PMAC2 setup

The Delta Tau Programmable Multi-Axis Controller (PMAC2-PCI) is customized by setting I-variables (Initialization, or Set-up variables). They are saved at fixed locations in memory and have pre-defined meanings. Setting these locations is easily done with the program Pewin32 PRO, the PMAC Executive program for Microsoft Windows. There are 1024 I-variables and they are organized in groups:

• I0 - I64 Global I-variables, general card setup
• I80 - I99 Motor Resolver Gear Ratios
• Ix00 - Ix86 Motor x setup, $x=1, \cdots , 8$ (I100-I186 Motor 1)
• Ix87 - Ix99 Coordinate system x setup, $x=1, \cdots , 8$
• I900 - I909 Global gate array I-variables (control global aspects of the hardware setup using the first ``DSPGATE1'' ASIC on the PMAC.
• I9x0 - I9x9 Channel specific gate array I-variables, $x=1, \cdots , 8$
• I990 - I999 DSPGATE2 I-variables
• I1000 - I1005 MACRO Control I-variables.

Detailed description of the use of these variables are provided in the manual

  stxm5/deltatau/software_reference.pdf

Some of the variables more specific to our needs will be described in next few sections.