Applied Robotics Torchmate 401A, Hardware Manual, Page: 7 / 23

Torchmate Section 2 Hardware Guide 3
2. Hardware Guide
Overview of the Signal Generator
The Signal Generator provides a flexible interface that controls up to 4 stepper or digital
servo motor drivers, 8 output lines and 8 input lines. It works in conjunction with the
Torchmate software. Please note that there are several software and hardware settings
that affect the use of the Signal Generator. These settings are described in this manual
and the software User’s Guide.
Front Panel
The front panel of the signal generator has the power on/off switch and 8 LED’s with
the following functions:
Limit - Turns red when any limit/input switch is open (using normally closed
switches).
X, Y, Z,
Α
- Turns green when the respective motor is stepping. Note that the
polarity of these lights will be reversed if the Park Signal is set to Low in the
Motor Signals Setup dialog box.
RXD - Turns yellow when receiving data from the host PC.
TXD - Turns yellow when transmitting data to the host PC.
Power - Turns green when the power switch is turned on.
On/Off Switch - Turns the unit on and off. If there is ever a communications
error while running Torchmate, turn the switch off and on to reset the internal
microprocessor.
Rear Panel
The rear panel has connectors for input and output signals as described below.
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