Track Tab

Overview

The Track tab allows you to create a track out of segments.

Legend item	Description	Refer to
1	The Segment information provides information on the segment selected in the View area.	Segment Information
2	The Track information provides information on the track.	Track Information
3	The View area displays the track with its components in a simplified 3-D graphical representation.	View
4	The light blue arrow indicates the first segment connected to the Sercos infeed of the controller.	Topological Direction versus Working Direction
5	The cube with U, D, B, F, R, or L is used for selecting a pre-defined view of the track.	View
6	The 3-D coordinate system icon represents the 3-D coordinate system of the track.	View
7	The green arrow indicates the first segment in working direction.	Topological Direction versus Working Direction
8	The Commands area provides buttons to perform the following tasks: Adding / removing straight and curved segments to / from the track. Completing the track automatically. Synchronizing the Multicarrier Configuration editor with the code and the devices in your project. Importing / exporting track configurations.	Commands Update Command (Details)

Topological Direction versus Working Direction

As a basis for understanding the following explanations, note the general information on the topological and the working direction within the track:

Topological direction

The topological direction reflects the Sercos topology of the segments.

A light blue arrow marks the first segment (see legend item 4 in the figure). This segment must be connected to the Sercos infeed of the controller.

The topological addresses are assigned in the physical direction. The first segment is assigned the topological address 1, the second segment address 2, and so on.
Working direction

The default working direction is the same as the topological direction (not inverted). For further information on the working direction, refer to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Multicarrier Library Guide.

A green arrow marks the first segment in working direction (see legend item 7 in the figure). The positions of carriers, tools and products are calculated relative to the first segment in working direction.

NOTE: In case of default working direction (the direction is not inverted), the light blue arrow is not visible as the green and blue arrows both point in the same direction. The green arrow is displayed on top.

Commands

Command	Description
Add (straight / arc segment)	Adds a segment after the selected segment in the topological direction. The first segment you add is interpreted as the topological start of your track. NOTE: You must physically connect the Sercos bus to this segment. The topological start of your track is represented by a light blue arrow.
Auto	Completes the track automatically. This button becomes active as soon as the track can be closed by a point symmetric copy of the already configured track.
Remove	Removes the segment selected in the View area. You can also select multiple segments by holding the Ctrl key while selecting the segments.
Clear	Removes all segments.
Update	Provides different possibilities to synchronize the Multicarrier Configuration editor with the code and the devices in your project in case the Automatic Updates are not activated as described in Automatic Updates (Project Settings). For a description of these Update commands to perform manual updates, refer to Update Command (Details).
More	Provides commands for export / import and the possibility to display the track options: Export Track... Execute this command to export a track configuration file (XML). Export System Configuration... Execute this command to export a system configuration file (XML). Import Track... Execute this command to import a track configuration file (XML). Import System Configuration... Execute this command to import a system configuration file (XML). Show Track Options Displays the track options.
Direction:	Only displayed when the option Show Track Options is enabled from the list of More commands. Direction: > Not Inverted: The working direction is the same as the topological direction. Direction: > Inverted: The working direction is opposite to the topological direction. Also refer to Topological Direction versus Working Direction.
Count:	Only displayed when the option Show Track Options is enabled from the list of More commands. Enter the number of segments to be created in the Count field and click the Add button (straight / arc segment). Result: The segments are displayed in the View area.

Automatic Updates (Project Settings)

If you activate the option Automatic updates in the Project > Project Settings > Multicarrier Configuration Editor > General tab, the content of the multi carrier configuration is automatically synchronized with the Devices tree and the generated code.

If you make modifications in the Multicarrier Configuration editor, these modifications are automatically updated (Update To All) when another editor within EcoStruxure Machine Expert becomes the active window.
If you make modifications to a multi carrier device or to the GVL_MulticarrierConfiguration, these changes are automatically updated (update From Last Modified) to the Multicarrier Configuration editor when the Multicarrier Configuration editor becomes the active window.

NOTE: If you activate the Automatic Updates option, you must complete and verify any modifications you make with the Multicarrier Configuration editor. If modifications are left incomplete and you leave the Multicarrier Configuration editor, the automatic update is executed on incomplete or inconsistent data which may corrupt part of the multi carrier configuration.

NOTICE
	LOSS OF DATA Do not activate the Multicarrier Configuration editor before the modifications have been completed and verified. Failure to follow these instructions can result in equipment damage.

Update Command (Details)

If you do not activate the option Automatic Updates in the Project > Project Settings > Multicarrier Configuration Editor > General tab, the following update commands can be used to manually adapt devices in the Devices tree and multi carrier objects in the Applications tree to the content of the Multicarrier Configuration editor and vice versa.

To Devices
- For the track you created in the Track tab, a Lexium MC Track device is inserted under the Sercos Master device in the Devices tree.
- For the segments of your track, Lexium MC Segment devices are inserted under the Lexium MC Track device.
- For the carriers, a Lexium MC Carrier Pool device is inserted under the PacDrive LMC device in the Devices tree.
  
