Coordinated Motion Terminology

Term Definition
ACS Axes Coordinate System. The system of coordinates related to the physical motors and the single movements caused by the single drives.
Blending A way that consecutive function blocks cooperate in the transition from the first to the next.
Contour Curve Inserted curve that modifies the original path. It is the resulting curve after blending
Coordinate system The reference system in which a coordinate or path is described
Corner deviation The shortest distance between the programmed corner point and the contour curve
Corner distance Distance of the start point of the contour curve to the programmed target point.
Direction The orientation components of a vector in space. (Note: this is different from the MC_Direction input as used in part 1).
Drive A unit controlling a motor via the current and timing in its coils
Group-FB The set of function blocks that can work on a group of axes
MCS

Machine Coordinate System. The system of coordinates that is related to the machine. A Cartesian coordinate system with the origin in a fixed position relative to the machine (the origin is defined during the machine setup).

Sometimes called “World Coordinate System” or “Base Coordinate System”. (Note: with Cartesian build machines, MCS is a Cartesian Coordinate system and may be identical to ACS, or mapped via a trivial transformation). The coordinate system from the physical multiple axes ACS is linked to the MCS via a kinematic transformation (forward and backward conversion). The MCS represents an imaginable space with up to 6 dimensions.

Motor An actuatorClosed A mechanical device for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. An actuator typically is a mechanical device which transforms an input signal (usually an electrical signal) into motion focused to a movement, converting electrical energy in a force or torqueClosed Torque is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist.
Orientation The rotational components of a vector in space.
Path Set of continuous positions and orientation information in multi-dimensional space Geometrical description of a space curve that the TCP of an axesgroup moves along.
PathData Description of a path which can include additional information like velocity and acceleration.
PCS Product Coordinate System or Program Coordinate System. The PCS is based on the MCS typically by shifting and maybe rotating the MCS. The Zero point of the PCS is related to the product and can be changed during runtimeClosed In computer science, runtime (or run-time) describes the operation of a computer program, the duration of its execution, from beginning to termination (compare compile time). Within KAS, runtime also refers to the virtual machine that manage the program written in a computer language while it is running by the program. The real work piece can have a rotation or shift to the MCS coordinate system or even might be moving relative to the MCS coordinate system. By specifying a trajectory in PCS one is able to describe the trajectory independent from the machine situation. To map these two worlds (MCS to PCS and vice versa), a Cartesian or cylindrical transformation is normally done.
Position

Position means a point in space which is described by different coordinates. Depending on the used system and transformation it can consist of up to 6 dimensions (coordinates) meaning 3 Cartesian coordinates in space and 3 coordinates for the orientation.

In ACS there can be even more than 6 coordinates.

If the same position is described in different coordinate systems the values of the coordinates are different.

Scara A special kinematic for robot or handling applications.
Speed Speed is the absolute value of the velocity without direction.
Synchronization Combines an axis or axes group (as slave) with an axis as master in order that the slave executes its path with synchronization to the progress of the master, meaning linked to a one dimension source for synchronization.
TCP Tool Center point, the point in the machine that is commanded to move, typically the center or the head of the tool. It can be described in different coordinate systems.
Tracking

Is characterized by an axis group that follows with its movement the movement of another axis group.

Trajectory Time dependent description of the path the TCP of an axes group moves along. Additionally to the geometrical description of the space curve, time dependent state variables like velocity, acceleration, jerkClosed In physics, jerk is the rate of change of acceleration; more precisely, the derivative of acceleration with respect to time, forces etc. are specified.
Velocity

For a group of axes this means:

  • in ACS the velocities of the different axes
  • in MCS and PCS it provides the velocity of the TCP