Applied Motion SV7-Q-EE - Manual (Page 3)

6/26/2010
920‐0032a3 eSCL Communication Reference Manual Page 3
Introduction
eSCL (SCL over Ethernet) is Applied Motion Products’ language for commanding and querying motion control
products over Ethernet. It is supported by several motion control devices, including the ST5‐Q‐Ex, ST10‐Q‐Ex
and SV7‐Q‐Ex. In addition to sending commands to a drive from a host in real time, you can also use our Q
Programmer software to embed sequences of commands, called Q Programs, in a drive. These programs can
be set to execute automatically at power up, or can be triggered by commands sent from the host.
This guide is intended to help you connect and configure your drive and to help you start writing your own
eSCL host application.
Getting Started
There are four steps required to create an eSCL application with your new Applied Motion Products motor
driver. Each of these is explained in a separate section of this manual.
1. Connect the drive to your PC. This includes getting the drive physically connected to your network (or
directly to the PC), setting the drive’s IP address, and setting the appropriate networking properties on
your PC.
2. Configure the drive for your motor and application. For step motor drives, you’ll need to use a suitable
version of our Configurator software. For servos, use Quick Tuner.
3. Learn the SCL and Q languages. The eSCL Utility is a great way to explore the features and syntax of
this powerful, flexible language, with help from the Host Command Reference Manual.
4. Create your own application. This guide includes code examples in Visual Basic and C# to help you get
started. You can download the examples in their entirety from our website, but we recommend reading
the explanations in this guide first.
Connecting the Drive to Your PC
This process requires three steps
• Get the drive physically connected to your network (or directly to the PC)
• Set the drive’s IP address
• Set the appropriate networking properties on your PC.
Addresses, Subnets, and Ports
Every device on an Ethernet network must have a unique IP address. In order for two devices to communicate
with each other, they must both be connected to the network and they must have IP addresses that are on the
same subnet. A subnet is a logical division of a larger network. Members of one subnet are generally not able
to communicate with members of another unless they are connected through special network equipment (e.g.
router). Subnets are defined by the choices of IP addresses and subnet masks.