Help with CAN/ JAG encoder settings

[PhilBot]

Is there a description anywhere that outlines how the various CAN based Speed/ENcoder control settings work?

I've just installed US Digital encoders on a pair of Swerve drives and I've been playing with JAG test application. It seems like I can change the Encoder count and PID gains to move from a herky jerky control to a pretty smooth control.

But I'm not sure how this will manifests itself once I switch to LabVIEW.

eg: If I set the encoder count value to 1440 (US Digital output) I can send the CAN a speed request to 60 (rpm) and the wheel spins too fast but smoothly. If I set the encoder counts to 360 the wheel runs at the correct speed, but very jerky.

ANyway, I seem to get smoother control over the full range of speeds if I use a higher encoder count value (even if I adjust the PID gains accordingly).... but I feel that I'm just guessing, and I don't know what will happen once I switch to LabVIEW. eg: what value do I send the Drive VI? +/- 1 or RPM?

How does it know what Speed I want? Will it mimic the JAG test app?

Also, can I use the encoder counts to measure distance if I'm using them to control speed.

Phil

[techhelpbb]

The encoder count should equal the actual encoder. You should not adjust it below or above the actual encoder generally.

In doing so, you create a situation in which the Jaguar will improperly calculate or report anything that is based on a full revolution. After all, it will think there are more or less positions in that full revolution than the encoder can really report.

The PID values are a separate matter. I've not used the Jaguar PID loop with LabView. I can tell you that you should review various posts on this subject. You should remember that Jaguar implements an ideal PID loop, while LabView implements a time domain (standard) version of that loop from what I've seen.

[jhersh]

Originally Posted by PhilBot

what value do I send the Drive VI? +/- 1 or RPM?

Drive is a special beast since it is intended to be controlled by a joystick (-1 to 1). You set the Max Output value on the Open Drive (Existing Motors) VI to control what that -1 to 1 gets scaled to.

Originally Posted by PhilBot

How does it know what Speed I want? Will it mimic the JAG test app?

In the case of Motor Control Set Output, in speed mode, the units are in RPM... look at the context help for details. You need to configure the number of encoder lines in LabVIEW so it can scale to RPM.

Originally Posted by PhilBot

Also, can I use the encoder counts to measure distance if I'm using them to control speed.

Yes... but to do it you need to configure the position reference as well as the speed reference.