Position Control Range

The counter and destination registers for the AX3500 are 32-bit (+/-2,147,483,648), as mentioned in the \"Using the Encoder Module Measure Distance\" section of the documentation. However, when using the encoders in closed loop positioning mode with the Roborun utility, I\'m limited to the 8-bit position command (-127 --> +127) times the 128 distance divider for a range of +/-16,384.

For the encoder resolution and gearbox ratio I\'m using, this corresponds to a range of motion of about 3/4 of one revolution. How can I take advantage of the much larger register available for distance measurement?

The full counter can be read and used in RS232 mode.

128 is the max divider supported. YOu would need a lower count encoder to get more than 3/4 turn in your case.

I am running in RS232 mode. I guess I don\'t understand why I need to lower my encoder resolution when I\'m only using a tiny fraction of the 32-bit counter range. Yes, I realize that 128 is the largest divider, but does that mean that the position control mode is just inherently unable to use data from the rest of the 32-bit counter?

If that is the case, I assume that is a limitation of the Roborun software, not the AX3500 itself, correct? i.e., if I were to write my own software, would I be limited by the firmware to this same position counter limit?

The divider is used when positioning a motor with the -127 to +127 commands.

You can get a much larger range by loading full 32-bit values.

How do I load full 32-bit values? The GUI interface of Roborun is limited to +/- 127 times the divider, and all values for the console interface are limited to a two digit hex number (FF = 255).

Edit:

Ah ha! I must have passed over this part of the manual (pg. 159) a dozen times without noticing it before. I finally discovered the 32-bit encoder destinition setting section.

Roborun can only be used to send -127/+127 commands.

To work with the full 32-bit, you will need to send low level data from a microcomputer.

See \"Set/Reset Encoder Counters and Destination Registers\" in the manual.

what\'s AX3500?!