Control Step Motor in LabVIEW via Step Motor Driver

Question

I am looking to control a Step Motor (P/N 4023-828) with a Si5580 Driver, both from Applied Motion Products, with a LabView VI.  Applied Motion provides a simple utility program which accepts SCL commands to drive the motor and recieve information about the motor from the driver via a serial connection.
Preferably, the LabVIEW VI would have an input field, and a running list of output responses.  I am kind of a novice with LabVIEW, but I know how to create simple VIs.  Any reference to tutorials which explain setting up this type of control would also be appreciated.
Thank you

Answer 1

Hello Spike22283,
From your description, if the driver you received from Applied Motion
Products is a DLL and you know the API for the driver (the inputs and
outputs for the functions defined in the DLL), then you can use a Call
Library Function Node in LabVIEW to get the set up you desire.
In particular, you would first configure the Call Library Function Node
to call the particular function in the DLL.  Then wire a string
control into the Call Library Function Node, which would be the input
command to drive your motor. Then depending on the data type of the
return value of your DLL function, you can wire an string indicator to
the output of the Call Library Function Node and see the output
responses.
As a reference, I would suggest looking at the shipping example Call DLL.VI (Help >> Find Examples >> Search for "DLL"). 
This example VI allows you to browse examples of external code (C and
C++) data types and how they interface with LabVIEW. Each data type has
an example VI that demonstates the use of the Call Library Function
Node. To open the example VI for a particular data type, select that
data type from the list on the left and then press the "Open Example VI
for Current Data Type" button. The function prototype, the function's
source code, and any specific details about this example will appear in
the External Code Information cluster.
Hope that helps.
Wendy L
LabWindows/CVI Developer Newsletter - ni.com/cvinews