A path, or sort of direction, please.

Question

Newbie doesn't know where to start, so I completed the tutorial before even asking.. Eventually, I would like to learn a lot of different things, but right now I want to connect a peripheral device (indexing table) to a camera system. The camera system's software allows connection via OPC, and the turntable can be driven (with help from another software via code written in C++ with an OPC UA library (or whatever the term is, be gentle - I'm a newbie, but not stupid). I may or may not need a gui, I'd think what I need to do could run in a background application, but I don't know. I am not proficient at C++ or really any computer language except G code for CNC machines and other specialized languages for running things like coordinate measuring machines, camera systems, ect. I'm not a young man- I want a path to learn what I need, not trying to learn it all at the moment - there is soooooooo much to learn, I don't have time for all of it, but will make time to get to my goals. I don't know the goals I need.

Answer 1

Hello! Somehow, I don't really understand what you are trying to do. If the camera system supports the OPC protocol, then this means that it has its own internal OPC server and waits for OPC clients to be defined in its server configuration software or supports the OPC protocol as a client and needs to be defined on the server-side of other systems. Each vendor (manufacturer), for example, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Unitronics, have their own OPC server and don't easily allow other servers from different manufacturers. It all depends on what you are trying to do and the architecture of your system. OPC UA is just a new extended version of the old OPC protocol.

Answer 2

Thank you, Vasile! The "camera" is actually an inspection system system. It, along with a spotlight I (actually a DJ light for Chavuet) are driven via tcp/IP. Two different softwares come with the system - LYNX Player, and LYNX Editor. The system comes from a manufacturer in France named G2 Metric. The Player executes a program that moves the light and camera to predetermined locations (created in the Editor) The Player software acts like a client to another software called LynxCore. Currently, it communicates with a special derivative protocol called G2MTag. Supposedly, It will also operate via OPC protocol, but I have yet to make it work properly. I am an application engineer for a company here in the US that sells these systems, and am working with a version if software that has not been officially released.

I built the turntable with a stepper motor, power supply, and driver. Currently, I drive it with G code via a free software called Mach 3. It doesn't have an OPC server as the other popular brands.

Answer 3

I will change from Mach 3 to a software from PoKeys called PoBlocks. I don't know much about that yet, but it should allow me to drive the turn table and communicate with an OPC server via C++ code, if I understand the information I've been reading.

Answer 4

Currently, I am not known with these systems and software, but maybe I will take a look on the Internet to see what this is. 🤔
If I understand correctly your camera is mounted on a rotating platform, to allow changing the view and monitor the process from a wide-angle. Step-motors or servo-motors can be controlled by a small PCL using PWM or PTO. They often support OPC, Modbus, EtherCat, ProfiNet, and different already integrated drivers, so we wouldn't be forced to write our own. But I really can't say how things are without a good knowledge of the used products, their technical documentation and system architecture in general as a schematic diagram. 😑