National Instruments NI-Motion - Manual (Page 130)

Chapter 10 Electronic Gearing and Camming
NI-Motion User Manual 10-8 ni.com
Camming
Electronic camming operates similarly to electronic gearing in that the
move distance of an axis is proportional to the move distance of its master
device. Camming differs from gearing in how the master/slave ratio is
handled by the motion controller. Gearing is used in applications where a
constant gear value creates a linear slave position profile, as shown in
Figure 10-5.
Figure 10-5. Master/Slave Ratio in Gearing
Camming creates a more flexible profile by using more master/slave ratios.
These ratios are handled automatically by the motion controller, allowing
precise switching of the gear ratios, as shown in Figure 10-6. Camming is
used in applications where the slave axis follows a non-linear profile from
a master device.
Slave
Master
∆ Master
Gear ratio = ∆ Slave/∆ Master
∆
Sla
v
e