C++ for automation hardware

[gobiraj]

Dear All,

I recently got selected as Software developer in C++ to control IC_bonder automation machine.

I know C++ only for windows based application programming. Can some one please advise me the appropriate material for understanding C++ to control automation hardware.


Thanks
Raj

 

[horace1]

the majority of small microcontrollers tend to use C not C++
it is only when you get to the more powerful microcontrollers (e.g. with DSP support) that C++ is used, e.g. have a look at
https://www.ti.com/lsds/ti/microcontrollers_16-bit_32-bit/overview.page
https://www.ti.com/lsds/ti/dsp/overview.page

do you have a specification of the IC_bonder in terms of IO requirements (digitial IO, Analogue IO, I2C, SPI, USB, WiFi, etc)

 

[gobiraj]

Hi Horace,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I don't have much idea as I am starting my Job in week time. But I just want to get prepared my self. All I got to know from them that the machine is used for wire bonding with chip to substrate. so I have to control the IO , Servo and stepper motor of the machine by coding in Visual C++ ( micro manger). So would you please kindly advice me any C++ programming material to learn about controlling I/O and stepper motor of the automated machine.

 

[horace1]

It depends on how the control system is connected to the PC.

1. are you using an off-the-shelf system which plugs into a PC using a standard communications system such as USB, CAN or Ethercat, e.g.
http://www.softservo.com/WMX.php?catID=3&subID=3
if so the hardware will probably come with a library of functions enabling you to control the attached devices from Visual Studio using C++, C#, VB.Net, etc. If you have already used Visual Stidio C++ it will be a case of learning the classes and methods etc to control the devices.

2. are you building you own control system which you will attach to a PC, e.g. using a controller such as TI's DRV8823
http://www.ti.com/product/drv8823
if so you will build a PCB with the controler etc and some communication to the PC which may be USB, CAN, WiFi, etc. In such a case you would also need to learn how to communicate with the appropriate driver using Visual C++

I assume you already know how to use the Visual Studio toolbox, e.g. TextBox, Buttons, MenuItem, TabControl, etc etc. You can build interfaces to control the various remote devices, e.g.


shows the interface to control a Bytronic mechatronics trainer (connected via USB to a PC)
**broken link removed**

 

[DNA Robotics]

This is kind of old school but I have done great things with InpOut32.DLL. It lets you use the parallel port with C++ and Windows including Windows 7. It is free and lots of documentation and sample code.

 

[horace1]

This is kind of old school but I have done great things with InpOut32.DLL. It lets you use the parallel port with C++ and Windows including Windows 7. It is free and lots of documentation and sample code.

there is also a 64-bit version
https://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/inpout32/default.htm

I have not tried it with Windows 7 - these days iI find it simpler to equip embedded systems with USB, 100baseT or WiFi