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Are you still programming, or are you already mixing and matching?

How long does it take to set up a spirit level, a digital purse or a video editing station on a smartphone? In most cases, the answer is: There’s an app for that. And they are often just a few taps away. So why is it still so complex and cumbersome to program motion controls in mechanical engineering? In our opinion, there is no reason for that. And we’ve got proof: our simple ctrlX MOTION solution.

With ctrlX AUTOMATION, we have developed a complete package comprising high-performance hardware, a modern software architecture and web-based engineering tools. For our solution, we took the smartphone as an example. And it’s really that simple: Select hardware, select apps, download and personalize. Applied to our ctrlX AUTOMATION solution, this means a developer graphically combines a system topology in the ctrlX Configurator online, including ctrlX CORE, ctrlX DRIVE and motors and ctrlX I/Os. Then, the ctrlX MOTION software is scaled to create a motion system solution. Using the web-based engineering toolbox ctrlX WORKS, the developer selects the required functions – as he would in the respective stores – and the individual automation is complete.

For a complete system solution, the software can easily be complemented by add-ons such as VPN, firewall or pre-defined HMI screens, for example for robotics. In addition, special tasks can be covered with apps of your own. The connection to the development platform GitHub creates new opportunities for communicating with external programmers and for collaborative project work including version management.

Combine graphically – then refine with script

With ctrlX MOTION, developers such as yourself can quickly create customized solutions with little effort. For example, you could combine the graphical code editor Google Blockly with the script language Python. First graphically combine function modules from the ctrlX MOTION kit of components in Blockly, creating complex motion sequences in the process. Users can switch to the script language Python at all times to refine the functions. Go back to the graphical interface with one click and all the Python information is adopted in Blockly. With fine scalability, ctrlX MOTION covers all motion tasks with synchronized axes – from simple single-axis applications to highly complex multi-axis applications. Some of the apps as well as third-party apps and all open source-software can be amended at any time.

Virtual motion optimization

The system is then virtually commissioned on a ctrlX CORE. This way, the motion sequence can already be tested without any hardware. The motion application programs optimized on the virtual model can then be transferred to the ctrlX CORE one to one. Now simply switch it on, and the job is done.

 

If you have any questions or require further information regarding ctrlX AUTOMATION, please contact us:

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Portrait view of Volker Schlotz, Game Changer ctrlX AUTOMATION

Volker Schlotz

Game Changer
ctrlX AUTOMATION

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New freedom in engineering

Find out how ctrlX AUTOMATION helps you to put individual solutions into operation much faster and to program functions easily and flexibly in any language.

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