  The Lexium MC Carrier Pool device contains the Lexium MC Carrier devices.
If the aforementioned devices already exist in the Devices tree, they will be adapted to the content of the Multicarrier Configuration editor.

The names that are assigned to the newly created devices in the Devices tree are configured in the Project > Project Settings > Multicarrier Configuration Editor dialog box (refer to Project Settings - Multicarrier Configuration Editor.
To Code

For the track you created in the Track tab, a MulticarrierConfiguration folder is inserted under the Application node in the Applications tree.

This folder contains the GVL_MulticarrierConfiguration and the associated structures (for example, ST_Carrier, ST_Segment, ST_Station, ST_ToolType).

If code already exists in the Applications tree, it will be adapted to the content of the Multicarrier Configuration editor.

The name that is assigned to the newly created folder in the Devices tree is configured in the Project > Project Settings > Multicarrier Configuration Editor dialog box (refer to Project Settings - Multicarrier Configuration Editor.

If you activate the option Create Emulation Data in the Project Settings > Multicarrier Configuration Editor > Code Generation tab, the To Code operation also creates the emulation data that is needed for emulating the track with the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin.
Emulation data comprises:
- A MulticarrierEmulation folder which is inserted under the Application node in the Applications tree. This folder contains the GVL_MulticarrierEmulation and the SR_EmulationInterface program.
- The SR_EmulationInterface program which synchronizes the OPC UA structures with the GVL_MulticarrierEmulation. Do not change the content of this program.
  
  The GVL_MulticarrierEmulation must be set by your application so that the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin can emulate the track. For further information, refer to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert DigitalTwinCommunication Library Guide.
To All

Synchronizes both the code and the devices in your project with the Multicarrier Configuration editor.
From Devices

You can modify your multi carrier configuration by adding/changing/deleting segments or carriers. To apply the modifications to the Multicarrier Configuration editor, execute the From Device command. Your configuration in the Multicarrier Configuration editor is then updated from the configuration in the Devices tree.
From Code

You can add/change/remove your multi carrier definition in the code, like adding stations, carriers or segments by editing the GVL_MulticarrierEmulation. To apply the modifications to the Multicarrier Configuration editor, you can read from code by executing the From Code command. The configuration in the Multicarrier Configuration editor is updated according to your definition in the code.
From Last Modified

With From Last Modified, you synchronize the track in the Multicarrier Configuration editor with the Devices tree or with the GVL depending on what was last modified.

Segment Information

Information	Description
Type	Segment type. For example: S300 (straight, 300 mm), C45/200 (45° arc, 200 mm)
Length	Segment length. For example: 300.4 [mm], 200.4 [mm]
Topological Address	Topological address of the segment. The Sercos bus must be physically connected to the segment with the topological address 1. Also refer to Topological Direction versus Working Direction.
Start Position	Start position of the segment [mm] in working direction. Also refer to Topological Direction versus Working Direction.
End Position	End position of the segment [mm] in working direction.

Track Information

Information	Description
Closed	True = Closed track False = Open track
Length	Track length. For example: 3405.60 [mm]
Overall Size, X	Overall size of the track in X direction
Overall Size, Y	Overall size of the track in Y direction
Segment Count	Total number of segments that constitute the track.
Segment Type Count	Number of straight and arc segments that constitute the track.

View

The View area displays the track with its components in a simplified 3-D graphical representation.

Element	Description
3-D coordinate system icon	Represents the 3-D coordinate system of the track (see legend item 6 in the figure).
Cube U, D, B, F, R, L	Serves to select a pre-defined view of the track (see legend item 5 in the figure). If the view of the track is rotated, click one of the cube sides to display the track in a pre-defined view: U = Up view D = Down view B = Back view F = Front view R = Right view L = Left view Double-click a side of the cube to display the opposite view of the track. For example, double-clicking the U (Up view) displays the D (Down view). You can also use the keyboard. Click Shift+Ctrl+U (D, B, F, R, L).
Show Stations	Switches between showing and not showing the stations. The track stations are created in the Stations tab.
Reset View	Displays the track in the up view. The complete track is centered in the View area.
?	Displays a help text for zooming, rotating, and moving the track in the View area. Click ? again to hide the help text.

Zooming, rotating, and moving the track in the View area:

Zooming:
- Use the Page Up / Page Down keys of the keyboard.
- Use the scroll wheel of the mouse.
- Hold down the Ctrl key, hold down the right mouse button, and move the mouse.
Rotating:
- Use the arrow keys of the keyboard.
- Hold down the right mouse button, and move the mouse.
Moving:
- Hold down the Shift key, and use the arrow keys of the keyboard.
- Hold down the Shift key, hold down the right mouse button, and move the mouse.
- Hold down the scroll wheel of the mouse, and move the mouse.