card. Then you have to connect the IO’s between the smart component and the virtual controller io’s.

    So there is no direct connection between the EIO.cfg and the USB io card.

    ennieororle
    Guest
    20 de May, 2022 at 22:12
    Post count: 172
    #1060

    Again, thanks for the replies.

    graafderk,
    Connecting to a PLC: I can see where it would be handy to connect to a PLC, but I’d like to connect a less intelligent I/O module.
    SmartComponent: Very interesting post on the “OPC fairytale.” Mocking real I/O virtually is a great feature, but I’ve never seen them talk about RS triggering a real output, etc.
    svoldgaard,
    Pi: As much as I’d love an excuse to buy a Raspberry Pi, it doesn’t seem like that would translate very well into a real world application.
    Help: I appreciate your offer.

    http://numato.com/16-channel-e…..odule.html

    I have no idea the specs to look for in an I/O module to do this — think the above could connect to the PC’s network and be configured in the EIO file of a virtual controller? Thoughts?

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